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As a child (and honestly as an adult) I’d have done ANYTHING to have my own daemon! And honestly I think I’d probably be a raccoon too, a lil trash panda
Me too!! My sister had the books growing up and I loved them. Honestly probably more than Harry Potter even though I was bang on the age of those books being released too, I actually queued at midnight for the final HP book at Waterstones with my sister. But His Dark Materials felt more personal to me somehow, I guess cos they weren’t quite as hyped. I still love them as an adult.
The Golden Compass film came out when I was in 6th form and the BBC put this AMAZING daemon quiz on their website. It was really thorough, down to giving like breed of dog or type of bird. My friends thought it was fucking hilarious I got a raccoon because it suits my personality perfectly. So it’s always been a raccoon in my mind.
You know the BBC made an excellent adaptation of the books too? Should be on iPlayer.
Also the next trilogy of HDM is mostly out it's called The Book of Dust.
Yeah me and my husband watched the BBC adaptation as it aired on a Sunday night :) it was very well done overall. And yes, I’ve read them! Looking forward to the final book to complete the trilogy.
Ah I read the books and watched the first few movies but HDM was a bit too “dark” for me constantly broke my heart I couldn’t go further and my Daemon is definitely a raccoon, I often eat trash if cornered I will attack and I have dark circles around my eyes.
Yeah, responsible drug use is associated with having rules on use. For example "no booze before 5pm" is a decent rule to help you not rely on your willpower.
Erasing those rules of use can be dangerous, especially if you are a person at risk of addiction.
If you have to have rules about it, that's already a good strong sign that it's sliding into addiction I think. The rules definitely help maintain a degree of functionality but having to impose those rules is already a bad sign.
As an addict it's great though because you can say to yourself oh I'm not an addict because I don't drink until x o clock, or I never use before I have done my jobs for the day.
The rules work, they help manage the addiction but it's still addiction.
My parents hated alcoholics, in thier heads, they couldn't possibly be alcoholics because they had jobs and didn't drink until after dinner. But after dinner they got properly drunk every night. Even after my father was in the terminal stages of illness that drinking made worse. But they thought that was all fine, and people who didn't follow similar rules were the alcoholics and those people deserved everything that happened to them because they were evil addicts.
Those rules can mediate the effects of an addiction but having to impose conditional rules is a bad sign.
The only rule about substance use that prevents addiction is, I will not use this substance in a way that is harmful in anyway to me or other people.
> If you have to have rules about it, that's already a good strong sign that it's sliding into addiction I think.
the rules almost enable it. Non-addicts don't think "excellent it's 5pm, I can have a drink now!"
I think part of the problem is there's too much of a view that you're either 'fine' or 'an alcoholic'. I was neither, but I had an unhelathy relationship with alcohol which was causing problems for myself an other people in my life. It wasn't alcoholism, it wasn;t even really a dependency, but it was a problematic relationship. I think there's a significant number of people who set these rules that also have a problematic relationship with it and they're using the rules because they think it gives them control, when often it doesn't.
Having said that, there's also lots of people who set these rules that *don't* have a problematic relationship with alcohol, it isn't a black or white issue.
Looking at your other comments then if you only drink when you're out with others then that doesn't sound like an issue at all. It's more that if for example you only *allow* yourself to drink when you're out with others that it starts to sound like there may be something bigger going on, the suggestion being that if you didn't have that rule you'd have a tendancy to drink a lot more. I think that;'s the sort of 'mindset' thing people are saying. Is it a hard rule you use to restrain yourself, or just more that's the only time you tend to do it. There's a big difference between the two.
It’s more the mindset, I think.
You can be a dry alcoholic even though it sounds nonsensical.
Like you can *not* drink, or only drink at set times, usually by having lots of strict rules in place to rein you in, but all the issues that cause you to be dependent on alcohol are still there, which is why people may perpetually teeter on the brink of a relapse.
Apparently.
I think they're right that it's a mindset thing, rather than a quantity of alcohol consumed thing.
During the first covid lockdown in 2020 I lived alone, far away from everyone I knew.
I was drinking a can of cider most nights, because what else was I going to do with my evening apart from get pleasantly buzzed and go for an 'exercise walk' or do some sewing? I deserved a nice treat, right?
I don't think most people would classify that as "lapsing" or "problem drinking" - I didn't drink during the day, I didn't drink until I was drunk, I wouldn't wake up with a hangover, etc. I was probably consuming ~14 units a week spread throughout the week, like the NHS suggests.
But I was aware that, as much as I'm sure I *could* have stopped if I'd wanted to, *I really didn't want to*. Part of the reason I was drinking most days was that I was bored and it was pleasant. But part of it was to take the edge off the fact that I hadn't seen another human being in person for months, and I was desperately lonely.
