With things opening up again after lockdown, the last few weeks have been my most sociable in a long time.
It was lovely to meet up with some friends and family again. We even went to a birthday party on a house boat which was a lot of fun.
Although I enjoy spending time with people, I’ve noticed that afterwards I get a bit of a ‘social hangover’ and need some time to rejuvenate. Maybe you’ve noticed something similar?
Symptoms of a social hangover can include feeling irritable, low energy, anxious, drained and physically exhausted. It can feel just as bad as an actual hangover!
After so long social isolating and hanging out on Zoom, it takes a surprising amount of energy to spend time with others – especially if you’re an empath or an introvert. We’ve got out of practice in being with others and may even feel like we’ve forgotten our social skills. Do you relate?
If you think you may be suffering from a social hangover, here are five mindful suggestions to protect your energy:
- Don’t overdo it and commit to too many social events. Take your time to ease slowly back into the world and set time boundaries on meet-ups.
- Take some quiet time alone after meeting up with people to rest, recover and integrate your experience.
- Spend time in nature to ground yourself.
- Take a salt bath using Epsom or Himalayan salts to clear your energy.
- Keep up your regular meditation practice or whatever other practices sustain and nourish you. Practicing connection meditations, such as the one I teach on my mindfulness courses, can be particularly useful.
Getting back out into the world can bring up lots of mixed feelings, so make sure to take things at your own pace and be extra kind to yourself as you adjust to this new phase.
And of course, don’t feel pressured to socialise if you’re not ready for it. By tuning into ourselves with mindfulness we can gauge what’s right for us and be true to ourselves – no matter what others say.