From Hangxiety to Soberglow
- msperren7
- Mar 30
- 2 min read
Reflecting on my weekend, I think overall I stayed true to ‘my plan.’
What’s the plan? Well, before I answer that, I think it’s important to situate that the plan is in relation to being an alcohol minimalist.
An alcohol minimalist is someone who drinks mindfully, prioritizes alcohol-free days, and maintains a peaceful, intentional relationship with alcohol without relying on it to cope or socialize (Co-Pilot).
When I began my journey to find a better balance, I stumbled upon a private Facebook Group Alcohol Minimalist. One of the strategies is to ‘make a plan’.
This weekend, my plan consisted of Friday fun with a girlfriend and 2 drink limit for Saturday. Well…my Friday night fun turned into just over a bottle of wine, so I called my husband and got home safe.
#Funfact (not so fun), when I woke up, I instantly felt dread. I hadn’t done anything wrong, not really. I had 2 more drinks than I expected to. I ran through my night to make sure I hadn’t said anything stupid – nope, all good. So then why did I feel so icky?
I explained this experience to another girlfriend the next evening and she shared that she knew exactly what I was talking about and its called “hangxiety” and it affects around 22% of social drinkers. I had never heard of it before. The interesting thing is hangxiety is actually a physiological response with psychological affects. During drinking the body’s GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) drops which makes you more relaxed, and increases glutamate, which makes you feel more anxious.
I suppose there was a feeling of validation to know that I’m not alone, and yet, I thought, how can I prevent this? So, here is a few tips to share:
Set a goal. Know how much you plan to drink and work hard to keep your word to yourself.
Pace yourself. Make sure that you take time between your sips – don’t rush it.
Space your drinks. If you’re feeling thirsty have an alcohol-free beverage between or alongside it (e.g. water, club soda).
Be responsible. Make sure that if you’re out and about, you have a safe way home
Be kind to yourself. Remember that it's about progress not perfection. Celebrate even the small wins - they all add up.
Whether you are being an alcohol minimalist or abstaining, having a plan is a really good place to start. It can even lead to a “soberglow” which I define as waking up after drinking with a glow from restraint and making good choices.
While I’m still a work in progress, I feel good knowing I’m on the right path.
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