Dr Pam Spurr

Preventing Christmas party disasters!

Preventing Christmas party disasters!

"Prevention is most definitely better than cure when it comes to the office party season. My mailbag’s always full after the Christmas party season when I hear from people who’ve either made themselves look foolish when it comes to love or alcohol - or both!

Here are some preventive tips – 1. If there’s someone you’re desperately attracted to at your office, and know you'll find it hard to resist chatting to them at the party, take these precautions. Think through the sorts of things you might say to them so that you won't scare them off. For example, you could plan things like "It’d be great if we could go for a drink one evening." Flirt by all means, but in a way that’s not OTT. There’s a massive difference between laughing at their jokes, snuggling up to them, and generally letting them know you're attracted to them - and grabbing them and giving them a massive snog in front of everyone. 2. Discuss with a trusted colleague how you think they’ll respond to that. 3. Enlist said colleague as a "crisis buddy" on the night. So if you feel you're about make a fool of yourself you can ring them, or if they’re at the event too, go over and stay with them. 4. Always alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks. Avoid sparkling mineral water or fizzy drinks that facilitate the alcohol effect, instead choose "still" drinks as alternates. 5. Eat a proper meal before the event, as the finger foods at such things don’t help absorb any excess alcohol. 6. If your plan to stay out of trouble go horribly wrong and you end up dancing drunkenly on a table-top and flirting outrageously with your boss, a quiet apology the next day is better than a stony/embarrassed silence. 7. After that - let ‘em talk! Better to be talked about for being the life and soul of the party than to be the retiring wallflower that no one notices. Having apologised the "who cares" attitude is the only way to go. 8. It's terribly important that you’ve a plan to get home during the party season. Cab companies get booked up and you don't want to be stuck walking somewhere late at night. Make sure you and a friend keep tabs on each other and you both get home safely. 9. Suggest that your company puts on cabs for employee safety.”