Tips For A Sober and Joyous Holiday Season - No Explanations Required

There is no need to justify your current actions – they are keeping you alive…

5) You do not have to EXPLAIN that you are not drinking. After a few years now, I am getting quite good at this. At the works Christmas party, only ONE person asked me if I would like a drink (he was on his way to the bar and offered to get me one). I said “No thanks” and he carried on without another word. The trick is to say “No thanks” in a firm, neutral voice. If you sound nervous or uncertain, social drinkers think you are asking them to talk you into having a drink, so they will try. If you simply say “No” firmly, in a neutral tone, they will accept that you know your own mind (if only they knew…) and not raise the subject again.

Of course, the wisest thing to do if at all possible, is to not go to the company’s Christmas party. BTW – what is a social drinker? I don’t know – never was one…

[Remember to know your own glass!]