Make your Christmas party a night to remember, not a night to forget.

Lets face it, we all like a good party. It’s a chance to mingle with your friends and colleagues, let your hair down and have a laugh without the pressures of your everyday working life hanging over you. But whilst there’s nothing wrong with having a few drinkies just remember that consuming too much might mean you wake up the next day with serious regrets. We thought we would put together some tips on how to survive a Christmas Party.

  1. Don’t drink and drive – An important message at this time of year. I organise parties for living, and at this time of year historically a lot of alcohol tends to be consumed. Sadly the truth is with alcohol, comes accidents. As with most years campaigners are trying to increase the awareness associated with the dangers of drink driving. Make sure you organise a safe mode of transport home and have a trusted cab number available. Also important is to think twice about getting into your car and driving after a night on the sauce as you might well still be over the limit. It’s true that the number of people getting stopped, breathalysed and prosecuted the morning after the night before is on the up. It happened to someone I know only recently and they have lost their license of a year.
  2. Pace yourself – Talking from experience I strongly suggest alternating alcoholic drinks with soft drinks. You will stay more hydrated and definitely more in control of what you say and do. Nobody wants the embarrassment of showing themselves up in front of their boss or throwing themselves at a colleague in a moment of weakness!
  3. Eat something – I’m a girl, I know how it is – you want to look nice and fit into your party frock and you don’t want to go out feeling bloated. Its crucial though that you line your stomach and so a good breakfast and some food later in the day will set you up for the evening ahead. It will help with the absorption of alcohol into your body too.
  4. Leave your cash card at home! Ok, I’m not saying go out with no money in your pocket, that would be silly but with your plastic in your pocket its oh so easy to get Cashback from the bar or to take trips out to the cashpoint often resulting in drinking far more than your budget allowed and your liver wants. Don’t forget to save enough money for your cab journey home though!
  5. Be a friend and look out for others – if you see one of your mates or colleagues getting out of control why not get them some snacks or take them some water.
  6. Watch what you drink – Units can be complicated to understand, so arm yourself with the facts before you go out. Keep in mind Drinkaware’s recommended unit guidelines, which say that women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units daily (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine) and that men should not regularly exceed 3-4 units daily (equivalent to a pint and a half of 4% beer).  Stick to clear drinks too as they contain congeners which worsen hangovers and look out for cocktails.
  7. Dealing with a hangover – everyone who drinks too much knows how hideous a hangover can be. The banging headache, dizziness, nauseous, dicky tummy and fatigue…..actually, writing all of that makes me wonder why we inflict the pain in the first place
  8. Be kind to your liver – drink lots of water, get some milk thistle in (its helped me over the years and is definitely worth a try) and I suggest giving Berocca a try to.

I’ve been on the circuit for a while now and believe me when I say I’ve seen some sorry sights.  This year we’re appealing to all of you out there to stay safe over the festive season. Plan ahead and make sure you can get home safely, and stay off the booze if you’re driving home or early the next day.