Good morning, good afternoon and good evening readers,

Chhhh… Chhhhh… Breaker, breaker… Chhhhh… Do you copy? … Is anybody out there?

It’s been two days know and the hangover is still real. When people over 25 would tell me about how horrific hangovers get, I mocked them “Pah, they can’t get much worse than they already are!”. Well… I suppose I better start eating my hat because post 25 hangovers are indeed horrific, and they get worse by the month. It’s my own fault really and I am sure you would all kindly offer that delightful little answer. I think I could handle the sickness, the fever, the headaches and the lovely sweats, where you feel the alcohol oozing from your body. You know the kinds where all you can smell is beer and wine, then realising that it is your own aroma. Tasty. All of that is just about manageable, but the thing that gets me, the thing that really knocks me for six, is the dreaded booze blues. It sounds like a Johnny Cash country number, but unfortunately it is not upbeat, foot tapping chart topper.

The lyrics of The Blues Boozes would probably resemble something like:

“Oh what’s the point in life?
Tell me why do we have strife?
Why do we wake to the morning sun?
When will our days just be sun?
Ohhhh… the boooooze blueeesss.”

Of course, I know all the answers to these questions, but when you are singing The Booze Blues, it is difficult to whole heartedly feel and live them. Feeling such a way in another country is a whole different kettle of fish and not having your home comforts can make you feel even lower. Who would’ve thought I would miss the damp British weather so much hey? Or even a lovely Dominos pizza to cure your woes? Perhaps all I need is a good cup of tea and some marmite on toast? Who knows, but I don’t have any of those things here, so I must use other techniques. Enter my Self-Help spreadsheet.

I created this beauty just before I left and my oh my, am I glad that I did. I recommend that everyone has a Self-Help spreadsheet to help them through those tough times. Fill it with your triggers, those thoughts that signify you tipping in the wrong direction, who you gonna call (depressionbusters), what hobbies/ past times can help you out, what music will pull you through the dark, CBT techniques to train your mind and any other magic little numbers that are good for the soul. Tonight, I completed some of my favourite CBT evidence-based methods, wrote a 50 Blessings list and listened to some lovely jubbly music. Hopefully tomorrow is a brighter day.

Even though it is self-inflicted (as people like to remind us) and “it’s just a hangover”, don’t just wait for the music to stop. Dance whilst The Booze Blues play and practice pulling yourself out of the dark.

In kindness,
C x