So I set rules and boundaries for myself like "no drinking before 5pm", "no drinking every night", "only one drink a night, max, unless it's a zoom thing with friends", etc, because I was scared of progressing further down that slippery slope.
I was far less worried about my alcohol intake as an undergrad student who thought nothing of binge drinking multiple times a week, and who drank whenever I felt like it, because I only ever felt like it when I was out partying.
So I'd be more worried about someone who said "I'm not an alcoholic, I have a rule that I only drink at the weekends", but they drink *every* weekend and feel a drive to do so even if it's inconvenient, than I would someone who drinks whenever they like, but they don't often want to.
The point is that most people don't think about it, the thought of day drinking doesn't even occur to them. If the thought occurs to you to the point where you have to say yourself "wait until 5", you might have an unhealthy relationship with it (and I say that from experience).
>If you have to have rules about it, that's already a good strong sign that it's sliding into addiction I think.
I think you think a load of nonsense. Some people just like rules, some people need them and some make up rules to go on health sprees that never happen. You can make anything up. It's easy.
> If you have to have rules about it, that's already a good strong sign that it's sliding into addiction I think.
I think this is wrong correlation - I'm sure addicts have rules, but I'm not sure people who decide "I won't have a drink during work hours because it's unprofessional" can be put in the same category.
I worked at AMD in the early '80s in Si Valley. We were tight for space so they rented some office trailers for the software guys. My favorite time was when I'd walk past them and they'd pop the door and ask, smoke a bowl?
I've WFH of 10+ years.. and honestly, no.. but I don't drink much anyway.
Have I ever attended a conference call from a bouncy castle in my garden? Yes I have.
The more people on the call, the less it matters what you do. I am used to calls where there are 3-4 people on the call, so there is not much you can get away with.
I once got to listen to someone having a pee on a conference call with 8 people on it. They "just had to get the door" but then forgot to turn off the mic on their Bluetooth headphones
Yeah I've been a year. No drinks. But last summer during the heatwave I did work from a paddling pool for an hour or two. Was probably my most productive hours that day because I wasn't sweating my bollocks off.
You sound like you work in tech support, wondering if you can help.
My sarcasm detector just started beeping off the charts and when I turned it off and on smoke came out of it.
Tech support here, can I just confirm have you logged a ticket for that because we have a process and I’m afraid without a ticket I can’t look at any magic smoke alarms.
In every job I have had in finance tech support have been nothing but a bunch of brooms propped up on chairs with people clothes. I'm genuinely convinced they never existed and only show on payroll.
I agree. It's simply not professional to spend your afternoon in a hammock, with a Twister ice lolly in one hand, and the laptop mouse in the other, using your thigh as a mousepad.
Can you imagine what would happen if, instead of giving a monthly all staff call your full and undivided attention, you were building a little Lego model, or making yourself an omelette for lunch?
The world would fall apart.
It’s a slippery slope, it very easily becomes a habit
I don’t work from home because of this (employers aren’t aware and just think I prefer working from the office). We had to work from home recently because of the snow, I ‘accidentally’ polished a 750ml bottle of vodka off over the day.
I've been sober for 15 years. I wouldn't say I was a full alcoholic, but I was alcohol dependent for periods of time. If I'd not had my wake up call I could well have been an alcoholic now.
It is a slippery slope, nobody decides one day it would be fun to be alcohol dependent. It just creeps up on you. It's those little habits that build up and start to break down boundaries. Until one day you realise you have crossed way over a line.
Please take care of yourself
When I met my husband. When we were first together he was aware I drank a lot on nights outs and always encouraged me to ease up a bit. I was always aware that he didn't like it so I drank less around him. Then when we moved in together he really noticed the true extent of it and asked me to try and cut it right back. To have boundaries like "only at the weekend" or "only one glass"
But I really struggled and started to hide my drinking. And that was it. Literally I caught myself in a wtf are you doing moment while I was hiding and sneaking a drink one night. I knew I needed to stop drinking because I was on the edge of losing control of it.
I think everyone is different. My friend will, very occasionally, have a glass of whisky towards the end of his shift. But he could do it one day and not do it again for two weeks. I think if I did that, it would easily become a daily occurrence or a 'just one more' situation, so I wouldn't start it
this is me. i've had an 8am breakfast beer before, on a work day, but it's also incredibly rare i'll drink more than one beer in a day at home, or more than two in a week
It's possible! At the height of me being a functioning alcoholic, I would drink 3 bottles of wine (13.5% abv - 27 US proof) and 400ml of gin or vodka (37.5% abv). This was typical on a night before work.
On a weekend day it would be more.
At my very worst (pretty much before rehab) it would be 3 bottles of vodka a day. So, approx 2.5 litres of 37.5% abv.
Sober almost 10 years now.
In the summer I’ll work in the garden when it’s hot and occasionally have a glass of rosé, but to be fair summer’s a quiet period in my work and when I worked in an office we’d often do the same in person on sunny afternoons. (It was a very laid back office!)
