Yes, After-Work Drinking Is a Serious Workplace Issue

“The good news is that earlier stages of steatotic liver disease are usually completely reversible in about four to six weeks if you abstain from drinking alcohol,” Dr. Sengupta assures. While your co-workers may want to drink with you, it is okay to say ‘no’. Maintaining your control over the situation and taking the safer route can save you trouble in the long run. While having a drink initially may be fine, if it begins to escalate into alcohol abuse, saying ‘no’ is the best route to take before it’s too late. Some may even resort to drinking after work to avoid or numb their stresses back at home. As with all cases of life’s stresses, it’s important to manage them in a healthy way instead of resorting to drinking immediately.

Drunk at Work: What HR Can Do About Employees Drinking on the Job

But aside from celebrating the end of a training season, tough race, or long day, you may wonder whether drinking alcohol after working out serves a purpose. What’s more, some events, such as Tough Mudder (an obstacle-based mud run) and the Marathon du Médoc in Bordeaux, France, offer alcoholic drinks either at the end of or throughout the course as part of the overall experience. To grasp how alcohol impacts us after exercise, we first need to understand how it affects our bodies in general.

Common Questions About Alcohol, Fatigue, and the Solution

But when drugs or alcohol affects how you do your job now, you don’t have that same protection. Believe it or not, there are many non-alcoholic drinks that can mark the end of the day. It can be something simple like sparkling water or even just soda. There is nothing wrong with drinking one of these alternatives instead of alcohol.

Are there any risks to drinking alcohol after a workout?

Yet, as central as drinking is to workplace socialisation and strategy, there are signs that some companies are re-thinking the role of alcohol in professional settings. But younger employees are changing the role of alcohol in the office. Having a glass of wine with dinner or a beer at a party here and there isn’t going to destroy your gut. But even low amounts of daily drinking and prolonged and heavy use of alcohol can lead to significant problems for your digestive system. Going out with co-workers after work doesn’t have to necessarily involve drinking. You can suggest some sober activities to HR that are fun and don’t necessarily involve drinking or drugs.

1. Then, try distracting yourself to help take your mind off how you feel.
2. If you’re nursing an injury, Brodell says alcohol could also be detrimental.
3. And yet, while the pandemic destabilised workplace social culture as we knew it, alcohol didn’t disappear.
4. Even if they don’t improve immediately, you’ll probably have an easier time doing something about them when you don’t have to deal with physical symptoms, too.
5. Regular after-work drinking can significantly impact an individual’s work performance and professional relationships.

Even though it’s a negative coping technique, alcohol use for stress is still a coping technique, and any time you’re trying to make a big life change, it’s going to be challenging. Stress can make it harder for the body to keep up its energy levels and make it difficult to sleep, both of which can lead to fatigue. Remember, withdrawing from alcohol can be dangerous and even life-threatening. If you or someone else is planning to stop drinking after heavy, long-term use, it’s crucial to seek medical supervision. A healthcare provider can create a safe and effective withdrawal plan and provide appropriate treatment, such as medication to manage symptoms and prevent complications.

Why Is Drinking After Work Common?

At Coastal Detox, our mission is to help each client experience detox from alcohol and other substance addiction with ease. To begin recovery, the first step is detoxification, to rid your body of any drugs and alcohol. We provide safe and highly effective medically supervised detox for all substances of abuse. It’s crucial to recognize these risks and consider healthier alternatives for managing work-related stress. Reducing alcohol intake can mitigate mental health risks and contribute to a more balanced lifestyle, both psychologically and socially. Engaging in regular after-work drinking can have significant health ramifications that are both immediate and long-term.

Either way, your friends might be curious what you’re up to if you discover a new passion for non-alcoholic mixology or evening bicycle rides. Drinking after work has also become a common culture for work-related activities. Many companies have found that it is a way to celebrate recent accomplishments from the company or it can bring people together to network and brainstorm. Despite being in a work-related setting there is the risk of overconsumption. This can have serious repercussions for both the individual and their company.

