After a night of drinking, and a few peaceful hours of slumber, the bright morning rays may be difficult and harsh. For this trying time having a hangover, you may find guidance and inspiration from a select group of motivators.
When Your Alarm Goes Off
“You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” – Zig Ziglar
Your first instinct may be to hit snooze, and/or throw your alarm clock across the room, but that won’t affect time at all. You’re left with a few options, one being the direction of one of America’s authors. If you can pry your eyes open long enough to check the time, you’ll be able to come up with some semblance of a plan for making it across campus in time for the start of history class.
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Hiding from the World Around You
“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” – Maya Angelou
The longer you stay in bed, the guiltier you’re going to feel about it. Just because you’ve missed half of history doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to make American Lit in a few hours. Don’t punish yourself for drinking earlier and oversleeping; it’s not going to help.
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Trying to Find the Motivation to Get Going
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt
You can imagine sitting in your next class, but you can’t quite seem to lock down the determination to get yourself there. If you channel your energy into believing in yourself, it will make the journey much more real and able to be accomplished.
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Taking the First Step
“Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment.” – Oprah Winfrey
You’ve set your sights on pulling yourself into class mode. Because of your hangover, the morning is going to be a little more complicated than you’re probably used to. You should prioritize the needs of your mind and body and start with simple tasks; such as drinking water and taking medication. Move onto the more difficult parts of your routine when you’re ready.
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Cleaning Yourself Up
“I believe in living today. Not in yesterday, or in tomorrow.” – Loretta Young
If you’re feeling up for it, take advantage of a gap in your schedule to clean yourself up from the night before. You may have the remnants of makeup streamed down your face, tangles in your hair, and severely chapped lips. Considering how much time you can spare, try to wash away anything you don’t want to bring into the new day. Make sure to treat yourself gently during this process; today is a new day and yesterday is in the past.
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Putting Yourself Together
“People often say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.” – Salma Hayek
Once you’re as clean as you can manage, you may feel the pressure of presenting yourself in a specific way. If you’re used to walking around campus dressed to the nines with a full face of makeup, you’re under no requirement to always style yourself that way if you’re not feeling it. Make yourself up in a way that you feel most comfortable, the opinions of others don’t matter.
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Hesitations
“The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” – Amelia Earhart
Managing your morning routine under these new circumstances may be a stressful experience, and you might just want to call off doing productive things for the day. Whatever you decide to do, make sure the decision isn’t being made by fear alone. Everyday can be one for accomplishing goals, it all depends on your feelings and approach.
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Getting Ready to Face the Day
“Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” – Francis of Assisi
Determining what you should do with the rest of your day may not be an easy one. Even though you could be hesitant in rejoining the world of responsibilities and chaos, it can be done if approached with a strong mindset.
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Liquid for Your Soul
“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the age-old hangover cures is a cup (or three) of coffee. It’s not a cure by any means, but it will provide some relief for a nasty headache, symptoms of sleep deprivation, and fatigue. If you can get a decent amount in your system throughout the day, you’ll feel more at ease. Make sure to be supplementing with water from time to time as well.
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Making Your Way Out
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
Venturing outside while recovering from a hangover can be dangerous. Your head may still be heavy, your body sore, your ears sensitive, and your eyes slow in adjusting to the bright sun. Your balance may even be compromised. Know that this part of your journey won’t be an easy one and prepare for possible discomfort.
Breakfast of Champions
“Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.” – Alfred A. Montapert
You may also be experiencing discomfort in your stomach, and the urge to eat all greasy food in sight. If you can avoid this temptation, foods such as bananas, crackers, nuts, blueberries, and oatmeal will make healthier alternatives, with better results in aiding your physical state.
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Shouldering Responsibilities
“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough.” – Og Mandino
Even though it’s the same class you’ve been taking for weeks, and you’re the same student, you may feel different sitting in class with a hangover. The peppy, talkative girl who sits next to you seems less endearing, and the lecture fills you with more questions than answers. You don’t want to get behind, but you also don’t want to waste time going over something you could understand with a clear mind. Don’t be discouraged by the urge to take a larger listening role in class discussions, the feelings of frustration will eventually pass.
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Getting Through a Workout
“Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless” – Jamie Paolinetti
If you’re up to the challenge, a workout may not be out of the question. It surely won’t be an easy exercise experience but accomplishing this will help you gain back some self confidence to swiftly take on the rest of the day. Altering your mental focus will payoff ten-fold in increasing physical performance.
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Getting Things Done
“All of the power is within you. You can do anything.” – Swami Vivekanada
You’re winding down for the night, and the effects of the hangover are nearly dwindled. But there’s still difficulty processing information. This is because your brain is operating at a different energy level, and there isn’t enough processing power left for late night critical thinking. For everyone, there is a point in the day when their brain isn’t as productive, a hangover speeds up that drop off.
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Going Out Again?
“It’s your place in the world; it’s your life. Go on and do all you can with it and make it the life you want to live.” – Mae Jemison
You may have a conversation with yourself about if, and when, you’re going out drinking again. You might make changes in the time spent out, and the amount of alcohol consumed, but that is entirely your decision. If you want to go out every night, or never drink again, that’s up to you. If you do go out again and find yourself hungover, there are countless motivational quotes to help you get through the day.
DISCLAIMER: Her Campus does not promote unsafe drinking practices, or underage drinking. Please drink responsibly!