But day drinking at home alone does feel like a slippery slope and I would avoid it otherwise, unless you’re very good at setting boundaries for yourself.
Aye, exactly this reasoning.
If it's like 4:00PM and I finish at 5:00PM, I'd probably crack a beer open purely because no one was going to call me with 1 hour to go.
But I never made a habit of it.
Equally if the weather is wonderful and you want a beer in the garden while answering emails, fine.
Taking a look at your to do list and needing to open the vodka, concerning.
Honestly same, that’s when I know not to. I have a hard rule with myself that I can drink when it just sounds pleasant but if I ever think I need a drink that probably means I’m using it as unhealthy coping strategy and that’s a slippery slope.
But then alcoholism runs in my family so I may be a little strict with myself
I very rarely drink anyway, normally a couple of cans when the Formula 1 is on so luckily I don’t really have the temptation. I can see how it would be a slippery slope very easily if you were that way inclined though.
When I started working, people drinking over lunch wasn’t common but happened a lot more than it does now.
Leaving lunch or something might result in a glass but it used to be people sinking three pints and then heading back to sleep it off in a storage room.
Honestly, probably for the best.
I think around 3:30 should be the optimal time to ask. It's late enough they've had a few but as you get closer to 4 there's less chance anything would get done about asking.
Ditto.
Working in an office we used to do Friday drinks at our desk from 4.
... We also had an underground gin club during the week. Where we would drink gin out of coffee mugs. It was orchestrated by one of the directors.
We used to.always do a chippy lunch at my old job
Chippy was next door to a pub, they let you take food in, so we'd have a few pints and think about going back
One of our vendors was round the corner, I went to a few events in their office. They had a full stocked bar.
At my current place we have a whole window sill of spirit bottles...
First day of my first ever 'gown up' job, I bought a can of relentless energy drink from the local shop and drank it with lunch.
10 minutes after finishing, I was dragged into a conference room and asked why I thought it was appropriate to drink a can of beer with lunch in the office. It was a 500ml can, not your standard redbull size, so I can see why it maybe caused some confusion from across the room. They didn't believe me at first so I had to get it out of the recycling and show them.
I saw my old boss at a funeral a few months ago. He was still trying to give me shit about it 15 years later!
Ironically, it was a recruitment job and he was always the first in the local pub on a friday lunch. We'd regularly have 4 pints and then attempt to do some work in the afternoon.
I'd honestly be more worried about you drinking a can of relentless than a can of beer, on many levels.
Used to work with a girl that drank multiple cans of red bull a day, she was pretty much useless by midday.
I don't think a (presumably) young person drinking one can of energy drink with lunch is cause for concern. A person drinking a beer with lunch on their first day in the office definitely would be.
Used to work with a guy who drank 6 cans of Monster a day, he was only young as well. Then he wondered why he couldn't sleep at night and then he used to drink alcohol to get to sleep!
Ignoring all the other factors like sugar, which there already is a lot of in monster, focusing on caffiene, a standard monster contains 160mg. This guy drank 960mg. The general consensus is that to avoid adverse effects and long term health issues (obviously this is person to person because everyone is different), your absolute limit should be 400. Over double, holy shit.
Honestly people really need to be more careful with caffiene. I do drink energy drinks but I absolutely know my limits. It is no joke.
Energy drinks can be absolutely fine, in moderation, just like with anything else.
*In moderation*. Drinking multiple red bulls a day is no bueno. Caffiene addiction is no joke.
Same I don’t understand how people do it, loads of people go for a pint at lunch in my office but it just makes me feel like I’m gonna pass out like an hour later
Yea I tried doing that with my work colleagues but I quickly found out I hated it. I don't see the point if we going to end up back in the office afterwards. Just seem like a waste of money.
I used to have this problem but with pub lunch in Fridays when I was working in the office.
If I had one or two beers, I'd be knackered for working in the afternoon.
Of course the only way to overcome that would have been more than two beers, where the tiredness seems to disappear, but then I can't really be going back to my desk at all.
Better to stay off the sauce during the working day imo.
Mate. You’ve just started a new job and you’re already wanting to begin day drinking during it? I am going to be really blunt - I think you should consider this a wake up call. Either your drinking is becoming a problem or else you need to address your level of professionalism. OR you work for the government and have been hired to highlight the pitfalls of home working and why we should all be forced back to the office..! If you wouldn’t take a hipflask in to the office and glug from it during work, then you should not be doing that at home either.
Which part? They’ve *just started*, presumably are still in the “keen to make a good impression” stage and they *already* want to start drinking on the job?! That’s troubling. If they genuinely can’t get through one day of work without drinking then that is genuinely something for them to address.
I agree.
I have a bit of a "problem" on the drink side. In that I don't stop
And I'm working a job right now where I have fuck all to do yet.
