Category: Advice

You know the feeling: the rooms spinning; the stomachs churning; the light shining though the curtain starts to become painful and despite numerous attempts, you just can’t get your head off the pillow.

The pain doesn’t end here; in fact this is just the beginning. So, like most people you start asking questions. Why am I still fully dressed? Why do I have a number of messages from an unsaved number? Why have I responded to these messages? And why do I am stamps printed on the majority of my forearm?

Welcome to a hangover.

We’ve all been there, but how many people actually know what a hangover is?

Alcohol is poisonous to many of the bodies systems. Excessive amounts of alcohol can affect the liver, the brain, the gastrointestinal system, the central nervous system and sensory perception. It can disrupt your sleep and other body rhythms, affect your mood and affect your attention and concentration. The alcohol also has a diuretic effect which causes dehydration; which results in that horrendous dry mouth in the morning.

Although unavoidable, here are some handy tips on how to make a hangover just a little more bearable:

Powerade– Any energy drink will do; preferably not red bull after a heavy night at Superbull however. It’s packed with sugar and sorts out the dry mouth that comes hand in hand with a hangover. If you no you’re going out, purchase it the night before; seeing a bottle of Powerade staring at you in the morning will cheer you up instantly!

Food – So, the stomachs still churning, there’s a half eaten kebab on the floor and the thought of food pushes your queasiness to the edge. Food in this case though is a necessity. Bananas can replace potassium and other electrolytes that your body has lost so stock up on a couple of those. A good old fashioned round of eggs of toast is also a life saver in this situation; full of healthy nutrients and the combination of protein and carbohydrates is easy on the stomach!

Ibuprofen– Your liver’s already working its socks off to get rid of the high level of alcohol you consumed last night so steer clear of anything that could damage it further (Tylenol, Paracetamol). Make sure you’re safe with it though; no more than 2 every four hours and eight in total for the day.

Stay busy– Now I’m not advising that you try and climb any mountains on this day, however stimulating your brain is a great distraction from the hangover. Get some friends round, rent some films and have a good laugh.

Shower– If only you could wash away the night before! Although, having a shower in the morning will wake you up and get you started for the day. It will also rid you of any stamps you have on your arm and the make up from the night before.

 

 

• Give yourself a time pattern.
  If you know you can’t do more than an hour of work without distraction, give yourself a half an hour break. By giving yourself some rest from the assignment, it’ll give you time to relax for a while. Just remember to get back to that essay.

• Organise yourself.
  Make sure you have everything you need before you start. Pens, pencils, laptop charger, fruit, water etc. If you prepare beforehand, you won’t have an excuse to stop working.

 

• Make a list.
  Write down EXACTLY what you need to do for the assignment. Work your way through them one by one. By breaking your work into segments, the task won’t seem as difficult and daunting as you first thought!

 

• Log off Facebook, Twitter and all social networking sites.
  I know I know, it’s difficult to do but it’s needed. Once you log out of your social networking sites there should be less distractions.

 

•  Set goals.
  Spread out your work over a few days and set yourself a goal to finish by the end of each day. When you complete your goal, reward yourself with a treat. It sounds daft but hey, it works.

 

Are you a procrastinator? Sometimes students don’t even realise they procrastinate. Why don’t you take this test and see for yourself on mindtools.com?