Tips to not be 'peopled out'- work event

[Boxshibe]

I wfh and go into the office maybe 4 times a year. I have a work event wed-fri this week.
I'm an introvert but can fake it at work mainly via teams calls
Now I'm travelling up wed morning and back Fri afternoon but the in-between will be with colleagues.
Wed- afternoon meetings- evening- dinner
Thu- all day workshop- dinner
Fri- morning meetings

We are all staying in the same hotel so all meals Inc breakfast will be together.
I'm looking for tips to not get too 'peopled out' and then I'll stress and anxiety will kick in . Help!

Walk outside purposefully with your phone in your hand to take an important personal phone call...that may be very long.

Have you heard of energy accounting? I’ve found it very useful for helping to regulate - basically if you have something that will drain you and deplete your energy reserves you need to add some energy-enhancing activities before and after.

I interpret this simply as plan something easy and lovely and butt those things right up against the hard thing. It also helps cut down on anxiety before and ruminating after. I would suggest having music cued ready to play, a good book to curl up with, nice bubble bath etc., or whatever things do it for you.

Would it help to stay away an extra night and chill (if you have demands at home).

Early down to breakfast both days then go for a walk for a change of scene before the first session. One of the evenings-I’d go for Thurs-duck out and say you have a headache and need to go to bed.

I don't think that networking is quite as important as some people would have you believe. For instance, the OP mentions darts and go karting, these are not in the slightest bit relevant to any professional job (although I have done go karting as a work event and I'm so ridiculously competitive that I pissed everyone off, it was not a bonding experience).

I'm not a people pleaser though, so I find it easier to say 'no' to things than the OP. One of our away things was a) at the fucking weekend and b) involved sailing. I said that I don't sail and there was a full week of demands that I explain why not and insistence that I had to sail whether I wanted to or not. I was comfortable with not explaining beyond 'I don't want to' and frankly it had nothing whatsoever to do with my ability as a data analyst. In the end I didn't have to go since it was only two nights and I would have spent the entire day between the two nights on my own as I wasn't going to sail.

Totally get this. My tip would be take the early breakfast and escape back to your room. For the evening events, either duck out with tiredness/oncoming cold or plan so that you can slip away early without anyone noticing. In these scenarios I tell myself, "I am an adult; I can make good choices for my wellbeing." Good luck!

If an event is spread between different rooms, I find an excuse to move from one room to the next when I need a break and either be slow to move between the rooms which is useful as I'm then seen in both rooms & looking like I'm networking very well, or use it as a way to escape both rooms because as far as people know, I'm talking to/looking for someone in the other room. But do not name a specific someone as that will enviably backfire.

Or be forgetful, something important is in your room? Obviously take your time.

Also, don't make excuses or tell anyone that you're leaving. It highlights that you are leaving and also gives them a chance to over rule you. Just slip out if there are enough people milling around, especially if most of them have been drinking, people aren't all that observant. Make sure you have a short conversation with a few of them first, so that they remember that you were there at some part of the evening.

Ignore the posters who don't understand that introverts NEED a breather away from all the bloody people!

Cultivate an invisible/non existent vaping habit. They won't think twice about somebody disappearing for five minutes with the frequency associated with a mid morning, lunchtime, mid afternoon and end of work hours smoke break.

You might come across a couple of smokers in the process but the odds are that they're out mostly for the break away from people and bloody icebreakers as well - it's one of the things that makes it difficult to give up smoking, the sudden obligation to stay around people all the bloody time.

I bring trainers, and go for a walk in the morning. Then either eat a light breakfast and go for a walk after 'sorry, can't stop, need to get my steps and some fresh air'; or else, go out for a brisk walk early in gym gear/ leggings and t shirt, then on way back in cruise bu breakfast to grab a plate of food to bring to your room (no idea why that all crossed out, it shouldn't be) and say Just had my walk and running for a quick shower, see you in the first session!

You can do both.
I am seems gregarious, talking to people I don’t know in these situations.
But
i always look through the timetable and mark out “time out” space (coffee breaks, lunch, pre dinner and just take myself off.
Breakfast in bed is a good shout if it’s not playing against organisational culture.
I have had roles where going to not breakfast to bond was seen to be a sign of lacking team spirit. Those times I eat little and get up as soon as I can. The time between breakfast and timetable start is another down time.
Bonding is valuable to me but if it isn’t for you ,remember they pay so just go along with it

It can be worse than just being stressed...it can be utterly draining and debilitating, to the point where you might need a day in bed to recover.

At least it not a weekend or sailing!! That would be hell!

I do vape and tend to pee alot so will extend these to micro breaks.
I find it draining and will need most of the weekend to recover and peace and quiet when I get home.

Go to a bit of the evening do & then just duck out saying you have to phone your kids/partner/hubby/mil/anyone!
Then just don't go back, if anyone mentions anything just say you fell asleep!

Oh gosh, I like people but people and activities of my choosing! I’d have to go for a run or find some fresh air somewhere in that schedule to escape from it all.

I make sure I have breaks so I can be more on it when I am doing the social stuff. I circulate and get seen by plenty of people then duck out early when I start to tire. I take some work or something that looks like it down to breakfast to put people off disturbing me, and I make sure I leave the hotel for fresh air and getting to a place where I'm less likely to bump into anyone who knows me.

So far trains are making me 2hrs late. Not in the best moods. Might skip this afternoon go straight to hotel and feign headache. Focus on tomorrow.

I know it was a few months ago OP but how did it all go?