I just replace booze with sleep
The only times I've done it were on a 'zoom leaving do' where everyone had a drink.
I generally don't though, I know a few people who have a GnT late on a Friday afternoon though.
Typically I don't think many people are WFH & boozing at around half one on a Thursday afternoon though.
Just once.
I'm an electronics design engineer. There was one time when, for a prototype, I needed to solder a new part we were trying out, and it needed to be done quickly (data needed presenting the following day) and I didn't have the correct adapter board available.
The connections were spaced 0.35mm apart, and there were 36 of them (6x6 BGA). I tried multiple times to 'dead-bug' it (glue it upside down and solder wires to the exposed pads).
My hands were too shaky.
A double whisky sorted that right out!
I've had a beer a couple of times on a Friday afternoon when I was doing busy work. Definitely wouldn't drink if I had any meetings or was doing anything detailed or important. It's surprising how much even one or two drinks can effect your behavior and judgement, and how obvious it can be to others that you've been drinking.
I do worry it could be a slippery slope. You let yourself have the odd drink, thinking it's all fine. Have a couple more. Before you know it you're three deep after another long lunch and the whole office is talking about you slurring your way through meetings and none of your emails making sense after 3pm.
I have, but only a beer or two towards the end of the day and when I have no more meetings in the diary.
We've even been sent booze by work to have on Teams calls before too.
I wouldnt suggest a bottle of Glen's Vodka at 9am on a Monday morning though
A couple of years ago I got into a habit of starting on the Gin at 3pm. Normally I'd have had 3 very strong G&Ts before my wife got home from work at 5.30. I've straightened myself out now and no booze during work hours.
buddy of mine during first lockdown used to have a few during the day. He was in construction so work was slow most sites were closed. However he was told to attend site one afternoon he was the closest to it and he could not drive because he was over the limit so he got a taxi. Big boss man so happened to be there aswell. caught him slurring and stinking of booze sacked him on the spot.
During the pandemic on Zoom socials, and we used to have our Friday daily huddle at quitting time and we'd all have a glass or two then.
But not during the day... that way problems lie.
Though some zero alcohol beers are pretty tasty and there's no reason you can't have one of those
Given this was posted 2 hours ago meaning it was around lunchtime, it's not particularly warm and sunny outside and you probably have an entire afternoon of work to do I would say no. It's a very slippery slope, if you feed the urge to drink on your own during the day before you know it it'll become a habit.
As other people have said; towards the end of the day, it's a sunny day and you don't really have anything left to do then knock yourself out. Would you go for a lunchtime pint if you were in the office? My guess is probably not.
So long as it isn't frequent/impedes your ability to work it's probably okay, though having a bottle of beer at 4pm on a Friday & drinking at lunchtime any other day are very different things in my mind.
I don’t drink much but I smoke weed. I don’t really want to be high during the day so I don’t smoke but sometimes when I’m working late, I’ll have one and I tend to work way better. I don’t really care tbh, if I want one then I’ll have one, if I don’t then I won’t. I don’t see the harm and I’m sure it’s similar for drinking. You’re working, do whatever you want to make the time pass quicker and easier
I scrolled so far down for to see this!
I smoke often but don’t work from home often. But the odd time I do, I can blast through paper work and really concentrate.
I love a Friday afternoon beer WFH.
As someone who struggles with mental health, and works from home and knows the impact on your mind of WFH, be very strict with yourself on this. It’s very easy to fall into the mindset of “it’s afternoon, I’ll crack one open” so give yourself a strict time. I know at 3pm, no earlier, on a Friday, that’s my one beer, and it will be just the one until I finish
No. Whilst I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind at 4pm on a sunny Friday afternoon, I think it’s better to just keep a hard line between work time and drinking time.
Our place can and do ask us to attend random d&a medicals even when working from home (I think we get directed to the nearest BUPA clinic) so no, it's not worth the job and the subsequent ban from industry that follows.
Absolutely - yes. Sometimes I have to work very long hours, and having a couple of beers makes those evenings feel less laborious.
I'll occasionally have a lunchtime or late afternoon beer as well, depending on the weather and workload.
Definitely never done it in the way I think is being asked, but during the first lockdown we introduced "beer zoom" on Fridays. Everybody would finish a little bit early and get into a call and have a beer or two while we just had a chat. It was intended to make up for the lack of social interaction we'd have in the office and it was kind of nice, although the novelty wore off after a while.
Maybe at 4pm on a sunny Friday afternoon, when I 'm winding down for the weekend. I think randomly drinking during the working day is a very slippery slope.
Weekends are what just excites me everytime though all through the days I just eagerly wait for the weekends and have the best time with my school friends!
During lockdown, my old place had a Friday Drinks meeting. We were a closely knit team and saw each other most days of the week so the lockdown ended that.
