Meeting Hangovers: Why They Happen and How to Recover

You know those days you spend your entire workday in meetings, some planned, others unexpected, and the majority exceeding their allotted calendar slot?

At some point maybe you stand up, take a deep breath, then sprawl out on the couch in a silent room. Despite the silence, you hear constant noise in your brain – unhelpful, half-baked thoughts mixed with a crackling, hissing static equivalent to that of a weak radio signal. 

You undoubtedly feel exhausted physically and mentally, so you lay there for a while, hoping that tomorrow will be different. 

Do you know the feeling? 

That exhausted, fuzzy-headed feeling that makes you lie down in pure silence to recover after a day of back-to-back meetings—that’s a meeting hangover. And yes, it's a real phenomenon.

Here's why meeting hangovers happen and what you can do about them. 

Why do meeting hangovers occur, anyway? 

What causes those haunting, heavy post-meeting symptoms? There are a few sources, and the more of them you experience, the quicker (or more frequently) you might feel the symptoms of a meeting hangover. Common causes include: 

Heavy cognitive load 

Sitting in back-to-back meetings forces your brain to constantly process new information, make decisions, and manage social interactions. You might not even realize you’re operating on overdrive, but your brain certainly does. And the worst part? The exhaustion from your strained cognitive resources follows you long after your workday ends.

Constant context switching 

With nonstop meetings comes the unavoidable need for context switching or shifting from one topic to an unrelated topic or project. The price of context switching is high – costing the global economy an estimated $450 billion annually – not to mention that it can take over 23 minutes to get back on track after a distraction (or a quick sync). From declining productivity to lost time to multitasking and diminishing attention spans to burnout, context switching is a breeding ground for frequent meeting hangovers.

Screen fatigue

While there’s a lot to love about technology and how it facilitates connection and productivity, especially working remotely, it can also leave us drained at the end of the day. Extended screen time strains your brain, eyes, and focus, especially during video calls. 

Reduced physical movement 

Our bodies crave movement, even in small doses. Sitting still for long periods robs us of that ability—not to mention it decreases blood flow and energy levels, making hangover symptoms even worse. 

Decision fatigue 

Effective meetings facilitate decision-making and deep discussion among team members. But each choice available and every contribution you provide also depletes your mental energy reserves. It’s a lot to give, give, give for hours on end. 

Immediate recovery tactics for meeting hangovers

Pro: you survived the torture your calendar served up today. 

Con: you now need a cure for your meeting hangover.

There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution, but a combination of tips and tricks can help provide relief. When you’re in the thick of a meeting hangover, try one or more of these activities: 

Take a break (a real one) 

Unless you’re in the business of saving lives and legitimately can’t risk stepping away, go take a break. Physically remove yourself from your desk and computer for at least 15 minutes. And avoid reaching for a portable screen (looking at you, smartphones). There are plenty of other refreshing ways to spend your time. Eat lunch, listen to your new favorite song, catch up on a podcast, water your plants, or do something creative!

Get outside for some fresh air and enjoy the natural light 

Don’t underestimate the power of stepping outside, even if you don’t wander far or only have a few minutes to spare. Mounting psychological research shows that spending time in nature benefits our busy brains and offers understated emotional and existential benefits. Boost your mood and mental health with a few minutes outside. 

Do some light physical movement to restore blood flow

Stand up, stretch your legs, roll your shoulders down your back. Touch your toes and wiggle your fingers. Light physical movement can breathe life back into your still, stagnant body. A light yoga practice can serve you well, too! One of my favorites is this 14-minute Office Break Yoga practice on the Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel. 

Hydrate well and often

Dehydration worsens mental fatigue. One study revealed that dehydration negatively affects vigor, esteem-related affect, short-term memory, and attention. Prioritizing hydration during back-to-back meetings and when a meeting hangover hits can help with fatigue and exhaustion.

Practice deep breathing to reset your nervous system 

Some meetings can activate your fight-or-flight response because of the psychological stress (no matter how non-threatening the situation actually is). While not true of all meetings, deep breathing techniques effectively reset your nervous system (which is always helpful). You can choose from different breathing exercises, so experiment until you find one that works well. My favorite is diaphragmatic breathing.

