Is binge drinking turning your Saturdays into Sadderdays?

Post-groove depression (PGD) is a real thing. In simple speak, PGD is that wave of regret that overwhelms you on the morning after a big night out.

It can happen anywhere from the second you open your panda eyes and realise you're still in the velvet bodysuit you went out in, to when you open your wallet to buy a greasy meal and realise you spent all the cash you withdrew before you went out.

Of course, there are usually a few small highs - like the sigh of relief you breathe when you find that you still have your keys, your wallet, your makeup bag and your phone.

The same phone which you immediately pick up to send "last night was a lot!" texts to all your mates, before you start preparing to binge watch series the whole day.

But the festivities of a Friday night are often followed by feelings which are much less jolly, which is why millennials now call Saturday "Sadderday." For some the aftermath is more a physical thing, while for others it has a deeper effect.

Here's a visual representation of how alcohol can take you from "pop mabhodlela, pop champagne" to "kill me now" in a matter of hours as seen in Kid Cudi's Pursuit of Happiness music video:

But a hangover isn't the only demon some people have to face on a Saturday morning. This is due to the fact although alcohol is very good at tricking you into believing you are on top of the world while you're under its influence, it's actually a depressant.

According to Forbes, this trick that alcohol plays on your brain can be quite addictive, so even though you may not drink daily during the week, you may drink a whole lot more over the weekend because your body has been craving a dopamine release the whole week.

Drinking has a lot to do with wanting to fulfill the reward center of your brain. You want to finally muster the courage to text your crush, you want to confront a flaky friend or you just want to feel confident enough to dance without a care in the world - all things which can be momentarily rewarding at the end of the night (if you remember any of it).

Read more: What drinking alcohol does to your skin.

However, you need to be careful of drinking heavily as a means of avoiding dealing with stressful situations, as drinking has a direct effect on your mental health due to the imbalance of chemicals and nutrients it causes in your body.

People approach drinking differently - some drink for celebration, others to unwind and some to drown their sorrows, which is why the the effect booze has on you has a lot to do with the incentive for drinking in the first place.

However, there are people who never experience the sedative effects of alcohol and are only attracted to the euphoria drinking brings. It's important to know exactly where you fall on the spectrum - to know whether you jol to be jovial or if you booze for the blues.

So before you take it to the head this weekend, here three handy tips to soften the blow:

1. Eat

Alcohol reaches the bloodstream so much faster when you drink on an empty stomach and exaggerates the feeling of drunkenness. Always try have a full meal before you go out.

2. Stay hydrated

Because drinking will have you rushing to the loo every 5 minutes, it's important to keep a bottle of water (or two) to rehydrate. You'll find that this may even make you feel less tipsy and your liver will thank you the next morning.

3. Don't mix

Yes, mix and mingle with people around you, but don't mix your drinks. Stick to one kind of drink because mixing different types of spirits also gets you festive very fast, which is honestly just a waste of a good outfit.

And your body and brain really deserve these self-care tips in order to make it to a pain free Sunday.