“Hangry”
(hang-gree) adj. slang
A mental state of anger caused by lack of food; hunger causing an imbalance of emotions and blind fury.
Sometimes hunger can make you as angry as a grizzly bear
If you spend enough time traveling together, you will inevitably experience difficulties. A canceled flight, a lost piece of luggage, an illness or injury; these are all challenges that require flexibility and patience. We welcome these hurdles because when we work together to overcome them, we learn and grow. One obstacle that we’ve encountered frequently is having one or more of us getting “hangry” while traveling. This week, we’re humorously defining”hanger” and sharing one of our more memorable encounters with it during an otherwise wonderful evening in Las Vegas.
What is Hanger?
At the intersection of hunger and anger lies the dreaded disease known as “hanger.” This calamitous condition brings with it a nasty and irrationally irritable feeling called “hangry.” Even though hanger can seem like just an excuse to be angry and snip at people, studies have shown that there are physiological reasons that people experience hanger. The Cleveland Clinic even published an article explaining the condition. Hanger always seems to happen at the worst possible time - when no food is readily available and the stress of current circumstances is at a high level. You can count on feeling hangry when you’re lost in a foreign country, in the middle of a long hike, or on a long road trip with no food exits in sight.
How to Recognize Hanger
Hanger often starts with just one member of the family, but it spreads like wildfire. Unfortunately, by the time you realize the condition you’ve encountered, the entire family may be affected. Rational thought becomes impossible to maintain as the hangry feelings begin to take hold. In the most severe instances, you’ll find yourself miles away from any remedy and your once happy family will begin to attack each other in the quest for food. Insults, yelling, rage, and despair are all common when dealing with this affliction that is generally (but not always) the result of poor planning.
Vulnerability and Progression
No one is immune to becoming hangry. It can come on quickly and is only solved by consuming food. Problems arise when the affected person has no immediate access to that stellar solution of sustenance. A rapid decline in the ability to think rationally and problem solve adds further complications to an already dastardly disorder. Once hanger has infected the entire group, they will snap at each other mercilessly in their attempt to think and determine what and where to eat. “I don’t like that place,” “that’s too expensive,” and “I don’t know what to order” are typical battle cries. Until the first morsel of food is consumed, the problem seems so insurmountable that afflicted people often lose all hope of ever feeling satisfied again.
It Begins
In the photo below, a happy family is out enjoying the nighttime lights and activities in fabulous Las Vegas. However, we can also observe that one family member is clearly feeling hangry. She has lost all joy. She can’t find any happiness in her surroundings or the family that she loves. There is no reasoning with this afflicted person. The goal is to cure the disorder before it spreads to everyone around her.
Despite all the smiles and fun, Sophie is feeling hangry
Proper Treatment
In order to treat hangry symptoms, you must find the nearest source of food and get the affected person fed quickly. The act of eating is way more important than the type or quality of food at this point. The affected person doesn’t have the mental capacity to make a decision because their every thought is focused on how hangry they feel. Someone needs to step up and make a speedy decision. In this case, we found a quick service restaurant and ordered hot dogs. As she eats, we witness her transformation from the Hangry Monster back into a silly little girl.
Click on photo to enlarge and see descriptions.
Post Hangry Euphoric State
In this photo, we find the affected family member in a state of utter bliss after consuming copious amounts of food. She is no longer filled with sadness and rage. Instead, she has morphed into a silly, giggling mess. This absolute gleeful state can lead to lots of mischief or even result in a complete crash. Hopefully, you’ll find yourself somewhere in the middle: a state of peace and contentment where all is right with the world.
Sophie is now fully transformed back into her usual silly and happy self
Preventive Measures
Careful planning and discipline are important when trying to avoid getting hangry. It’s so easy to get caught up in your activities for the day that you forget to plan a defined break for a snack or a meal. Often, by the time you realize that hanger has set in, your options for avoiding or curing it are hard or impossible to find. For example, when traveling in Europe, you must be mindful that many restaurants are only open during certain hours. If you missed the lunch timetable, you will be hard pressed to find an open restaurant to serve your needs. (Are we speaking from experience? Yes, yes we are!)
Plan ahead for meals and snacks. Sometimes, this means stopping to eat before you even feel hungry because restaurants close during certain hours or because you’re going to be somewhere that makes stopping to eat impossible. Taking some emergency snacks along in a purse or backpack is also a great strategy. Cheese sticks, protein bars, nuts, fruit; these are all good items that can buy you much needed time to solve an impending attack.
Sadly, lapses in this planning process are almost inevitable. Despite all your best efforts, your quest for adventure and your ability to lose yourself in the moment is likely to produce a hangry episode. Fortunately, hanger symptoms are solved quickly and easily with the consumption of food. There are also no long term effects that linger after hanger has been resolved (other than some potentially funny memories to cherish). With any luck, your episode will serve as a reminder to plan accordingly for future travels and outings.
Is it Worth It?
We have faced many challenges while traveling. Getting hangry is just one of them. It’s frustrating when we find ourselves in the midst of a hangry episode, but it’s generally easily remedied. What remains after hanger symptoms are cured is the laughter and the new memories we’ve created. These are often the ones we look back on over and over throughout the years and we find ourselves giggling about them once again.
Feeling hangry is just a byproduct of having been so completely immersed in the moment and the experience that you lose all sense of your own needs. It means that your current adventure has captured you completely - mind, body and spirit. In those moments, you’re learning, growing, enjoying, and responding to the experience in front of you. Isn’t that why we set out on an adventure in the first place?
Have you experienced a hangry episode while on an adventure? How did you deal with it? We hope we’ve encouraged you to plan ahead for hanger attacks as you get out there and have some Uncommon Family Adventures of your own.
