We’ve all woken up the day after a boozy evening and grimaced as we try to piece together what we can remember of the night before. Now, with socially-distanced park meet-ups the activity du jour there’s a new layer to hangxiety dread in town.
Not only did we shriek declarations of love for everyone within ear shot after the first bottle of wine, we vaguely remember sitting on one friend’s knee... and sprawling all over another mate. During a recent park trip, my friends and I were SO good about social distancing for the first few hours, but after that it all got a bit… hazy, which meant the next day there was more to worry about than the hangover.
Welcome to the era of social-distancing hangxiety, it’s rather like your average hangover but with the added fear that your best mate might die because of you. Every drunken hug, hand hold or passing of a cup or corkscrew could spell the end for any one of us.
The day after a night out used to be reserved for swearing about your depleted bank balance, but now we’ve got a bit more on our plates. As lockdown rules have relaxed, it’s meant we’ve all rushed to meet friends within walking distance of us. And we all know British summertime roughly translates as ‘boozy picnics in the park’.
But in the age of socialising only at a safe two-metre distance, it means a lot can go wrong on a drunken day out. Lillian Sesiguzel, 25, first experienced social distancing hangxiety last weekend after meeting friends for a picnic.
It wasn’t until the next day that I realised she smokes rollies, and obviously she licked the paper to make it stick. Then I started freaking out a little bit.
‘I was sat in a park and it was a beautiful day so we brought a few drinks with us,’ she says. ‘We’d positioned our picnic blankets so they were two metres apart to form a big circle, but then as the day continued my friend asked me if I wanted a cigarette. I said yes, as I usually would when we’re drinking together, although, it wasn’t until the next day that I realised she smokes rollies, and obviously she licked the paper to make it stick. Then I started freaking out a little bit.’
Daisy, 30, visited Hackney Marshes in London to meet friends a couple of weeks ago.
‘It all started off so well: we kept our distance for most of the day,’ she says. ‘But then when it started to get cooler we went back to my friend’s flat. We were a bit drunk by this point, but had good intentions to sit on the balcony. But then as it got colder we gradually came into the flat and by the evening we were sitting next to each other on the sofas, pouring from the same bottles and acting like it was normal times. At the time none of us even thought about it, but the next day we were all messaging about how bad that was. As the day went on, I got more worried and more annoyed at myself. My boyfriend has asthma and I feel awful now for putting him in an uncomfortable situation. I’m not sure I trust myself to drink with friends anymore at the moment, until we know the R rate has fully come down.’
Claire*, 34, doesn’t drink anymore, but says she’s also felt a new, uncomfortable feeling the day after getting too close to her friends. ‘I have been getting the same kind of come down from seeing people I used to feel after a wild night,’ she explains. ‘It’s hard to come down from the high! A feeling of flatness, and disproportionate sadness because those highs are still quite limited. And let me tell you, you don’t need to drink or get high to get too close to people! But do I regret it? No, to be honest, I need it.’
Booze-related social distancing worries can work two ways, as Lorna, 35, has found, after watching her friends post videos draped all over each other after a few drinks. Now, she feels uneasy going to meet them next weekend, knowing they’re not being strict with the rules.
‘I was really excited about seeing them but they keep posting pictures of themselves clearly pissed on Instagram, draped all over people, and it's really stressing me out and making me not want to see them,’ she says. ‘The thing is, it's not like I've been totally amazing and careful all the time, but the fact that they care so little about it that they'll post pics breaking the rules on social media makes me think that all bets are off.’
So, what’s the solution? Well, a sensible person might suggest not drinking when we see friends during the pandemic… but I don’t see any sensible people here. So instead, how about we all agree to be each other’s social distancing cheerleaders? If someone comes too close, shoo them away and encourage them to do the same to you. And if all that fails, well, it looks like we’ve got a new dimension of hangover to get used to.
*Name has been changed.
READ MORE: Life After Lockdown Around The World
Life After Lockdown in Pictures - Grazia
1 of 47New York, USA
The Cafe du Soleil sets up igloos outside for its diners to allow for social distancing.