Meeting hangover prevention strategies 

Curing meeting hangovers is relieving, but wouldn’t it feel even better to prevent them entirely? Yes, meeting-heavy days will happen, but there are practices you can adopt to prevent meeting hangovers: 

Block out meeting-free zones in your calendar

Nothing has ever been more accurate than the fact that if you don’t protect your time and determine how best to spend it, someone else will decide for you. That’s why blocking meeting-free zones in your calendar is vital for deep work. You deserve uninterrupted work time free of meetings to tackle your to-dos. 

P.S. Did you know Clockwise can automatically protect Focus Time on your calendar so you don’t have to sacrifice your meeting-free zones?

Schedule breaks between meetings

While it’s tempting to stack your meetings and knock them out in one long, painful punch, a lack of breaks in between can exacerbate a meeting hangover. Aiming for 10-15 minutes between meetings gives you time to stretch, grab a snack, shut your eyes, or whatever else might refresh your mind. If you don’t want the hassle of scheduling breaks between meetings, set smart meeting breaks in Clockwise. 

Set boundaries around meeting length 

When did 60 minutes become the default meeting length? (And why?) Even 30-minute meetings are sometimes longer than necessary. Not every meeting requires a whole hour or a half hour. Consider defaulting to shorter meetings of 25 or 50 minutes so you always have some buffer in your schedule. 

Use asynchronous communication when possible

Meetings are a communication and collaboration tool, as are email, chat apps, intranets, wikis, and other forms of asynchronous communication. None is better than the other; all can be effective with the right strategies and systems. Use asynchronous communication instead of a meeting when it makes sense, and don’t be afraid to ask a meeting organizer if your presence is truly necessary. 

Stand or walk during some meetings if you can

If you have a standing desk or are in a shared physical location and can stand, do it! If you’re meeting in person and don’t need to look at information on a screen while you chat, go for a walk! If you can take a meeting via phone, put in your headphones and walk while you chat. Don’t feel tied to your desk or computer when it makes little sense. 

Keep a water bottle handy to stay hydrated throughout the day

Whether you’re team Stanley, a YETI tumbler lover, or a regular glass of water person, keep a water bottle or cup handy. Hydrate throughout the day and refill during meeting breaks. If you don’t like plain water, add fresh fruit or try electrolyte drink mixes (LMNT is my top choice) to keep things fun, healthy, and delicious. 

Long-term solutions for kicking meeting hangovers to the curb

While there’s a lot you can do to address and prevent meeting hangovers at the personal level, organizations must understand how their culture facilitates these pains. 

Make these practices part of your work culture to eliminate meeting hangovers for good:

Question whether each meeting is truly necessary

We should never feel offended when someone challenges whether a meeting is necessary. When done well, asking this question shows respect for everyone’s time. A simple decision-making framework can help you decide when you need a meeting versus when to take it async.

Encourage no-meeting days or half days

Adopting a no-meeting mindset is much easier when your team or organization bands together to protect sacred work time. Depending on your line of work, a whole no-meeting day may not be doable, and that’s okay. No-meeting half days can also effectively prioritize time for deep work while decreasing meeting hangovers. Clockwise makes it easy to schedule and plan around a team no-meeting day. 

Set clear agendas and end meetings early if you meet the objectives

Every productive meeting starts with a well-thought-out and intentional meeting agenda, complete with clear objectives, supporting materials, topic owners, and an allotted time per topic. It’s that simple (and yet, many meetings still happen without an agenda!). Make the best use of your meeting time, and if you achieve what you need to before the clock signals an official meeting end, call an official ending early. 

Normalize saying no when your calendar is too full

Believe it or not, declining a meeting isn’t a crime (even if some cultures make it feel that way). Encourage a culture that normalizes turning down meeting requests to avoid wasting time that you could spend on high-priority work. A packed schedule is more than reason enough to decline a meeting invite, and it’s up to you to empower your people to do so. 

Advocate for better meeting practices within your team

So, maybe you can’t overhaul your organization’s meeting practices overnight (primarily if you work at a company with thousands of employees…). Instead, start small by advocating better meeting practices within your team. Try creating calendar user manuals as a team, and then use them to align on meeting-free versus collaboration zones as part of your team norms. 

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Remember: Meeting hangovers are a sign that you need to adjust your work patterns, not a personal failure. Taking care of your mental energy is crucial for sustained productivity.

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