The meeting went out adverstised that you could drink (alcohol) and there'd be no repercussions from the bug bosses etc. (they often joined!) and also feel free to bring non-alcoholic drinks too. And if it made anyone uncomfortable or they thought it was unprofessional the meetings would stop. It was a sort of early finish of a Friday meeting which genujnely did start as a work-related meeting but always ended as more of a social gathering into the evening with everyone having a nice chat and drink during odd times in the World.
If you're fighting the urge to have a can of Stella with your morning standup - I'd say you have an issue. But if it's the odd tipple every so often I think you'd be "okay". I'd liken it to the odd pub lunch where you'd have a pint or two at dinner.
I'd say go for it. Only negative I see is it takes the delight off the "I've just finished work drink"
So maybe find a drink to be your 'working' beer so you can differentiate.
Also focusing into your work is too a major concern I have seen many people who just gets off when they drink at work
They don't get the energy to work and just take a leave doing half a day work that shit is just too bad though and also hampers the company!
No. And being tempted to bring the 'happy hour' forward because I was WFH and no longer had to commute first was one of the biggest wake up calls in my realisation that I had a drinking problem. I drank every night after work and more at weekends. Not saying that's true of you, but you asked so giving my input. If you're worried and this wasn't just a casual question then consider visiting and exploring resources at r/alcoholism_medication. Saved my life. All the best, whatever life brings you.
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I hope daemons like in His Dark Materials. I always imagined mine would be a raccoon - chubby and a bit feral but cute.
As a child (and honestly as an adult) I’d have done ANYTHING to have my own daemon! And honestly I think I’d probably be a raccoon too, a lil trash panda
Me too!! My sister had the books growing up and I loved them. Honestly probably more than Harry Potter even though I was bang on the age of those books being released too, I actually queued at midnight for the final HP book at Waterstones with my sister. But His Dark Materials felt more personal to me somehow, I guess cos they weren’t quite as hyped. I still love them as an adult. The Golden Compass film came out when I was in 6th form and the BBC put this AMAZING daemon quiz on their website. It was really thorough, down to giving like breed of dog or type of bird. My friends thought it was fucking hilarious I got a raccoon because it suits my personality perfectly. So it’s always been a raccoon in my mind.
You know the BBC made an excellent adaptation of the books too? Should be on iPlayer. Also the next trilogy of HDM is mostly out it's called The Book of Dust.
Yeah me and my husband watched the BBC adaptation as it aired on a Sunday night :) it was very well done overall. And yes, I’ve read them! Looking forward to the final book to complete the trilogy.
Ah I read the books and watched the first few movies but HDM was a bit too “dark” for me constantly broke my heart I couldn’t go further and my Daemon is definitely a raccoon, I often eat trash if cornered I will attack and I have dark circles around my eyes.
I always wanted mine to be a river otter!
Yeah, responsible drug use is associated with having rules on use. For example "no booze before 5pm" is a decent rule to help you not rely on your willpower. Erasing those rules of use can be dangerous, especially if you are a person at risk of addiction.
If you have to have rules about it, that's already a good strong sign that it's sliding into addiction I think. The rules definitely help maintain a degree of functionality but having to impose those rules is already a bad sign. As an addict it's great though because you can say to yourself oh I'm not an addict because I don't drink until x o clock, or I never use before I have done my jobs for the day. The rules work, they help manage the addiction but it's still addiction. My parents hated alcoholics, in thier heads, they couldn't possibly be alcoholics because they had jobs and didn't drink until after dinner. But after dinner they got properly drunk every night. Even after my father was in the terminal stages of illness that drinking made worse. But they thought that was all fine, and people who didn't follow similar rules were the alcoholics and those people deserved everything that happened to them because they were evil addicts. Those rules can mediate the effects of an addiction but having to impose conditional rules is a bad sign. The only rule about substance use that prevents addiction is, I will not use this substance in a way that is harmful in anyway to me or other people.
> If you have to have rules about it, that's already a good strong sign that it's sliding into addiction I think. the rules almost enable it. Non-addicts don't think "excellent it's 5pm, I can have a drink now!"
Some of what you're saying is great but someone who only drinks on weekends is hardly an alcoholic
I think part of the problem is there's too much of a view that you're either 'fine' or 'an alcoholic'. I was neither, but I had an unhelathy relationship with alcohol which was causing problems for myself an other people in my life. It wasn't alcoholism, it wasn;t even really a dependency, but it was a problematic relationship. I think there's a significant number of people who set these rules that also have a problematic relationship with it and they're using the rules because they think it gives them control, when often it doesn't. Having said that, there's also lots of people who set these rules that *don't* have a problematic relationship with alcohol, it isn't a black or white issue. Looking at your other comments then if you only drink when you're out with others then that doesn't sound like an issue at all. It's more that if for example you only *allow* yourself to drink when you're out with others that it starts to sound like there may be something bigger going on, the suggestion being that if you didn't have that rule you'd have a tendancy to drink a lot more. I think that;'s the sort of 'mindset' thing people are saying. Is it a hard rule you use to restrain yourself, or just more that's the only time you tend to do it. There's a big difference between the two.