2 of 47Catania, Italy
Sara, who has just given birth to baby Olivia, wears a protective mask as father Angelo takes a picture of his new daughter through a glass wall.
3 of 47Paris, France
Students exercise outside as they return to school on 15 May.
4 of 47Krakow, Poland
A dental hygienist wearing PPE welcomes patient at a dentist's office in Krakow on 15 May.
5 of 47New York, New York, USA
Social distancing circles are used at Domino Park in Brooklyn, New York on 15 May.
6 of 47Johannesburg, South Africa
Social distancing markers are displayed at a train station in Johannesburg, South Africa on 4 May.
7 of 47Auckland, New Zealand
Martyn Weatherill, principal of Laingholm Primary School in Auckland, hosts an online assembly with students in their classrooms on the first day back to school on 18 May.
8 of 47Berlin, Germany
Bayern Munich substitutes wear protective face masks and maintain social distance in the stands during the Bundesliga match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Bayern Muenchen at Stadion An der Alten Foersterei on 17 May. The Bundesliga and Second Bundesliga is the first professional league to resume the season after the nationwide lockdown; all matches until the end of the season will be played behind closed doors.
9 of 47Dallas, Texas, USA
A sink in a public toilet is blocked off in an attempt to promote social distancing.
10 of 47London, UK
An empty Waterloo station shows a sign encouraging social distancing on 18 May.
11 of 47San Francisco, California, USA
A temporary tent encampment for the homeless with tents at an acceptable distance from each other is opened in San Francisco.
12 of 47Berlin, Germany
Markings are placed on the floor at a primary school in Berlin as primary school pupils and tenth graders began returning to school.
13 of 47Krakow, Poland
A sign at the entrance to the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Krakow reads, 'Do Not Enter Without A Mask' and 'Keep A Safe Distance.'
14 of 47Paris, France
Gare de nord station in Paris has marks on the ground to show the appropriate social distance between people.
15 of 47Granada, Spain
A zebra crossing sports a sign that recommends keeping two meters away from other people on the first day that Granada begins Phase 1 of progressive return to normal life on 18 May.
16 of 47Alimos, Greece
Beachgoers enjoy the sun and sand at Anavisos beach on 16 May as organised beaches are allowed to be reopened in Greece.
17 of 47Innsbruck, Austria
Hairdressers wash customer's hair on 2 May 2020 in Innsbruck, Austria after hair salons and barber shops reopen after a seven-week lockdown. Customers and employees must wear masks and have to keep as much distance as possible.
18 of 47Tel Aviv, Israel
A young girl wearing a mask plays on the playground during the first day of school on 5 May 2020 after over a month and a half that schools were closed.
19 of 47Hermosillo, Mexico
A doctor from the state health sector speaks to a federal police officer who is supervising the information to prevent contagion amid the COVID-19 pandemic at Hermosillo International Airport on 2 May 2020. Hermosillo International Airport is operating normally while taking preventive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.
20 of 47Venice, Italy
Demonstrators in Venice asks for the restrictions around bars, restaurants and other commercial activities be lifted on 4 May 2020.
21 of 47Shanghai, China
Shanghai Disneyland utilises 'social Distancing' queues for its reopening on 4 May 2020.
22 of 47Dusseldorf, Germany
Janine Scholz and Philip Scholz are married in a wedding ceremony at the Autokino Dusseldorf drive-in cinema on 5 May 2020. A total of three couples are marrying at the drive-in with friends and family members allowed to attend in their cars.
23 of 47Munich, Germany
Churchgoers arrive Frauenkirche 'Cathedral of Our Lady' cathedral for evening mass on the first day churches and other houses of worship are allowed to hold services again in Bavaria since March on 4 May 2020.
24 of 47Dresden, Germany
Visitors, only some of whom are wearing face masks, wait to enter the Zwinger palace complex as a poster showing Adam and Eve wearing masks hangs at the entrance on the first day the palace reopened to the public.
25 of 47Athens, Greece
A commuters, wearing protective face masks, sits on a bus on 4 May 2020.
