The Friday Night Blur

Why Free Drinks Are The Devil

I love Friday night — the freedom, the lights, the friends, and the possibilities. It begins the longest period of personal time all the week and days from the intensity and fear of a Monday morning. I am smiling just thinking about it — grinning ear to ear. I can be myself again. A big sigh of relief.

Friday night’s freedom creates tremendous excitement. Anxiety left over from the work week is quickly moved to an intoxicating excitement. It is often that excitement that leads to excess drinking. You are simply too open to everything and anything to consider slowing down. You rush into the weekend and are overwhelmed with what it brings. Here is how it goes:

Me: “Want a Shot”

You: “OF COURSE I DO!”

Repeat, Repeat, Repeat…

What is so fascinating about this interaction is the understanding that you have been storing that excitement all week, unable to release it. It surfaces in a terrific explosion, every weekend. The anticipation of the event creates this title-wave of excitement that ends up consuming your entire being. You have been waiting for this moment since 9am Monday morning and at times calculating how many minutes are left until the clock would strike 5pm on Friday. It’s like a New Years countdown every week with Dick Clark (or if you prefer, Ryan Seacrest). It’s shocking you have been able to focus at all, with this singular event so engrained in your mind. Friday night becomes nothing more than a blur and a smile.

Fast forward to Saturday morning…you wake up dazed. Eyes glazed over. Thirsty like a desert flower. You search for Advil. Your mind is mush. Stage 1 Hangover. From the physical health standpoint the issues here are pretty obvious and many of us, know what to expect. You feel tired, you are extra hungry for some heavy greasy food. You are a step off your game. While I don’t want to dismiss these issues, and the impact they have on your body, I want to dive into the mental health impact. To put it frankly, you lose a day with yourself. Sounds a bit weird right? You spend most of your time hungover, trying to disassociate with how you are feeling and spend the day binge watching Netflix. I am not saying that’s a waste of your time (Stranger Things, Narcos, OITNB — are some of my favorites), but it is a time when you could be reconnecting with yourself. This issue is compounded as you spend most of your week absorbed in work. There is no real sense of “me” time. I firmly believe this is one reason Monday feels so unapproachable. You never really got any time with yourself. This process repeats itself each week.

I am not here to tell you not to have a few drinks with your friends, family or co-workers over the weekend, that would be un-American. However, the ability to balance your Friday excitement likely has nothing to do with Friday and everything to do with how you balance the rest of your week. Let me give you an example — let’s imagine every day is Friday. You can see the weekend, you take time for work and for yourself. So awake being both excited and relaxed at the same time. You set clear work boundaries and leave at a specified time so you can enjoy other parts of your life. You are driven. You are social. Your day has so many different parts and you become cognizant of that. You ensure that one doesn’t limit the other. Your life is more balanced so you can experience yourself in different ways. Why can’t Tuesday be the new Friday, that’s how celebrities do it! This revised way of thinking will add balance to your week and opportunities to express your excitement throughout the work week.

1. Free drinks are the leading cause of hangovers, just kidding
2. Anxiety is excitement’s cousin
3. Excitement doesn’t have to be limited to one day of the week
4. Do something for yourself before the weekend arrives
5. Binge watching Stranger Things is ok
6. Plan something early on Saturday morning to balance your Friday night
7. Drink water — all weekend long, lots of it. Scratch that — all week
8. Think about your mental health along with your physical health
9. Don’t put off your life for work, any day of the week
10. #TGIF — just ask Steve Urkel

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