England through to Euro 2020 final: 5 things to do right now if you have a hangover at work

We’d guess there are more than a few sore heads following a night of celebrations…

Fans celebrate England's win at the football

After a very tense game, the almost unthinkable has happened: England’s men’s football team is on its way to the Euro 2020 final against Italy.

England managed to secure a 2-1 victory over Denmark at Wembley and now the Three Lions are one match away from winning their first major tournament in half a century.

England fans celebrated the victory with predictable vigour – before the match, the British Beer and Pub Association estimated 6.8 million pints would be bought, and with a win in the bag, we’d bet even more were actually drunk.

A weeknight win though pretty much guarantees a raging at-work hangover the morning after (something that’ll likely be repeated post final too, on Sunday, July 11).

Unfortunately there’s no magic cure for a hangover, but there are some things you can do to make the day a little less painful…

1. Drink water

And lots of it. Alcohol can cause dehydration. Replenish your stores by chugging water to help ward off splitting headaches and ending up feeling a whole lot worse than you already do.

2. Have something proper to eat

For many of us, the last thing we want to do after a heavy night of drinking is face food. However, getting something in your stomach might help improve your condition – particularly if you skipped dinner last night at the pub amidst the excitement. Opt for nutrient-rich meals to restore what your body might have lost overnight: think wholegrain toast, eggs and leafy greens.

If you really can’t face solid food, try broths or soups – they’ll help get much-needed nutrients into your body, while also providing some hydration.

3. Take some ginger

One of the worst side effects of a hangover is nausea – and that could make it extremely hard to focus on work. If you’re feeling queasy, why not try some ginger? It’s long been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a natural remedy, and a 2016 study suggested it’s helpful against nausea and vomiting.

Try brewing a cup of ginger tea – you can add honey and lemon to make it easier to drink.

4. Plan a power nap

Alcohol can disrupt your sleep – so if you overindulged in honour of Gareth Southgate’s boys, you might be feeling tired and cranky now. If you’re lucky enough to be working from home, we recommend planning a power nap into your day to get you back on track. The ideal snooze time is around 30 minutes – just make sure you set an alarm, so you don’t accidentally sleep the day away.

If you’re not at home, is there a quiet meeting room or secluded spot where you could briefly have some shut-eye?

5. Avoid coffee or hair of the dog

Perhaps you think a coffee will help wake you up, or you want to continue the celebrations with a little hair of the dog. But coffee runs the risk of making you feel even more jittery, and more alcohol tends to delay the hangover – potentially making it worse.