What is a social hangover?

Getty Images. The social hangover. Noun: The feeling of sheer exhaustion after socialising with friends post-lockdown.

What does a social hangover feel like?

Social hangovers are a pop psychology concept that, not unlike a real hangover, refer to the general malaise you feel after a night of social contact. “A social hangover can feel like you're walking in quicksand or being surrounded by a fog,” therapist Melissa Russiano told VICE.

Can you get a social hangover?

An introvert hangover includes social fatigue, mental and physical exhaustion, and burnout felt by introverts after they have spent too much time socializing with others. This feeling occurs because introverts are drained by interactions with others and need time alone to recharge.

How do you get rid of a social hangover?

Why do I feel drained after socializing?

Social exhaustion can also be called introvert burnout or introvert hangover. Although it's not a medical diagnosis, it is a valid experience that introverts and extroverts can face. It can be an emotional and physical response to social overstimulation that leaves you feeling drained and exhausted.

How to Cure a Social Hangover

What causes an introvert hangover?

An introvert hangover is that drained, tired, overwhelmed feeling you get when you've “overdone” socializing and have not had enough alone time to recharge. It can come from small group interactions, overstimulation from the activity itself, like an eventful concert, or a Zoom call.

What makes introverts attractive?

On the contrary, introverts have attractive qualities because they're active listeners. They speak less and listen more, which gets people interested in them. What makes introverts attractive is their ability to observe beyond the words people speak. They pay close attention to details and are extremely prudent.

Why do I feel mentally drained after hanging out with friends?

Hanging around people who are too much for us is also tiring, because it taxes our brain to try to keep up with them. It's possible you often feel drained while socializing because you're usually around people who don't really do it for you.

Why do introverts get overstimulated?

Basically, she says that introverts are more sensitive to dopamine than extraverts, and thus require less of it. If they get the same amount as an extravert, it is too much, and they get overstimulated. Extraverts, conversely, have a low sensitivity to dopamine and thus require much more of it to be happy.

What happens when introverts don't get alone time?

If an introvert doesn't get that, their energy levels deteriorate, leading to mental and emotional (as well as physical) exhaustion. This can lead to feelings of numbness, irritability, or depression. Too much socializing and insufficient alone time is similar to too much work and too little self-care and playtime.

Why does my head hurt after socializing?

But TMJ might actually be why you get headaches related to socialization. Spending more time talking, talking more loudly, and smiling can stress your jaw muscles. If you have TMJ, this jaw muscle stress can then get translated into headaches. And, of course, TMJ can mediate stress-related social headaches, too.

Do introverts get more tired?

Having a less active dopamine system also means that introverts may find certain levels of stimulation — like loud noise and lots of activity — to be punishing, annoying, and tiring.

Can texting drain your social battery?

1. Texting is still a form of socializing, which depletes introverts. Texting can sometimes be hard for introverts because communicating with other people depletes us, no matter if it's through texting, phone calls, or in-person.

What does an introvert hangover feel like?

An “introvert” hangover is a pretty terrible thing to experience. It starts with an actual physical reaction to overstimulation. Your ears might ring, your eyes start to blur, and you feel like you're going to hyperventilate. Maybe your palms sweat.

How do introverts feel after socializing?

And socializing is actually draining for everyone eventually, according to a recent study. Researchers found that after three hours after socializing, participants reported higher levels of fatigue. Surprisingly, these effects were found to be true for both introverts and extroverts.

How do you spend time with an introvert?

Instead of focusing on doing all the right things in a relationship like calling at the right time, texting consistently, and saying the right things, focus on making a meaningful connection with your partner. In fact, most introverts desire thoughtful, interesting conversations about something of interest to them.

Why do introverts go silent?

Introverts are people who prefer calm environments. While they might enjoy social interactions, they very much need their own quiet space too. Introverts often need to recharge after prolonged social interactions. Too much stimulation will overwhelm them.

What signs are introverts?

What happens if you upset an introvert?

Introverts in distress won't always choose solitude, but if their emotional discomfort is caused by anger, they may seek to isolate themselves from everyone else in the house or building. Angry Introverts are in a sensitive state, and they can easily become overstimulated by too much social contact.

Why am I always the one who gets left out?

Often getting left out can result from simple miscommunications: Maybe your friends thought you were too busy with your job to go shopping on a weekday. Perhaps you accidentally texted them the wrong date or time for an event, and they planned something else without you.

Why do I feel sick after hanging out with people?

Excessive socializing, not too many cocktails, may be to blame for your painful symptoms. After too much time cooped up with too many people, your head starts to buzz, your brain sort of hurts (or appears to stop working entirely), your heart pounds, maybe your palms sweat.

How can you tell if someone is draining your energy?

Do introverts need more sleep?

Introverts don't necessarily need more sleep than extroverts (or anyone else, for that matter), but they definitely need more rest than most people — and yes, there's a difference between "rest" and "sleep."

Are introverts born or made?

Introversion isn't totally genetic. It gets influenced by your environment at a young age, and our genes allow a certain amount of flexibility in response. This happens through “set points,” which are the upper and lower limits of how much extroversion your brain can handle.

Are introverts secretive?

People often describe introverts as “mysterious” and “private”. Many of us do value our privacy, choosing to only share secrets with the few people we truly trust. Of course, some introverts are more secretive than others.