It’s that time of year again. The shops have taken down their ghoul and monster displays and replaced them with shiny tinsel and the Big Man himself – Father Christmas! But whether your Christmas twin is Buddy the Elf or the Grinch, over 86% of workplaces hold an annual Christmas Do, so either way it’s a hard event to escape from.
Here are six tips to help you survive the party season…
- Dress to Impress
A lot of places require employees to wear corporate attire or at least a smart/casual uniform in the working day, so make this a time where you stand out in the crowd and wear your brand-new sparkly dress or dapper suit with pride! This will help you get into the party mood and feel a little more special than you might do in your normal office outfit.
- Social Butterfly
Use the party as a positive experience to interact with people you normally wouldn’t on a day-to-day basis. You might be surprised at the things you have in common when the conversation doesn’t revolve around spreadsheets, KPIs or daily work. Go and introduce yourself – it can only help to widen your network – so be brave, be confident, and go smash those ice breakers!
- Get merry, but not TOO merry
One great aspect of the Christmas Party (for me anyway) is the free alcohol that goes with it. However, be mindful that, as much as your employers and team mates want you to have a good time, you are still going to be working with them the next day. Getting too drunk and doing something silly isn’t going to help you maintain respect in the workplace. So pace yourself, drink water between drinks where necessary and know when you’ve had enough of the Party Punch.
- Loose Lips Sink Ships
Sometimes in a relaxed environment, conversations can tip toe into office politics and cringeworthy confessions. Try and keep it professional and don’t delve too much – it may get a reaction or a giggle on the night, but the next morning you don’t want to be labelled the office gossip or become the subject of office jokes.
- Plan your journey home
You’ve had a great night, the clock has struck midnight and you and your dancing shoes need to get home before your taxi turns into a pumpkin. Lost in the night’s activities, you don’t want to forget how to get yourself home, and more importantly, safely. Think about pre-booking a taxi or look at transport websites to plan a route home before the big day. Yes, transport timings do change, but it’s better to plan ahead to avoid any unnecessary confusion after you’ve been on the pop or comatose on mince pies.
- Hangover Part IV
You’ve safely arrived home, the remnants of glitter and party poppers glamming up your outfit. All you want to do is go to bed and nurse that head of yours – but take five minutes before you sleep to prepare yourself for the next day. Drink a large glass (a pint if possible) of water, try and have something to eat (honey is meant to break down alcohol while you sleep, so maybe have some with a slice of toast?) and fill up another glass of water to take to bed.
Ho Ho Ho-pefully these tips will help make your night sparkly bright – without the morning-after pain!
