Work "Thing"

[Jelly Beans]

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[pob]

If your anything like me, your stomach shrivels up to the size of a pea in them kinda situations and you cant eat anything anyway.

My only solution so far has been to get drunk. To cover yourself you could always say you went out with your mates or something in the afternoon and had a few with them beforehand.

[Kaz]

Hmm, I have a leaving do meal Saturday, normally my technique is to avoid going. If I do go, I'm embarrassed to say, my coping technique is much the same as pob, plus making sure I've taken additional over the counter calming pills before I go.

If you're not already well hyped out and are slightly more sensible I'd take a bath with some aromatherapy oils beforehand as well, and maybe drink some elderberry cordial or something else which is reported to have calming effects.....and try not to think about it.
(I'm not an ostrich honest :embarass: )

Try to order something small so it doesn't look so obvious when you eat hardly anything, and don't be embarrassed to leave food on the plate.

I've no suggestions for how to stop fidgetting or how to make conversation in a place like that (or any place for that matter)...

...anyway, try to relax and enjoy it if you can.

This was difficult for me also.
I used to get invited out for a drink or meal every now and then with colleagues but made something up to get out of it. I cant stand eating or drinking infront of people other than my family, also the majority of then did not smoke (i did at the time) and Ciggies were the only thing that could calm me down when having panic attacks.

Looking back at it now that I dont have a job, I interprit it as " they wanted me to go out with them and have a laugh because they liked me ".
I am going to use this whenever it happens next, hopefully it will work.

[Kimblebee]

I'm glad it's not just me that gets het up about work things ... I remember I was in bits for weeks before the work Christmas 'do. 'Luckily' people in my workplace don't socialise out of work so I only have to worry about things like this once a year!

Sad to say though that copious amounts of alcohol is the only way I get through them, I find it gives me a bit more confidence to relax .. plus if I drink enough I won't remember any of it the next day, so what I don't know won't hurt me eh

Anyways, I hope you decided to go, and I hope that you managed to have a good night. Please post and let us know how you got on!