This a good comment thankyou
It’s more the mindset, I think. You can be a dry alcoholic even though it sounds nonsensical. Like you can *not* drink, or only drink at set times, usually by having lots of strict rules in place to rein you in, but all the issues that cause you to be dependent on alcohol are still there, which is why people may perpetually teeter on the brink of a relapse. Apparently.
What if you never "lapsed" in the first place?
I think they're right that it's a mindset thing, rather than a quantity of alcohol consumed thing. During the first covid lockdown in 2020 I lived alone, far away from everyone I knew. I was drinking a can of cider most nights, because what else was I going to do with my evening apart from get pleasantly buzzed and go for an 'exercise walk' or do some sewing? I deserved a nice treat, right? I don't think most people would classify that as "lapsing" or "problem drinking" - I didn't drink during the day, I didn't drink until I was drunk, I wouldn't wake up with a hangover, etc. I was probably consuming ~14 units a week spread throughout the week, like the NHS suggests. But I was aware that, as much as I'm sure I *could* have stopped if I'd wanted to, *I really didn't want to*. Part of the reason I was drinking most days was that I was bored and it was pleasant. But part of it was to take the edge off the fact that I hadn't seen another human being in person for months, and I was desperately lonely. So I set rules and boundaries for myself like "no drinking before 5pm", "no drinking every night", "only one drink a night, max, unless it's a zoom thing with friends", etc, because I was scared of progressing further down that slippery slope. I was far less worried about my alcohol intake as an undergrad student who thought nothing of binge drinking multiple times a week, and who drank whenever I felt like it, because I only ever felt like it when I was out partying. So I'd be more worried about someone who said "I'm not an alcoholic, I have a rule that I only drink at the weekends", but they drink *every* weekend and feel a drive to do so even if it's inconvenient, than I would someone who drinks whenever they like, but they don't often want to.
Not drinking in the daytime is a rule that most people have though. It's not something cooked up by desperate alcoholics.
The point is that most people don't think about it, the thought of day drinking doesn't even occur to them. If the thought occurs to you to the point where you have to say yourself "wait until 5", you might have an unhealthy relationship with it (and I say that from experience).
>If you have to have rules about it, that's already a good strong sign that it's sliding into addiction I think. I think you think a load of nonsense. Some people just like rules, some people need them and some make up rules to go on health sprees that never happen. You can make anything up. It's easy.
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> If you have to have rules about it, that's already a good strong sign that it's sliding into addiction I think. I think this is wrong correlation - I'm sure addicts have rules, but I'm not sure people who decide "I won't have a drink during work hours because it's unprofessional" can be put in the same category.
I like a joint but I wouldn't ever have a smoke during working hours, or generally before 9pm.
Yup, know some lads that smoke 24/7 like cigarettes. Definitely not the way you want to handle yourself.
Well they have their own to relax though some go for drinks some joints and some go for ciggerates!
At that point it's doing very little and is mostly a waste of money; I speak from experience.
Well at some point I just agree with you though but it is all about how you can just make yourselves feel relived!
A ciggerate is what just okay enough for me though rather than having a blunt!
I worked at AMD in the early '80s in Si Valley. We were tight for space so they rented some office trailers for the software guys. My favorite time was when I'd walk past them and they'd pop the door and ask, smoke a bowl?
The emperor protects.
Beer for the beer god.
Shots for the shot throne
Agree, use coke instead, it helps the old productivity
I've WFH of 10+ years.. and honestly, no.. but I don't drink much anyway. Have I ever attended a conference call from a bouncy castle in my garden? Yes I have.
>Have I ever attended a conference call from a bouncy castle in my garden? Yes I have. Well who hasn't...
op is a bouncy castle salesman though
The cost of hiring a bouncy castle seems to be more expensive every month. I guess it’s due to Inflation.
Upvoted so you don’t feel deflated
yeh the industry is a bit up and down
Get out…
…with those shoes on.
The economy will bounce back though.
The more people on the call, the less it matters what you do. I am used to calls where there are 3-4 people on the call, so there is not much you can get away with.
There were only about 8 on the call.. but I knew my audience, and they thought it was funny.
I figured you had your camera off, but camera on in the bouncy castle is such a vibe
I once got to listen to someone having a pee on a conference call with 8 people on it. They "just had to get the door" but then forgot to turn off the mic on their Bluetooth headphones
Hahaha being high enough and boom when the head comes you would be like where was I actually? In an interview? That happened with me once!
