It is very reasonable to assume that if you are anything like me, an average parent that is, you may have engaged in some occasional, socially distant at home enjoyment of a glass of wine. It is also reasonable to assume that at one point or another, during a lengthy unwinding evening conversation with your husbands, this glass of wine we speak of, may have turned into a modern version of the Cinderella story, suddenly transforming at midnight into an empty, lifeless bottle of pure glass right before your eyes, leaving you with nothing but regret and sorrow the next morning.

Unfortunately, I do not hold the power or the charisma of a young, handsome prince (my white horse is practicing social distancing at the moment btw), but I do have a handful of tips to share with you that can make the next 24 hours slightly easier on you.

1. No Time For… The Time.

From the moment you open your eyes, feeling that pounding headache and the smell of regret under your breath, will only force you to crave the ending of this day, before it even begins. Looking at the clock at any point today, will only prolong your recovery process. Rather than taking notice of how incredibly slow and long today’s journey will be, I strongly advice you to hide, cover and put away any clock’s in your house. If today is a work day for you, and you are working from home as a result of COVID-19, keep only one device by you that shows the time, allowing you to still make any conference calls as needed. Today will be about staying in the moment, event though each moment will fill like a year in itself.

2. When In Doubt, Count.

Let’s just confirm again, that today will be hard. You may or may not find yourself crawling to the bathroom to soak your face with cold water. You may or may not find yourself perhaps using the toilet near by (once or twice). You may or may not want to desperately use that fluffy, cloud like yellow bathroom rug as a napping space, if only for a minute just to regain your strength. On the other hand you might just be struggling with a minor headache, with no urge to vomit at all (you lucky person you). Whatever level of hangover you are dealing with, this day will test you. When the moment gets real rough, and you feel like you can’t do it anymore, as if you are about to pass out, count. Set a goal in your mind of perhaps let’s just say 25, as in, I am going to rock my little one 25 more times in my arms before I put her down for a nap. And if you get to 25 and your little one is still crying, or the moment did not yet arrive to the outcome you wish for it to have, set a goal of 50 and continue counting.

Counting has been my secret weapon through motherhood. It got me through the newborn stage of post-partum surgery back pains, sleepless night exhaustion, and much much more. Counting has the absolutely power to help you through the roughest part of your hangover today, or any other day. It allows you to refocus your mind on something else, discovering strength within yourself you never knew you had. So keep counting.

3. We Like To Move It, Move It.

Not because it will be good for your body (because in some cases it might get worse before it gets better), but because it will be good for your mind. The mind is spectacular organ, of which we know very little about. But what we do know is that our state of mind greatly impacts our physical being. So get up off that couch, take your little one for a walk, 2 or 3 times today if the weather agrees. Or dance indoors for an hour or two with your little one, goofing off as best as you can. The pure joy of doing an activity with your little one should give extra energy, ultimately making this day slightly easier. If nothing else, it will help to make the time pass by quicker.

This Too Shall Pass

Let’s face it, most parents if not all, at some point or another will most likely experience a hangover day. But unlike a single version of you, it is quite different getting through this experience with a toddler. It is also quite different getting through such a day during COVID-19 when we are home bound without relatives being able to come by and help out a little (for those lucky parents like myself who have such a luxury). Today, most parents are stressed, feeling a whole bunch of new or heightened emotions about the state of the world and the future of our families. It is only reasonable to assume that hangover days are frequent guests at many households in the nation right now. There is absolutely no shame in that from where I stand. As I have recently experience such a day, I share with you the 3 little tips that helped me get through that day a little easier, hoping that they could help you as well.

Remember, this too shall pass. Also, please drink responsibly and limit your streaking urges.

-Asia