Ever woken up after a night out with a racing heart, sweaty palms, and a head full of worries? Welcome to the world of hangxiety – where physical hangover symptoms pair with anxious feelings and other psychological symptoms after a night of drinking alcohol. This post-drinking anxiety experience is one of the most common effects of alcohol, and one of the biggest bummers, too! But what if you could unwind without the worry?

Here at Ceybon, we've created a botanical buzz in our Ceybon AF aperitifs to beat hangover anxiety. These alcohol-free cocktails not only help you avoid the negative effects of heavy drinking, but they are actually good for your brain!

Chill AF: prevents hangxiety and increases calm

If you're a social drinker who usually goes for the standard drinks offered during a fun night out, but you wake up feeling those classic hangover symptoms, we're here to tell you — there's an incredible happy hour alternative! Chill AF, our calming non-alcoholic aperitif, is hand-crafted to increase feelings of relaxation and uplift your spirit, effectively mimicking the effects of alcohol.

Chill AF is great to have on hand for social events, since it tastes like a cocktail, acts like a cocktail, but instead of alcohol it has nourishing botanicals and mushrooms that increase calm feelings. How does this magic work? Well, as master herbalists we include herbs and mushrooms like lemon balm, reishi, linden, and catnip, known for their feel-good and sedative effects, that can help you feel even better the next day.

Grab a bottle of Chill AF today and kiss hangxiety goodbye!

Herb spotlight: lemon balm

An herb we love to highlight — lemon balm — is a star ingredient in Chill AF! This herb, famous for imparting feelings of calm with its sunny disposition, is also traditionally used to help sharpen and improve brain activity. In this way, lemon balm not only can help us mimic alcohol in our Ceybon AF aperitifs, it can also help increase emotional and mental wellness overall in our daily lives. That's why we love lemon balm!

Why are feelings of anxiety worse after drinking?

Alcohol consumption usually gives us short-term feel good moments, but often causes various anxiety symptoms and longer term mental health conditions. Why does it do this? It all comes down to brain chemistry: the chemicals in alcohol dysregulate various neurotransmitters in our brains like gamma-aminobutyric acid, serotonin, and dopamine, which are associated with mood, enjoyment, motivation, and kindness. What goes up must come down, and post-drinking we eventually feel a drop in mood that manifests as anxiety and other psychological symptoms.

What are some common hangxiety symptoms?

While the effects of alcohol, including hangxiety, can show up differently in different people, you can usually expect higher blood pressure, higher heart rate, more social anxiety, increased sleep deprivation, occasional muscle aches and other physical symptoms. Hangxiety withdrawal symptoms are common and can last up to two days.

How do you get rid of hangxiety?

If you find yourself waking up with hangxiety, you can take some tangible steps to feel better in the moment:

• Drink plenty of water to rehydrate — you can start your day off with a tall glass of water and increase water intake from there!
• Try some deep breathing practices to regulate your nervous system
• Focus on supporting your sleep cycle by drinking a calming drink before bed, decreasing screen time 1-2 hours before sleeping, and winding down with your favorite soothing activity like reading or listening to relaxing music
• Eat meals with plenty of protein to re-ground your blood sugar after a night of drinking

Of course, addressing your relationship with alcohol and drinking habits, and seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder if needed, is of great importance. Check out the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for more information.

Even though hangxiety is a common challenge, Ceybon AF has your back. Try a bottle today and get your buzz without the fallout.

Have you ever experienced hangxiety? Well, you're not alone — tell us about your experience in the comments below!