When you’re a party person in your 20s, this question sounds outright ridiculous. Preparing for what? You can go on a five-day party bender, catch forty winks, freshen up, and be ready to party again.
However, things might not be as simple once you’re out of your partying shape. In this scenario, you’ll need some serious preparation. So, for those no longer in their 20s or those unaccustomed to this hedonistic lifestyle, here are a few tips on preparing for your night out.
Get enough sleep
Sleep is important both before and after your night out. Since you’re reading this article, you’re probably not out every night. So, treat this as a special event. Go to sleep early the night before. Your tiredness will determine how alcohol affects you.
Also, you need to be out there and dance, mingle, and chatter. Your ability to do so is affected by how well-rested you are. You’ll need some extra preparation if you’re an introvert, so ensure you follow up with that.
Now, some form of hangover is very likely to take place. This doesn’t have to be a problem unless you have to get up early for work. Driving with a hangover is unsafe. Sure, it’s not incredibly problematic, but it’s still uncomfortable, and the level of risk is elevated. Also, you won’t be as focused at work. So, if you can plan it (if it’s not an event where you have no control over a schedule), try to go out on a night before your day off.
Eat well
Alcohol is more potent on an empty stomach. The scientific explanation is that Alcohol enters your bloodstream immediately when consumed on an empty stomach. On the other hand, when drinking after eating, the absorption is slower.
In other words, if you’ve eaten well before going out, you’ll be able to drink more and intoxicated a lot slower. Remember that this won’t stop alcohol absorption; it will slow it down.
What you drink is just as important. Protein-rich foods like eggs and fiber-rich foods like oats are a great idea. Other great ideas are bananas, salmon, and Greek yogurt. The key is to intake calorically-rich foods that won’t make you bloated. This way, you’ll be able to take more, and you’ll be able to enjoy it all to the fullest.
Choose your booze carefully
Drinking strategically can drastically impact the outcome of your night out. So, you need to know what to drink for no hangover. First of all, there’s no universal recipe. Different people react to beverages in a wide range of ways. The key thing is, and we cannot stress this one enough, that you don’t mix drinks.
Tracking how much you’ve drank is important. Many people make the mistake of trying to recount how much they were able to drink in college. This is about as realistic as trying to fit your high school jeans. Remember that you’re probably out of practice, so be modest.
Liquor and wine are fine separately; however, they make a horrible combination when mixed. Beer and liquor are a bit better combination, but you won’t be able to track how much you drank. Liquor amplifies beer and vice versa, which means that if you’re mixing, you won’t be able to accurately estimate how drunk you are.
Also, wine is a bit harder to track than beer or liquor. You see, the wine goes straight to the legs. This means you can pour and drink for hours and not realize how drunk you are until you try to get up. So, counting cups is important since it helps you track how much you’ve had.
Drink enough water
The simplest way to minimize the effects of alcohol on your mind and body is to drink enough water. You see, alcohol will dehydrate you. By drinking enough water, you’ll have much better control over yourself, and the effects of a hangover (tomorrow morning) won’t be nearly as terrible.
Also, keep in mind that not all drinks are as dehydrating. For instance, dark liquors, spirits, mixed drinks, and wine are the most dehydrating. Beer, on the other hand, has high water content. So, it might even be hydrated.
Now, don’t be fooled by the fact that some of these alcoholic beverages are highly hydrating. Alcohol is diuretic. This means you’ll produce more urine and, therefore, have to go to the bathroom more frequently. So, even when you drink more, you’ll lose more through sweat and frequent bathroom visits. In other words, the idea that you’re rehydrating while drinking alcohol is merely an illusion.
Prepare to fight the hangover
In the morning, you’ll have a hangover. So, it might be for the best to prepare all you’ll need to combat it in advance. Ideally, you’ll prepare a small hangover kit beside your bed. Here, you should provide the following:
- A water bottle
- A snack (something to boost your blood sugar)
- Bottle of vitamins or over-the-counter pain reliever (for your headache)
If you have the energy, you might also try preparing some smoothies.
Ideally, you would wake up, take some or all of these, and return to bed. Sleep is the best natural remedy since it bolsters your body’s ability to recover independently.
Some try to use the “hair of the dog” method. This means that they drink more alcohol to combat the hangover symptoms. While it does help with the symptoms, it just perpetuates the cycle without allowing you ever fully to recover. So, taking a break from alcohol for a while is a lot better solution to the problem.
Wrap up
At the end of the day, learning how to prepare yourself for a night out is a survival skill in a modern urban environment. It helps you stay socially active and celebrate important events in your life and the lives of your friends. By learning how to do so properly, you’ll avoid scenarios in which you must sacrifice an entire weekend to enjoy a night out. You also avoid scenarios where you lose control due to alcohol consumption. These five tips are always handy, even if you are just a social drinker.
