• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Life / Health / The Bare Necessities to Surviving a Hangover

The Bare Necessities to Surviving a Hangover

August 17, 2016 //  by Andrew Porter

Share1FacebookTweet

In middle school biology you may have learned that in wildlife all species need food, water, shelter and space for survival. Without any one of these, a species might die out or fail to have everything it needs to survive. What does that have to do with us as humans? Glad you asked. Have you ever had a tough night out on the town? Pre-gamed with some friends and went a little too hard? Sure, it’s all fun and games in the moment, but the next day a hangover can have you feeling like an endangered species trying to survive. You too can survive in the rough terrain of a hangover. All you really need is a little food, water, shelter and space.

Food

giphy.com

When you wake up with a hangover you have to first acknowledge the fact that you’re awake. Understand that you aren’t dead and have made it through the night. Next, you have to realize that your brain is going to send all sorts of signals and messages to your body that tell it that you’ve made a mistake. You know this though. You will moan and groan and swear you are never going to drink again (we all know that’s a lie). But, once you pick yourself up from your misery, you must take action. One of the best things you can do is eat food. “When I first wake up I lie in bed for a while, then I get up, drink water and cook myself breakfast. I feel like the cooking and actually doing something takes away from the fact that I have a headache,” said University of Georgia student Raven Powell. At the state that your body is in, it needs proteins, starches and amino acids. You can get those from just about any set of foods. Once you eat, you’ll feel instantly better. Scout’s honor.

Water

robinwilliams
giphy.com

Let’s face it–if you’ve got a hangover that means you were extremely drunk the night before. As a matter of fact, you probably still are. Alcohol causes dehydration, which causes you to get thirsty. There’s absolutely nothing safer to drink when you’re thirsty than water. “I usually try to take some preventative measures before I indulge in a night of drinking, such as drinking water beforehand,” University of Georgia graduate Ryan Kelley. “The key to avoiding a hangover that keeps you out of commission for the day is to…get up early and get a cup of coffee and…eat a hearty breakfast.” No matter how tired you are of drinking it, water will help you out. Down the water with the same passion you downed those tequila sunrises and margaritas the night before.

Shelter

shelter
giphy.com

When we say shelter, we don’t literally mean build a hut or something like that. What you do need, however, is a place where you can be away from the “outside” or the real world. When you have a hangover, the last thing you need is to be running errands or trying to shop and function in the real world. You need rest. The best way to get that rest is to sleep. Find your favorite spot in your home to chill and get comfy. Myth buster: your best sleep does not come when you’re intoxicated. When you are asleep while drunk, your body fails to go through all the necessary stages of sleep, and that is no bueno. Because you missed going through all the stages when you were supposed to, your body responds by lagging all day—just like a YouTube video that is perpetually buffering. Your body is going to need that rest back and the Grim Reaper of sleep will come for its victims whether you like it or not.

Space

space
giphy.com

Space is essentially having the ability to do all the necessary activities needed to maintain your lifestyle. For example, you wouldn’t keep a lion trapped in a cage meant for your dog, would you? So don’t do the same for yourself when you’ve got a raging hangover. A hangover isn’t going to cure itself by being stuck at work or in the confines of a 200-person lecture hall. Actually, time does heal all, so it will eventually go away even if you do nothing, but recovering just by waiting it out sucks. You need space to get air, lie down and cry about how much life sucks. Space is an underrated concept and probably the least important of the four, but it’s a matter of comfort. Don’t make things worse for yourself than they already are. To endure a hangover, you have to accept the fact that your day is going to stink for a while. Give yourself some space and get out there again tomorrow.

Share1FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Health

About Andrew Porter

Andrew is a fourth year Journalism major and Communication Studies minor at the University of Georgia. He is passionate about sports, music, TV, and film.

You May Also Like

places to run

Get Moving Gators: 10 Best Places to Run in Gainesville

Keeping Up with the Coronavirus: How is it Spread?

spin class

CM’s Top 10 Schools for Health and Fitness Fanatics

Counseling at a table

Seeking Counseling in College: Why Your Mental Health Will Thank You

covid-19 dating

Your Ultimate Guide to Dating Safely During COVID-19

Juul

Yeah, I’m That Girl Still Addicted to the Juul in 2020

halloween

10 Best Ways to Celebrate a COVID-Safe Halloween

College-19: Back to Campus During a Global Pandemic

COVID-19

PSA: COVID-19 Isn’t Over — Reasons You Should Still Wear a Mask

How Not to Take Your College Final Exams

I Don’t Cry: My Great Airport Meltdown

Battling Poland Syndrome: How I Learned to Love My Flaws

girl on spin bike

College Fitness Chewed Me Up and Spit Me Out, Here’s Why

hospital

A Trip to the Hospital: A Guide to a College Student’s Least Exciting Vacation

A Quick-Start Guide to Your New Quarantine Hobby: Meal Prep

Instagram’s 5 Best Fitness Influencers’ Workouts

How to Survive the Apocalypse: Coronavirus Edition

social isolation

COVID-19: The Costs of Social Isolation

How to Stay Active

12 Ways to Stay Active While Working from Home

Insomnia

Battling Insomnia Through College

Zoom Dating

Keeping Romance Alive in the Days of Social Distancing

Arial view of Dartmouth College's campus.

Campus is Closed: Where Do I Go?

relationship with yourself

Building a Healthy Relationship with Yourself during Quarantine

Don’t Forget about Us: Ronald McDonald battle with COVID-19

Previous Post: « Heartbreak 101: 5 Steps to Surviving Your College Breakup
Next Post: 10 Books Every Nerd Should Read »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

70

Top 10 Weird Scholarships You Can’t Miss

62

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

60

24 Ways My 2020 Survival Guide Turned into 2021 Lifestyle Habits

55

The Ultimate Auburn University Bucket List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating

mental health
32

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.