Getting over a book hangover

Book Hangover

When you’ve finished a book and you suddenly return to the real world, but the real world feels incomplete or surreal because you’re still living in the world of the book.

We’ve all been there. Every bookworm and bibliophile our there has had a book hangover at least once in their life and while they are not necessarily a bad thing because the really just been that you read a really good book. However the fact that the book was just so good that it has torn you apart and has left you unable to do anything is a little bit of a dilemma when you have to go to work and school and are expected to interact with other human beings. That is why I have gathered a short list of 8 things that might enable you to get over your book hangover or, at the very least, help you on your way there.

FanFiction

My first tip for getting over a book hangover is reading some good old fashioned fanfiction. There is so much fanfiction out there even for the most of obscure books – you just have to know where to look. If you aren’t really up to reading any more thought because your head is just spinning with names of characters and something that shouldn’t have happened, then try finding fanart or short headcannons of your OTP or just the said book in question.

Talk it out

Sometimes all you need to do is rant. Find a friend, your Mum, your Dad, a brother or a sister or anyone really and talk it out. Tell them all about your OTP and how they are just so perfect, or cry about how your favourite character died. You could even turn to the internet, if you don’t want to interact with an actual person, (which is completely understandable) by finding an online community that wants to talk about the book that you have just read.

Find the Author

By this I don’t mean that you should track them down and go knocking on their door. While I understand that this might be tempting sometimes, especially if they have killed your favourite character, I understand that this may be illegal, so I would refrain from doing that and instead find their social medias and other books. You can look through their Instagram posts, which are often about their books or tweet them to try and find out what happens next. If they have any other books then I would suggest that you read them because if you loved their book so much that it gave you a hangover then they are clearly good authors, so their other books are usually just as good.

Go Outside

Now I know as bookworms the thought of outside might be a little horrifying, but I tell you from experience that this one works for me at least. I find that going outside and just walking or taking your bike if you want to go a little faster can really help clear your head. Rant to yourself about what happened. Re-write scenarios in your head, but instead of doing it curled up in your bed, do it outside on the go where you have fresh air to keep your head clear.

Eat and Drink

Food will always be there for you. If you have tried all of the above and you are still feeling hungover, then make yourself a warm drink and some food and just chill. Watch that TV show you wanted to watch or listen to some music. Sometimes just veging with a donut and hot chocolate is the only way to go.

Have a shower

If food hasn’t made you feel better then you can always try drowning your feelings. A shower, hot or cold, can be a quick easy way to release a bit of stress out of your system, but if your lazy like me then you could always just sit in the bath for an hour.

Don’t Read!

I said it! If you are in the middle of a book hangover and you can’t get out of the world of books, then diving straight back into another one probably isn’t the best way to go. Try leaving the books for just a day or two and get back in to your real life. Maybe you could even do that homework you have been meaning to do.

Sleep it off

If all else fails, then just hit the hay. Turn out the lights and go to sleep. If you can’t stop thinking about your fantasy world of awesomeness and get back into the real world then go to sleep and start again. It doesn’t matter what time of day it is; just go to sleep. When you wake up you can start again and maybe begin to get over your book and get back into the real world.

Well there you have it! My 8 tips for getting over a book hangover. I hope that they will be useful to at least one person out there. I have tried them all before and they all work to some degree, so maybe if you do them all you might be almost there. Although I am going to be honest with you all: I read All the Bright Places back in January and still cry whenever someone says Finch’s name. There are some books that we will never truly be over (*glares at john green and many others*). Have any of you had a book hangover recently? If you have what book was it over?

Goodbye for now!

Over and Out