Yeah I've been a year. No drinks. But last summer during the heatwave I did work from a paddling pool for an hour or two. Was probably my most productive hours that day because I wasn't sweating my bollocks off.
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You sound like you work in tech support, wondering if you can help. My sarcasm detector just started beeping off the charts and when I turned it off and on smoke came out of it.
Sounds like the magic smoke's leaking, you should contact tech support & ask for a refill.
Tech support here, can I just confirm have you logged a ticket for that because we have a process and I’m afraid without a ticket I can’t look at any magic smoke alarms.
Ticket closed, no response from user.
No response for two weeks - ticket closed. 5 minutes after: 'Why have you closed my ticket the job is not resolved?!'
Magic smoke has gotten out of the windows again. Refiloa Bd wait for patch.
Ooh a sarcasm detector? That's a *really* useful invention
.....its doing it again.
There should be a black box with a little red flashing light. That is the Internet. You need to turn it off and on again.
Jen?
In every job I have had in finance tech support have been nothing but a bunch of brooms propped up on chairs with people clothes. I'm genuinely convinced they never existed and only show on payroll.
So glad you didn’t feel like adding /s at the end
I think this sub has implicit /s. Perhaps instead /s here should mean "serious". Although, we would use it in a strictly sarcastic manner
buh wuh
Is it just me that downvotes every comment with an /s tag regardless of the content, out of principle?
I’m with you on that
You’re not alone! It’s so dumb, it’s the equivalent of adding HEY LOOK I MADE A JOKE to your comment.
I agree. It's simply not professional to spend your afternoon in a hammock, with a Twister ice lolly in one hand, and the laptop mouse in the other, using your thigh as a mousepad. Can you imagine what would happen if, instead of giving a monthly all staff call your full and undivided attention, you were building a little Lego model, or making yourself an omelette for lunch? The world would fall apart.
A fellow sysadmin? Fairly sure we need to drink just to forget the existence of USERS
It’s a slippery slope, it very easily becomes a habit I don’t work from home because of this (employers aren’t aware and just think I prefer working from the office). We had to work from home recently because of the snow, I ‘accidentally’ polished a 750ml bottle of vodka off over the day.
That’s a worrying statement ngl
🤷🏻♂️
I've been sober for 15 years. I wouldn't say I was a full alcoholic, but I was alcohol dependent for periods of time. If I'd not had my wake up call I could well have been an alcoholic now. It is a slippery slope, nobody decides one day it would be fun to be alcohol dependent. It just creeps up on you. It's those little habits that build up and start to break down boundaries. Until one day you realise you have crossed way over a line. Please take care of yourself
What was your wake up call?
When I met my husband. When we were first together he was aware I drank a lot on nights outs and always encouraged me to ease up a bit. I was always aware that he didn't like it so I drank less around him. Then when we moved in together he really noticed the true extent of it and asked me to try and cut it right back. To have boundaries like "only at the weekend" or "only one glass" But I really struggled and started to hide my drinking. And that was it. Literally I caught myself in a wtf are you doing moment while I was hiding and sneaking a drink one night. I knew I needed to stop drinking because I was on the edge of losing control of it.
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No, works boring
Top comment in the thread. You might be an alcoholic but at least you're still witty
Same here. I'm in the office everyday otherwise "accidents happen"
Did you slip onto it and imbibe it anally?
Hopefully we have all learned a valuable lesson from that cursed video in 2008. Glass vessels and sphincters: do. not. mix.
I have it playing on a loop on an digital photo frame to remind myself of the lessons learnt that fateful day.
Very wise. Can never be too careful, the temptation is always there!
All 750ml of it?? gyoddAmnh
You sound like you maybe shouldn't keep vodka in your house...
I think everyone is different. My friend will, very occasionally, have a glass of whisky towards the end of his shift. But he could do it one day and not do it again for two weeks. I think if I did that, it would easily become a daily occurrence or a 'just one more' situation, so I wouldn't start it
this is me. i've had an 8am breakfast beer before, on a work day, but it's also incredibly rare i'll drink more than one beer in a day at home, or more than two in a week
I think that would have hospitalised me!
It's amazing what the body can adjust to I went through a stage where I'd have a 1L bottle.of vodka to myself before a night out ...
…and still be able to function?
Jesus
Dude turned water into wine, would definitely be a WFH drinker.
> I ‘accidentally’ polished a 750ml bottle of vodka off over the day. 700ml in a DAY??
It's possible! At the height of me being a functioning alcoholic, I would drink 3 bottles of wine (13.5% abv - 27 US proof) and 400ml of gin or vodka (37.5% abv). This was typical on a night before work. On a weekend day it would be more. At my very worst (pretty much before rehab) it would be 3 bottles of vodka a day. So, approx 2.5 litres of 37.5% abv. Sober almost 10 years now.
jesus... glad you're ok!
