You’ve watched the ads, you've formulated your opinions the halftime show, and you know the final score of 2022’s Superbowl game. If you’re one of the millions of Americans who threw, or attended, a Superbowl party you may be feeling hungover, drained of energy, or disappointed the day after. 

In fact, over 11 million people responded in a Workforce Institute survey saying the Superbowl is an event that requires a day of recovery and planned to take a vacation day following Superbowl Sunday, and another 5 million people responded saying they even planned to play hooky and call in sick to work the Monday after the Superbowl. So, it’s safe to say post-Superbowl recovery is a must.

Here are a few simple, yet important, recovery tips for the day after the Superbowl: 

• Get hydrated, duh.  

This might seem like a given but dehydration doesn’t just lead to physical ailments, it can also create feelings of anxiety and depression. So, fill up that Hydroflask and get to drinkin’. On average, an adult should be drinking 15 cups of water a day. Not to mention, dehydration is one of the top causes of hangover symptoms. If you wanna go the extra mile, add some Liquid I.V. to a bottle of water to give your body an extra boost by helping it deliver hydration to the bloodstream faster. 

• Ditch the greasy hangover foods. Eat a healthy breakfast. 

Start your post-Superbowl Monday by eating a full, healthy breakfast -- if you can. This will help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels and will also help reduce some hangover symptoms like fatigue, nausea, and weakness. Even though it’s common to hear greasy foods, like McDonalds, make for a great hangover remedy the opposite is true. Greasy foods can actually upset your digestive system making symptoms worse. Try sticking to eggs, bananas, avocados, oats, fruits, or plant juices. 

• Get that blood flowin’. Take an Aspirin. 

Right before eating your well-balanced breakfast pop an aspirin to help increase blood flow and decrease any muscle aches or weakness. 

• Sleep it off. 

It can be hard to take naps when you feel like you’re “wasting part of your day” or “not being productive” but rest isn’t a waste of time, it’s self-care. Pull back the blinds, bundle up under the covers, turn on your fan or sound machine, and set an alarm on your phone for an hour or so. We promise, the world won’t burn down while you sleep. It’s ok to recharge your batteries by getting some extra shut-eye. 

• Give yourself a play-by-play. Reflect on your Superbowl Sunday. 

Take inventory of your day. How did it go? Was it fun? Was there anything you would do differently? What feelings came up? What was your favorite part of the day? Your least favorite? Taking the time to reflect on your day allows you to learn about yourself and those around you. If you had a bad day, ask yourself why and what can be done differently to avoid that next time – if it’s because your team lost, consider if that ruined your entire day or if there were still parts you enjoyed.  

• Take note from the athletes, do some post-game stretching. 

Help your muscles breathe and your body decompress by doing some basic stretching. It doesn’t need to be full-on yoga, some basic knee-to-chest and shoulder stretches should do the trick. 

• Massage the pain away. 

If your muscles are feeling achy after watching that tense game, grab a handheld percussion massager and lightly massage your pain points. Or even try a trigger point massage cane for those hard-to-reach knots on your shoulders and back. 

• Let your mind unwind. 

Put your brain on autopilot for a little bit. Focus on something outside of yourself by putting on a movie, a podcast, or some music. Enjoying a form of entertainment leads to a release of dopamine in your body, making you feel happy and at-ease. 

Whether your team won it all or played a losing game, you’ll likely need some time to recover before getting back to your normal routine. Instead of guilting yourself over it or feeling shameful, embrace it by following these post-Superbowl recovery tips.