To feel weird about mixing work and social life?

[NiftyJadeSheep]

I have always kept my job and personal life seperate. I find work nights out hard and have avoided them at all costs- purely because I don’t want my work and my outside of work personality to meet 😂 I love my job but I requires a high level of professionalism at all times. We had a work night out a few days ago and this time I had to go and now I’m overthinking it. Did I say something silly, to offend etc I don’t drink much (had a glass
of fizz and then soft drinks all night) but I love to dance and I just danced the night away living my best life. But the next day I felt really embarrassed when I woke up that work has seen a different side of me - and this is why I don’t like going out with work people as I don’t want to feel silly. I go out lots with my friends dancing and have the best times, but have never shown work this side of me ! Anyone else feel like this? I did think I’m probably being silly as some people drank lots and ended up doing some silly things (no judgement I don’t care!) so I think me dancing was probably absolutely fine. And by dancing it’s nothing provocative but more jumping about to come on Eileen type vibes

Some of my best friends are the people I went work nights out with and got silly!

I get anxiety like this after every night I go on. Whether that’s friends, family parties. Work etc. people are probably happy they seen you let your hair down

Yes that’s what it is- anxiety! It’s not from being drunk or anything as I’m not a big drinker but just showing a different side of me and talking about different things. Weirdly though I love the people who dance and get involved so not sure why I give myself such a hard time the next day!

I will go out and even if I haven’t had a drink, if the people I was with haven’t contacted me by lunch I presume they are all laughing at me, I did something wrong etc!!! But literally no one has ever cared.

Yes same! Why do we do that? As I know people are just thinking about themselves. I never go home and think about anyone else actions or judge them etc . I would love to shake this feeling as it was a great night , but I think ahh I was talking about things like the space rocket launch and other things and feel slightly embarrassed 😞 oh well!

YANBU. Honestly, I could have written the original post myself. Some work friends are real friends and I'm not even that different at work than how I am at home. But still ... Everything has to stay in it's own box and it's somehow mortifying when worlds collide. I can't explain it other than being a very private person, maybe.

I enjoy my work, I work with a good bunch of women and at work we all get on well. We get on because we work together. I work because I like/need the money and that's it.
I have friends who I socialise with - similar hobbies, neighbours and mutual friends of dh.
I keep them separate. I don't go to enforced jollity at work. I dont drink and don't intend to share my personal life with my work friends. Sorry not sorry. I would not like to upset a work friendship by having a well meaning colleague saying "go on have a drink"

You’re overthinking

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

Eleanor Roosevelt