How does a Sunday Session affect your work week?

I don’t drink much these days but don’t worry, I’m not about to make you feel bad for drinking like a newly converted vegan when you order a steak.

When I was a youth myself, having a few drinks with some friends on a sunny Sunday arvo was something I did enjoy. Some of you will do this regularly, maybe without alcohol or have a few drinks and get home at a reasonable hour.

It would be hard pressed to make an argument that this socialising to end your week isn’t a positive thing to do and would help put you into a good mood - and therefore a productive mood - heading into the typical work week.

But some of you / us can be prone to accidentally taking a Sunday Session a little too far. It’s always the times that you don’t intend on having a lot of drinks that you end up having the most drinks. Enough drinks to kill Shrek. And Donkey.

You have great intentions of catching up with a few friends, 2-3 drinks and then home for dinner. You’ll make your lunch for Monday, you’ll check your calendar and plan your to do list. The to do list will be highlighted with the priorities. You’ve confirmed your place at the 6am pilates class which you’ll have plenty of time to get to after the 5am ice bath and 5:30am positive affirmation session.

But the sun does something to make those drinks taste a bit better. The beer has become infused with something magical. The Sav Blanc has 2x the Sav and 4 x the Blanc. The Aperol has an even stronger cough medicine flavour (I don’t know how anyone drinks Aperol’s AND enjoys them).

Then another friend turns up that you won’t expecting to see - and they have a new partner. Can’t miss this goss, they had a different partner for 4 years and you only saw them 3 weeks ago.

Jake has turned up, he’s just moved back from London and you love Jake. He’s always good for a good time. Later in life you’ll stop being friends with Jake as you realise you have nothing in common except drinking but let’s not kill the good vibes we have going here.

All of a sudden it’s 5pm and you’re 6 drinks in. You could call it a day here and head home and still be good for tomorrow, you might cancel the ice bath and pilates but you won’t hate yourself.

Oopsies, Jake has just asked who would like to part take in a $350 bag of lollies and you’ve just sent him $100 via PayID.

There was a fork in the road today and to the left was a stroll home down the yellow brick road but you went right, which ends at a strangers kitchen at 4am tomorrow.

Now it’s Monday and you regret all decisions made yesterday. You should never have gone to the stupid pub with the stupid beer garden. Your bank balance has been assaulted. Jake’s not even that fun. Why did you get extra garlic and extra chilli on that kebab.

Monday will not be your most productive day. If you’re over 30 years old, Tuesday and maybe Wednesday are going to be a struggle too.

This is more a question of self awareness really or maybe an assessment of your personal history. Ask yourself these questions:

• Have you ever intended to have 1 or 2 drinks and ended up having 24?
• Have you ever had a hangover last days not hours?
• Does your bank statement show a history of ATM withdrawals and transfers after 11pm on Saturday nights?
• Do you have stomach issues but also a history of ordering extra garlic and extra chilli on your kebabs?

If you answered yes to any of these questions then Sunday Sessions could be a risk to your career, even though they take place out of work hours, you’re paying the price during work hours.

If you answered yes to all of the questions above, I recommend not attending any Sunday Sessions without some serious safety barriers put in place - such as taking Monday off or bringing one of your parents with you.

For those of you with healthy drinking habits or those very annoying people who don’t get hangovers, enjoy yourselves. The positive benefits of spending time with your friends on your Sunday can be more important to your Monday to Friday then you realise.