Give me tips to survive my works do !

[par05]

So have the dreaded Xmas works do! Feel obliged to go would really rather not, but we are a small team in which if it was just us I probably wouldn't have minded as much, the wider network that we work alongside is also going these are people I don't know, sooo how do I make small talk with them and who's had theirs and found it not so bad? any tips would be much appreciated!

Drink your way through it. You'll be utterly charming

Get tipsy but not drunk.

Ask people what they're doing for Xmas

Holidays they've been on / planning this year / next year.

'OMG, I'm going to have to totally work out / fast after Xmas, so much yummy food!'

'I love your outfit'

Drink. Eat. Drink some more. Get in the home taxi.

drinking my way through it did cross my mind but have to take my son to football Sunday morning, will try the small talk some good ones there! my other back up is to get one of the kids to ring me and say they sick or is that to obvious??

Oh hard to do pull out in a small team really. Think I would just go with the flow.
I don't go to ours as people are quite spiteful and bitchy. I work some Saturdays so have a good excuse.

Just say no! Take it from me- it will be unpleasant boring and expensive.

I wish I had said no at the beginning, don't particularly like to socialise with my colleagues out of work, but now manager has paid for our meals and I feel it's to late to back out, meal is on sat.

My advice is to not go too mad on the drinks, even if there’s a free bar. Any awful Christmas party experiences I’ve had have solely been self-inflicted.

Now, I set myself a 2-3 drink limit, do a quick round of the room to get the hellos and small talk out of the way. Then, once I’ve shown my face to enough people, I head to a corner with my good work friends and have a laugh.

Also try to have a get away plan- last bus at 11, babysitter who simply cannot stay later than 10.30 etc

Are you sure everyone else really goes? First year at my work I made a real effort with childcare etc as thought j should be a ‘joiner’ as I was new and it seemed like everyone was coming, but in the event there were lots of people not there. It was boring. It was expensive. It was cliquey. It was far away from where I lived and in the middle of nowhere so drinking wasn’t an option and I had to drive 45 minutes. Needless to say I haven’t been to another one!

Sink a bottle of red within 25 minutes of arriving to show you mean business.

Do not drink to excess! That way regret, anxiety and embarrassment lies.

Be polite, say hellos and take off before you're persuaded to go 'dancing' or any such horrific ideas people come up with after a few drinks.

Whatever you do, do not air your grievances with anyone.

I'm thinking of leaving at about 10ish going to say my friend is giving me a lift home so have to leave early ! I'll have shown willing by turning up I guess! next year I'm just going to say no! fingers crossed it's not gonna be too bad.

I try and take an interest in people and ask them questions about themselves - as a PP said - ask them about their plans for Christmas and that can lead on to conversations about family, children and partners which naturally leads on to other stuff.
Don’t forget you won’t be the only person there who would rather be somewhere else.

Run to the bar shouting ‘who’s for shots. First round on me’?! 😂
(Or treat yourself to a nice glass of fizz and chat about what you’d love for Xmas money was no object) x

Chat politely, nod and smile through the meal.
Have very little to drink.
Slip quietly away after the meal and before everyone goes to the pub.

Ha 🤣 loopylou I like that idea, hopefully everyone would that be funny!

so they are all meeting for pre drinks before the meal I've decided to go straight to the meal, so hopefully everyone will be quite merry by the time I get there lol !

My tip is not to go if you do not like this kind of event. Thou loopylou's suggestion should you go seems a good one.

The problem is forall that office Christmas meals tend to be obligatory. It’s possibly to avoid other office socialising but you need a very good excuse to acceptably avoid Christmas.

Don't drink too much or you'll be asking us tomorrow about how to live down sitting on the bosses lap or worse.

NonaGrey needs of one of your children or elderly parents, being double booked- just as long as you don't use the same reason twice and cannot be found out!

Star Wars film last year was a good one as you had to book in advance.

Haha seven I hope not yea next year I think I'll have to plan in advance and say oops double booked !

getting ready now will let u know how it goes 😉

Good luck!

ok so wasn't as bad as I was expecting! phew glad that's over with! others were quite merry already when I got there and my boss did some dad dancing 😁 made a swift exit at 10ish food was nice had a few drinks made some small talk and over with now till next year!!! left them too it reckon party will go on till well past midnight! thanks all for seeing me through it ! some good advice and much appreciated