Around 10 million of us are regularly drinking alcohol in ways that can harm our health and wellbeing. From headaches, hangovers and sleepless nights to lower productivity and symptoms like anxiety and depression worsening over time, alcohol affects us in so many ways.
But how many of us have stopped to think about the impact of the work we do on our risk from alcohol? With longer hours, more stress, the blurring of lines between work and home, and too many workplace cultures that place booze rather than people at the centre of things, there are so many ways work and alcohol are linked. This Alcohol Awareness Week, it’s time for us, and the places we work, to feel healthier, more productive and happier.
Whether it’s a bonding tool, a reward, Friday night drinks, or a networking event, alcohol is often made to feel like the main attraction, particularly at workplace socials, to the point where many of us are made to feel uncomfortable if we don’t drink – no matter our reason!
And when work stresses start to get on top of us, we can find ourselves using alcohol as a way to try to cope. Had a bad day? Have a drink. Feeling apprehensive? A drink will help. But the reality is drinking alcohol as a way to try to manage our stress and anxiety can worsen our symptoms and prevent us from performing well. And work-stress doesn’t only affect us as employees, we can feel it in the same way if we’re freelancing, volunteering, or studying at university.
A lack of motivation, increased irritability, and making more mistakes are some of the ways our drinking can affect us the next day. It can make it more difficult to complete tasks and may put pressure on our relationships with our colleagues, as well as our friendships, and families.
Moving in and out of work whether planned or unplanned can also affect us and the way we drink - from unemployment to retirement and parental leave to caring responsibilities. These transitions in life can feel monumental and can sometimes leave us feeling unsettled, bored, excluded, and lonely. This can cause us to drink more alcohol than we’d like which can lead to additional challenges with our physical and mental health, relationships, finances and so much more.
So, this Alcohol Awareness Week, we’re opening a conversation about the relationship between alcohol and work to help us understand it better, sharing some helpful tips and advice on the signs to watch out for, in ourselves and others, and some changes we can make to improve our health, productivity and happiness.
We’ll be looking at the benefits of creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplace cultures in all types of industries and sectors – from offices to factories, shift-work to front-line services – that are fully inclusive and work for us all, including those of us choosing to drink less or not at all - whether for health, religious, or personal reasons. And we’ll explore how this can lead to better physical and mental wellbeing, greater confidence and productivity, and improved employee motivation and safety.