It’s also essential to consider long-term treatment and support options, such as counseling or support groups, to maintain abstinence and manage the psychological aspects of recovery. “Alcohol consumption post-exercise can also introduce additional swelling into your tissues, since it opens up blood vessels. It can make an injury worse by encouraging swelling at the injury site. This occurs by inhibiting the functions of hormones that usually aid this recovery process, such as testosterone,” she goes on to say. One study found that even when alcohol is consumed with protein after exercise, MPS is reduced by up to 37%.

Alcohol has a dehydrating effect on your body, which is why you have a hangover when you drink too much. Because the human body consists of up to 60 percent water, and water is a vital ingredient to keep all of your body’s processes running smoothly, not having enough can cause serious problems. Headaches, nausea, body aches and feeling light-headed are all signs of dehydration, and fatigue is as well. These can include hallucinations, severe agitation, seizures (often peaking around 24 hours), and symptoms of delirium tremens (DTs) which can occur in the most severe cases.

It’s easy to fall into the mentality of ‘I work out to drink,’ but that ultimately doesn’t set you up for success in or out of the gym,” Mayer says. And while research is limited, one study published in Alcohol Journal did show that beverages with a higher concentration of alcohol had more dehydration effects. So drinking a beer with a lower alcohol percentage (like 3.5 percent) as opposed to some IPAs (that have upwards of 9 percent alcohol) may make a difference.

But prolonged alcohol abuse can lead to chronic (long-term) pancreatitis, which can be severe. Heavy drinking can also lead to a host of health concerns, like brain damage, heart disease, cirrhosis of the liver and even certain kinds of cancer. And now you know that employers cannot discriminate against you because of your past. About 3 out of 4 employers say that opioids affect their workplaces. In 2019, about 6% of deaths from workplace injuries were due to opioid overdose on the job. https://rehabliving.net/gabapentinoid-benefit-and-risk-stratification/ may seem innocent enough but this can lead to more severe problems down the road if you or a loved one is not careful.

For those looking to replace their post-work cocktail, herbal teas, alcohol-free spirits, and innovative non-alcoholic beverages offer a variety of flavors and experiences. Physical activities such as working out have also become a favored alternative to traditional happy hour. This shift towards healthier after-work routines reflects a broader societal change in how we perceive and manage stress.

Poor workplace relationships can result from altered behavior due to alcohol, potentially affecting team dynamics and communication. When drinking is deeply embedded in a company’s culture, it can become a crutch and a https://rehabliving.net/ substitute for the very kind of connection that managers hope to foster when they organize happy hours. Carmen Bush, an employee at a tech company in the Bay Area, said her company’s weekly “TGIF” party starts at 4 p.m.

It can potentially lead to stress and mood disorders, including depression and anxiety. However, the act of drinking after work can carry various implications. While employers may not consider off-work hours within their jurisdiction, the potential for alcohol-related risks persists. Regular after-work drinking can lead to patterns of behavior that may blur the lines between moderate use and dependence. This cycle can impact the individual’s health, professional performance, and relationships. Engaging in regular after-work drinking can lead to significant health risks, particularly concerning liver health.

For instance, alcohol affects how women metabolize and absorb alcohol differently than men, suggesting gender-specific risks. Additionally, a pattern of heavy drinking is universally acknowledged as detrimental to health, potentially leading to conditions such as liver disease and cardiovascular problems. Even just a beer or a couple glasses of wine are known to make many people feel sleepy and pleasantly relaxed. But full-fledged fatigue is more likely to occur in the aftermath of heavy or binge drinking or excess alcohol consumption. Recognizing when to seek professional help for managing alcohol consumption is a vital step toward recovery for those struggling with drinking habits.

If you tend to rely on alcohol to ease anxiety in social situations, for example, you might never address the underlying causes of your discomfort. As a result, any troubles you’re facing, from work stress to relationship issues, may get worse. In small to moderate amounts, alcohol can temporarily lift your spirits and help improve your mood. Alcohol affects the parts of the brain involved with inhibition and control.