Work
Work can be stressful for all of us at times. Making sure you have a healthy, stable work life is really important for keeping you happy when you get home.
Drugs can have an impact on your work life in a number of ways, so it’s worth trying to keep tabs on what’s going on:
- If you’re missing work due to drugs, that’s a problem which can cost you your job quickly.
- Even if you’re managing to avoid sick days, think about how much of a difference drug-taking is making to your work at the start of your week. Even with the best resolve, missing sleep and being on a comedown will mean you won’t be as good as you could be.
- If you’re stressed about work too, getting trashed might feel like a good way to escape – but it’s likely to be twice as bad come Monday morning.
Diary management
If you have annual leave, or even if you work freelance, try to plan your partying so you include a few days off after you’ve finished. This way you won’t be using your work time to recover and you’ll get a better sense of what the real costs of big weekends are.
Career check
Being unhappy at work could be a reason why you’re getting trashed at the weekend.
Are there changes you can make to your role that could make your working week happier? Try simple things such as adapting your work route, your start or finish time and having a regular lunch out of the office with a friend to look forward to.
If you’re really not happy in your job, perhaps it’s time to look for something else – either within your current organisation or somewhere else altogether. It may be just the change you need.
Overloaded
If drugs and work are both spiralling out of control it can be easy to get locked into a cycle of getting trashed and trying to cope at work without sorting things out.
Remember that you can always talk to your GP and consider your options. These might involve taking a short period of sick leave to help you get your life back on track or talking to your line manager or HR department.
Tips
- Book time off after a planned big weekend.
- Aim to get a good night’s sleep on Sunday before work, have a proper meal and drink plenty of water so you’re hydrated.
- Set a curfew so your partying doesn’t run into Sunday afternoon, evening or Monday morning.
- Speak to your boss about making changes to your job – or if they’re difficult to talk to, someone in HR. They’ll be able to advise you on what flexibility you’re entitled too.
Published: 31/08/2018
Next review: 31/08/2021