The morning after an epic binge-reading session may not find you on the bathroom floor wondering how a giant tiger got in your bathtub, but a book hangover can be just as painful and confusing as the headache that follows a night of revelry.

If you’ve ever wandered about aimlessly after finishing a book, wondering just what is the meaning of life, you’ve probably suffered a book hangover.

Luckily, there are a few ways you can alleviate the depression that comes with saying goodbye to a powerful story and its unforgettable characters. But first, it helps to understand the causes of a book hangover and why it impacts you so much emotionally.

What Is a Book Hangover?

A book hangover is that empty feeling you may have experienced after finishing a book or series that really resonated with you.

You’re not quite sure how to cope with reality (after all, you’ve been blissfully ignoring it for the last few days or weeks while your nose was buried in the book).

Perhaps worst of all, you just really miss the characters who have come to feel like friends or family, and you can’t stop thinking about what they would do if another chapter or sequel were written. Even the fictional world they live in seems to beckon to you, even long after the book has run out of pages.

The symptoms of a book hangover can include any of the following:

• Zero interest in picking up another book
• A hollow feeling in your chest
• Frequent daydreaming about characters and/or their fictional world
• Wondering what your characters are doing now in their alternate universe
• A desire to curl up under a blanket and cry
• Zero ideas for what to do with yourself now

The Science Behind Book Hangovers

Believe it or not, the book hangover isn’t just a cutesy term we coined for this blog post—it’s actually backed by psychology!

One of the many benefits of reading is that it can teach us to be more empathetic. We get to see life from the perspective of someone else, perhaps someone of a different race, gender, or upbringing from our own. Or, perhaps you’ve found a character who’s just like you, and this discovery finally makes you feel seen or understood.

All of these things can help create bonds between readers and the character(s) in the story. We feel like we really know them, and naturally, we grow attached—but then the cold reality hits as you grow closer to the final page.

Maja Djikic, PhD, has studied the effects of reading on theory of mind and empathy. She explained to BookRiot that this feeling might simply be sadness for the loss of the characters and their unique world.

Other times, Djikic explained, the “hangover” might indicate that a theme or central issue from the book might still be active in your psyche, so you long for more time to reflect on those complexities.

One Dutch study showed that when we are “emotionally transported” by a book, we may lose self-awareness and track of time because we perceive the fictional world as real, if only for a while. This leads to the “hangover” effect that keeps our minds stuck in the narrative even after we’ve finished the book.

How to Recover from a Book Hangover

While nothing can replace your book and its beloved characters, there are some things you can do to alleviate the pain of a book hangover.

1. Take a break from reading.

Give yourself some time to deal with the emotional exhaustion that often comes when you’ve been really invested in a story that’s now finished.

Try out some other ways to relax and pass the time, such as coloring with adult coloring books, writing your own short stories or poetry, or trying a new TV series or movie.

Step back from the story for a while and gibe yourself some time to process it before jumping into the next one.

2. Track your thoughts in a journal.

If there’s something you just can’t shake from your mind—whether it’s a character, a line, or the story’s setting—try writing about it in a journal.

Why do you think that part of the story resonates so deeply with you? Do you see any similarities between you and one of the characters or storylines? Did the story open your eyes to ideas you never considered before?

Doing this kind of reflection and introspection can help you to understand why the book is having this effect on you so you can move on in a healthy way.

3. Try other books by the same author.

Not all of an author’s books will be hits, but if their style or themes really stuck with you, you can try reading some of their other works to nurse your book hangover.

You’ll get a new, fresh story, but with some of the familiar quirks that made reading the last book such a memorable experience.

4. Read fan fiction.

Fan fiction is fictional writing created by fans of an existing work. It usually features at least one of the characters from the original and imagines them in future or alternate situations (kind of like a spin-off).

While most fan fiction isn’t exactly known for its quality, it can satisfy your craving for more of the characters or setting.

5. Find other books that fans love.

If you feel so connected to a certain story or character, chances are, you’re not the only one. Take to social media to see what other fans are saying, or use sites like Goodreads or the “people also bought” section of Amazon to discover what else fans of that book are reading.

Even if they’re not all penned by the same author, you’ll likely see a pattern of similar themes, narrative styles, or characters.

You can also consider joining a book club to connect with like-minded readers. You’ll discover more great books, and have a support system for when your next book hangover strikes.

Stories That Stick With You

Stories have the power to capture our imaginations and make us feel seen and connected to one another—that’s what makes storytelling so important.

If you find yourself felling a little lost or empty after the conclusion of a book, the sadness is real and it might hurt for a while. But just remember that this is a sign of a truly powerful work of art, and that’s not an experience that comes around often.

How do you get over a book hangover? Share your tips in the comments below!

 

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