26 of 47Barcelona, Spain
People watch the sunset at La Barceloneta Beach on 2 May 2020. In Spain, lockdown measures have continued to ease and walking with family members and outdoor exercise is now permitted from 6-10am and from 8-11pm.
27 of 47Tel Aviv, Isreal
Year 3 children return to school for the fist time in over a month and a half on 5 May 2020 in Tel Aviv, Israel.
28 of 47Huntington Village, New York, USA
A family receives a delivery of beer from the Six Harbors Brewery, who have trained their two golden retrievers, Buddy and Barley, to deliver beer to customers during the pandemic.
29 of 47Miami, Florida
Jose Morales sanitizes buckets of golf balls at the Miami Beach Golf Club on 29 April 2020 as the city of Miami Beach partially reopens parks and facilities including golf courses, tennis courts and marinas.
30 of 47Sydney, Australia
Surfers prepare to enter the water at Bondi Beach on 3 May 2020. Currently, 'Surf & Go' measures are in place for weekends and there is no beach access allowed except along designated pathways to the water for surfcraft use only.
31 of 47Wuhan, China
People wear protective masks while practicing dance near the Yangtze River 1 May 2020 as life returns to normal in Wuhan, China.
32 of 47Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Prototype clear acrylic safety shield dividers are tested at a blackjack table at the El Cortez Hotel & Casino, which is currently closed as a result of the statewide shutdown.
33 of 47Gold Coast, Australia
From 2 May 2020, the Queensland government eased lockdown measures to allow people to leave their homes for recreational activities, such as motorbiking or boating, picnics, visiting national parks or going shopping for non-essential items. Social distancing must still be observed and people must stay within 50km of their main residence.
34 of 47Miami Florida
Miami Beach, Florida has partially reopened parks and facilities including golf courses, tennis courts and marinas as it begins easing lockdown restrictions.
35 of 47Naples, Italy
A woman has her temperature taken upon arrival at Naples' Central Station 4 May 4 2020.
36 of 47Auckland, New Zealand
As schools prepare for students up to Year 10 who can't study from home or whose parents need to return to work to return to school, a teacher write Covid-19 instructions on the white board.
37 of 47Miami, Florida
People share alcohol-based hand sanitszer in South Pointe Park on 29 April 2020.
38 of 47Vienna, Austria
Shoppers rush into a clothing store, which has opened for the first time since the government imposed restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus on 2 May 2020.
39 of 47Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Restaurant Mediamatic in Amsterdam offers what they call 'corona-proof' dining.
40 of 47Bangkok, Thailand
A taxi driver tries to protect himself with a plastic shield after Thailand's lockdown was partially lifted on 3 May 2020 allowing markets, parks, barber shops and restaurants to open with proper social distancing measures.
41 of 47Taipei, Taiwan
Students eat their lunch on desks with plastic partitions as a preventive measure at Dajia Elementary School in Taipei on 29 April 2020.
42 of 47Moscow, Russia
A couple has their temperature taken before their wedding ceremony at Moscow's No1 Civil Registry Office on the first Sunday after Orthodox Easter.
43 of 47Moscow, Russia
The couple shows off their wedding rings to a phone, as currently, relatives and friends are not allowed to attend marriage ceremonies due to safety measures aimed at countering the spread of the disease.
44 of 47Milan, Italy
As the lockdown ends in Italy, the government has allowed bars and restaurants to reopen exclusively for take-away food.
45 of 47Krakow, Poland
A kiosk worker wears a protective face mask as he speaks to a customer from inside an electronic point covered with plastic inside Kazimierz Shopping mall on 4 May 2020.
46 of 47Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Surin Nguyen, wearing protection gear, works on the nails of a customer at Allure Nail Bar in Atlanta, Georgia on 21 April 2020 after Governor Brian Kemp eased restrictions allowing some businesses, including hair and nail salons, to reopen in the US state of Georgia after a four-week lockdown.
47 of 47Bozeman, Montana, USA
Kurt Smith wears a mask while helping a customer at the recently reopened Schnee's Boots, Shoes and Outdoors on 4 May 2020.