Making a Great Work Impression the Day after a Great Party
Hung over from lack of sleep, excess drink and food! Tired with the dancing till the small hours! What a way to begin a fresh day at work!
Even weekends throw your Monday schedules out of gear. So, when it comes to the day after a great party, it requires some planning to make sure that you continue to give a great impression at work.
The only trouble with weekends is that your sleep pattern goes haywire. Trouble with great parties is that everything goes haywire. We are talking of big, fun parties with dancing through the night and plenty to eat and drink.
But, to continue to give that great impression at work despite a long night at the party, you need to plan ahead.
Day Minus 1
Your planning begins at least the day before the party, giving you two clear days of advance preparation at work. Prepare for the big day just as if you were going off on a holiday. Work on your big projects in advance and don’t leave any big deadlines for the day of the party, nor for the day after the party. They have a way of extending the day when you are least inclined to do it.
Keep your deadlines for at least a day before or two days after the party. Early deadlines might look unreasonable to you, but if you can deliver it the tired day after the party, you certainly can deliver it on day minus 1 even if it means sitting late into the evening.
Take care of the operational things. Maybe you have an event coming up and have plenty items to tick off the list – booking the stand space, power, collateral, display material, advertising, registration and a host of things to take care of. Go through your event plan and complete all the tasks listed up to Day 1, that’s the day after the party. You don’t want to be chasing the printers, organizers, media and others on that day.
Day Zero
Do not commit to a task deadline for the day of the party. Leave the day for emergency work that comes up. Do not schedule any important or long meetings either. They have a way of overshooting their time or for coming up with sudden, urgent demands on your time. If you have international clients or an overseas team, give advance notice to reschedule weekly calls, even for the day after the party. Again, no late evening calls under the assumption that you will wrap up quick and be on your way.
On Day Zero, stick to tasks that are small and not time bound. It may not be the time to initiate a new task, but if you feel up to it, go ahead, particularly if it involves drawing up a project plan or a thing that you can stop any time and continue the next day. Leave early.
Before you leave for the party, keep your things ready at home for the next morning. When you wake up, you shouldn’t have to think more than necessary. That includes your attire, breakfast, lunch and medicines.
Have a great time at the party. Let your hair down for the dance – safe way to relax, yet have fun. Go easy on the drinks and food. A party is the time when we tend to overeat. The combination of drinks and heavy food isn’t good for you the next day.
Day 1
It’s morning. The party’s still ringing in your ears, if it isn’t hammering in your head. Get up. Drink lots of water. Alcohol dehydrates the body, so get plenty of fluids in. Take a walk or head for the gym for a light half hour of exercise. This is essential to bring your body back under control fast.
Have your coffee or tea but don’t overdo it. Have a light breakfast and get going. Don’t miss the breakfast unless your stomach is really twisting. If you have a hangover, take a medicine, carry some with you and don’t forget carrying your lunch, unless there’s a canteen at office.
Today, you will thank yourself for not having scheduled any deadlines or calls for the day. Even if you don’t have a hangover, the day after a great party isn’t the day when you are bright and chirpy at work. Pushing deadlines to the next day has given you one clear work day before you have to turn that work in.
Don’t schedule any meetings for this day. If you have a bad head ache or your stomach doesn’t exactly feel good, a meeting is the wrong place to be in. It forces you to sit at a table with arguments and discussions flying around you at a time when you find it difficult to concentrate and want to spend time by yourself. You don’t want to snap at anyone, nor can you put your head down. You’d have to focus on what someone is saying when your head is pounding. You may not have access to an unending supply of coffee or tea that is needed to keep you at work. Meetings can overrun and end up in a late work day which you want to avoid today.
Keep a pack of biscuits or a couple of energy bars with you at work, especially if you haven’t carried your lunch. Small meals are better today. If for any reason, the day rushes you off your feet, make sure you have your energy bars during breaks. The day after the party can sap you if you keep your stomach empty.
So, plan first, then party and be back late night at the most, not in the small hours. After all, you do have to get up and be at office at 9 sharp whether you’ve had a party or not.