How to Get Rid of Hangxiety, Step by Step

Start by putting a name to it. Hangxiety is the nickname for the dread, worry and regret that can tag along with a hangover. It isn't a formal diagnosis, and it's different from an anxiety disorder, which sticks around for months and gets in the way of daily life. A lot of what you're feeling right now is brain chemistry, not proof that something terrible happened.

Alcohol boosts GABA, your brain's main calming messenger, and quiets glutamate, one of its main activating ones. Your brain pushes back to stay balanced. When the alcohol wears off, that pushback can leave you feeling wired, jumpy and on edge. In people who drink heavily and often, the same seesaw is what drives withdrawal anxiety (3).

Timing helps too. NIAAA says hangover symptoms peak when your blood alcohol level returns to about zero, and they can last 24 hours or longer (1). So the worst of it is often first thing in the morning, and it's temporary.

Sip water through the morning instead of chugging one giant glass. Alcohol suppresses vasopressin, a hormone that tells your kidneys to hold on to fluid, so you lose more fluid than usual while you drink (1). That mild dehydration feeds the thirst, fatigue and headache that make everything feel worse.

An electrolyte drink is a nice option if you like one. We make The Plug Drink, a 100 ml bottle with 150 mg of potassium, zinc, no added sugar and no caffeine, so it fits easily into a hydration routine. Just to be clear, no drink, ours included, switches off anxiety. Fluids help your body feel better, and a calmer body makes the rest of these steps easier. If you're curious how different options stack up, our electrolyte drink comparison breaks it down.

Eat something, even if you're not hungry. An empty stomach on top of a rough night can leave you shaky and lightheaded, and an anxious brain is quick to read those signals as danger.

Keep it gentle and balanced. Good picks include:

• Eggs and toast
• Oatmeal with a banana
• Rice, beans or a simple soup
• Crackers or broth first if your stomach is upset, then something bigger once it settles

Coffee feels like the obvious fix, but too much caffeine can bring on restlessness, shakiness, a fast heart rate and anxiety on its own (4). That's the last thing your nervous system needs this morning!

If you're a daily coffee drinker, don't skip it completely. MedlinePlus notes that suddenly stopping regular caffeine can cause headaches and irritability (4). Have your usual cup, sip it slowly, and skip the second (and third) one.

Give your body a direct signal that it's safe. Slow breathing is one of the relaxation techniques the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health describes for easing stress (5), and it's free, quick and works lying down.

1. Breathe in through your nose for a count of 4.
2. Breathe out slowly through your mouth for a count of 6.
3. Repeat for 3 to 5 minutes, letting your shoulders drop on each exhale.

Let yourself rest. Alcohol may help you fall asleep faster, but NIAAA notes that sleep after drinking is fragmented and people tend to wake up earlier (1). Running on broken sleep makes anyone more irritable and more anxious.

A short nap or an hour on the couch with a comfort show counts. Once you've had some rest, open the curtains, step outside or take an easy 10 to 15 minute walk. Gentle movement and daylight help a lot of people feel more like themselves, and this isn't the day for an intense workout. Want more ideas? Our post on quality sleep has plenty.

Don't let your brain run last night on a loop. Researchers who followed 334 young adults found that intrusive, unwanted thoughts about the previous night's drinking during a hangover predicted heavier drinking patterns staying put 30 days later (6). In other words, the spiral doesn't just feel bad. It can keep the cycle going.

A few ways to break it:

• Write two columns: what you actually know happened, and what you're afraid happened. The second column is usually much longer.
• Talk to yourself the way you'd talk to a friend who woke up feeling this way.
• Call or text a friend you trust and talk it through, as long as it helps you feel steadier rather than more wound up.
• If you need to check in with someone from last night, send one short, kind message, then put the phone down.
• Pick a distraction you enjoy: a podcast, a shower, a walk, a favorite playlist.

And if something did go sideways? A simple apology tomorrow, once you feel steadier, usually lands better than a 2-paragraph text at 9 a.m.

Don't reach for another drink. NIAAA is clear that coffee, a shower or a morning drink won't speed up your recovery, and that only time does (1). A morning drink just pushes the comedown later in the day. If you want a gentler plan for the days after a big weekend, our guide on helping your liver recover from alcohol walks through it week by week.

Be careful with pain relievers, too. NIAAA warns that combining alcohol and acetaminophen can be toxic to the liver, and that aspirin and ibuprofen can irritate the stomach lining (1). If you take an antidepressant, anti-anxiety medication or a sleep aid, alcohol can interact with it, so check with your pharmacist (7).

Hangxiety is easier to avoid than to fix. The more you drink, the stronger the hangover tends to be, so the simplest plan is drinking less on any one night. Next time, try these:

• Eat a real meal before you go out.
• Alternate every drink with water or a non-alcoholic option.
• Decide on your number before the first drink, and tell a friend.
• Stick to one type of drink and sip, don't race.

It's also worth noticing who gets hit hardest. A 2019 study of social drinkers found that highly shy people had a bigger jump in anxiety the day after drinking, and that among those shy drinkers, hangxiety was linked to more signs of an alcohol use disorder (8). If hangxiety shows up most weekends, that's useful information. NIAAA defines heavy drinking as 5 or more drinks on any day or 15 or more a week for men, and 4 or more on any day or 8 or more a week for women (9). Its free Rethinking Drinking site is a no-pressure way to check in on your own habits.