Impractical Psychology

Another weekend has come and gone. Mondays usually provide me with a reflection period of what I did or didn’t do the two days before. Usually, this reflection period comes at about the time of the day when I realize just how much it sucks that I’m stuck in an office all day when I was free as a squirrel just 24 hours ago.

Just as I was thinking about my weekend and how fast it flew by; I came upon a Ferris Beuller quote: “the question isn’t what are we going to do, it’s what AREN’T we going to do?” If you had to read that quote twice, don’t worry so did I. It seems to be saying the same thing, but there is a fundamental difference that is alluring.

Every weekend I spend thinking about what I am going to do, I more than likely end up not doing what I wanted to do. I try to leave weekends to do my chores and to fit in some things that I have been wanting to do for a while..like to take my nephew to the zoo. That one has been on my to-do list since his birthday in March! When I don’t get to these things my excuse is usually to blame the fact that the weekend goes by too fast. I guess that’s kind of the equivalent to blaming the stupid things you do on party nights on the infamous beverages consumed prior to uncanny behavior.

So now I’m thinking that if I think about what I’m not going to do instead of what I do want to do, I might actually get somewhere. For example, if I say to myself on Friday that I am not going to sleep past 9am on Saturday, it might change my mind when it comes to that extra drink which turns into 6 which turns into sleeping until 1pm on Saturday. If I say to myself that I will not stay in the house past 12pm on Saturday, I might actually get some chores done.

I think this principle could also work in the long run: if you honestly ask yourself what aren’t you going to do over the weekend, you might realize that if you keep on not doing certain things that you might never end up doing them. If I don’t take my nephew to the zoo this coming Saterday, it might never happen. Or it might not happen till his next birthday! I have also been wanting to go to the Lion Park for some time now..if I keep sleeping till noon every Saterday, I don’t see that happening.

My point is that weekends really do fly by quickly and unfortunately we only realize what we didn’t do over the weekend Monday’s sitting back at our desks. Perhaps thinking about missed opportunities before they are in fact missed, might effect my weekly Monday reflections drastically.

Had a few drinks last night and I’m feeling less than ok today. I didn’t even go out; just sat and had a good chat over a few glasses of wine. Sitting at work today, I feel less than motivated and frankly lethargic. Usually when I’m in this state of mind my thoughts wonder and I got to thinking about the one tiny fact people always tend to ignore when it comes to alcohol- it’s a depressant. What does that mean anyway? It’s not like you sit in sulk in a dark corner after having a couple of beers. Ok, if you do do that, then you should seriously see a mental health professional.

Usually, we count on the fact that the glass of wine or beer in our hands is going to do the exact opposite. Instead of decreasing our drive, alcohol causes elation and a fabulous sense of euphoria- when drunk in beautifully correct amounts, off course. My poison is and will probably always be tequila. Yes, Jose and I have had some great bonding experiences. After a few tequilas, the world is my oyster. My personality escalates along with the pitch of my voice and I feel like Angelina Jolie- without the offspring!

Anyway, getting back to the point, I realized that the depression only hits the next day. I know this seems like common sense but I believe this observation to be quite a discovery, especially considering the fact that my brain is on retirement today. I feel irritable, indolent, moody and highly sensitive. I am taking the slightest comment personally and feel absolutely unmotivated. Lifting a coffee cup to my mouth is effort! I’m sure a lot of people feel one or more of these symptoms after a hard night of partying and the funny thing is that everything I listed is characteristic of depression.

Alcohol is a depressant because it depresses the brain and the nervous system. Brain suppression would probably explain the lack of social inhibition and stress. It is said that alcohol has a biphasic effect, which means that the effect that it has on you changes over time. Some people know that one minute you can feel great and the next have your head in a toilet contemplating death over the vertigo and nausea. Ironically, in small doses it actually stimulates your brain. However, what goes up must come down. Last night I felt great-today, not so much.

To conclude this post, here are some facts for you:

Hangovers are usually a result of dehydration, so the best way to cure one is to drink water before you go to bed and then again continually the next day. For those of you who faithfully stick to your hangover remedy, you might wana try drinking less because it’s not gonna make any difference the next day!

Taken from the Wikipedia:
“The severity of a hangover also depends on the effects of the byproducts of the fermentation process that brings out the taste and aroma of the beverage, also known as congeners.”
In order of prevalence, congeners are highest in brandy, wine (red), rum, whiskey, wine (white), gin and lastly vodka.

Lastly, animals get drunk too:

“Bees or yellow jackets cannot fly well after having drunk the juice of overripe fruits or berries.
Bears have been seen to stagger and fall down after eating fermented honey.
Birds often crash or fly haphazardly while intoxicated on ethanol that occurs naturally as free-floating microorganisms convert vegetable carbohydrates to alcohol.”