Toast your workmates – just don’t get toasted

We are entering the final quarter of the year, when people, especially us in the media, get lots of invitations to dinner parties, after-work gatherings and team dinners.

Going around tables saying “cheers” to everybody is part of the routine during an office gathering.

Admittedly, it feels really nice to forget about the stress from work and enjoy a glass of wine with co-workers.

While having fun, drinking and chatting, do you ever notice your “drinking capacity” tends to be lower during these work-related gatherings?

A couple of beers and your head is swinging even when you can typically drink at least half a dozen on any other night.

Don’t worry, it is not just you. It turns out there is a scientific explanation for your behaviour.

A new study by the University of Birmingham in England found that alcohol tolerance changes depending on where you are.

The researchers had 24 subjects drinking alcohol on three different occasions at the same venue to let them familiarise with the environment, and then got them to drink at a new place.

It turns out the subjects could handle twice as much alcohol if they drank at a familiar spot compared to when they drank at a new place.

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Researchers think this has to do a lot with psychology. They believe that your brain is prepared when you go to a bar that you know quite well for a night of drinking.

But when you drink at an office party or even with co-workers your mindset isn’t prepared to handle the effects of alcohol as well.

This pretty much explains why individuals do not handle alcohol as well during workplace gatherings.

Everyone tends to get a little excited if they know the drinks are on the company, but with this in mind, you might want to cut back on the free drinks on such occasions to prevent embarrassment.

After all, getting drunk in front of your boss and co-workers is something one cannot be proud of, no matter how well you have performed this year.

Do remember to drink responsibly even when you are having a great time chilling with your teammates.

And early holiday greetings to you all!

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