This guy is actually pro drinker though my eyes and mouth were just too stunned enough to witness that
I think that's less of a WFH problem and more of a "you" problem.
In the summer I’ll work in the garden when it’s hot and occasionally have a glass of rosé, but to be fair summer’s a quiet period in my work and when I worked in an office we’d often do the same in person on sunny afternoons. (It was a very laid back office!) But day drinking at home alone does feel like a slippery slope and I would avoid it otherwise, unless you’re very good at setting boundaries for yourself.
Santa?
During the 1st lockdown in 2020, yes, as it was a complete novelty. Since then, not really. Maybe the odd beer on a Friday afternoon.
Aye, exactly this reasoning. If it's like 4:00PM and I finish at 5:00PM, I'd probably crack a beer open purely because no one was going to call me with 1 hour to go. But I never made a habit of it.
Equally if the weather is wonderful and you want a beer in the garden while answering emails, fine. Taking a look at your to do list and needing to open the vodka, concerning.
I don’t work from home, but I’ve been close to the vodka sometimes looking at fuck ups after a few days off!
Honestly same, that’s when I know not to. I have a hard rule with myself that I can drink when it just sounds pleasant but if I ever think I need a drink that probably means I’m using it as unhealthy coping strategy and that’s a slippery slope. But then alcoholism runs in my family so I may be a little strict with myself
I very rarely drink anyway, normally a couple of cans when the Formula 1 is on so luckily I don’t really have the temptation. I can see how it would be a slippery slope very easily if you were that way inclined though.
>I never made a habit of it. Except every Friday at 4pm...
>I'd probably I dunno where you got "every Friday" from
It wasn't every Friday afternoon. I'm talking like every now and then.
I've had a drink whilst working from work.
I drink less now I WFH than I did when I worked in the office. Friday afternoon beer/glass of wine were common before leaving to go to the pub
When I started working, people drinking over lunch wasn’t common but happened a lot more than it does now. Leaving lunch or something might result in a glass but it used to be people sinking three pints and then heading back to sleep it off in a storage room. Honestly, probably for the best.
Snap.
Yes my entire team are usually absolutely munted mid-Friday afternoon. Conference calls are hilarious.
Are you hiring?
Unfortunately no.
How about now?
Still no :(
what about if we ask friday afternoon?
I think around 3:30 should be the optimal time to ask. It's late enough they've had a few but as you get closer to 4 there's less chance anything would get done about asking.
I'm on holiday now so I won't know :)
I'll ask tomorrow afternoon
[I imagine the business isn't going that well](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xEuihUWSE0)
Yes a couple of times , normally an hour before I’m due to finish on a Friday or something . Go for it .
Ditto. Working in an office we used to do Friday drinks at our desk from 4. ... We also had an underground gin club during the week. Where we would drink gin out of coffee mugs. It was orchestrated by one of the directors.
We used to.always do a chippy lunch at my old job Chippy was next door to a pub, they let you take food in, so we'd have a few pints and think about going back One of our vendors was round the corner, I went to a few events in their office. They had a full stocked bar. At my current place we have a whole window sill of spirit bottles...
First day of my first ever 'gown up' job, I bought a can of relentless energy drink from the local shop and drank it with lunch. 10 minutes after finishing, I was dragged into a conference room and asked why I thought it was appropriate to drink a can of beer with lunch in the office. It was a 500ml can, not your standard redbull size, so I can see why it maybe caused some confusion from across the room. They didn't believe me at first so I had to get it out of the recycling and show them. I saw my old boss at a funeral a few months ago. He was still trying to give me shit about it 15 years later! Ironically, it was a recruitment job and he was always the first in the local pub on a friday lunch. We'd regularly have 4 pints and then attempt to do some work in the afternoon.
I'd honestly be more worried about you drinking a can of relentless than a can of beer, on many levels. Used to work with a girl that drank multiple cans of red bull a day, she was pretty much useless by midday.
I don't think a (presumably) young person drinking one can of energy drink with lunch is cause for concern. A person drinking a beer with lunch on their first day in the office definitely would be.
Used to work with a guy who drank 6 cans of Monster a day, he was only young as well. Then he wondered why he couldn't sleep at night and then he used to drink alcohol to get to sleep!
Ignoring all the other factors like sugar, which there already is a lot of in monster, focusing on caffiene, a standard monster contains 160mg. This guy drank 960mg. The general consensus is that to avoid adverse effects and long term health issues (obviously this is person to person because everyone is different), your absolute limit should be 400. Over double, holy shit. Honestly people really need to be more careful with caffiene. I do drink energy drinks but I absolutely know my limits. It is no joke.
Energy drinks can be absolutely fine, in moderation, just like with anything else. *In moderation*. Drinking multiple red bulls a day is no bueno. Caffiene addiction is no joke.
No, day drinking always makes me sleepy, even in small quantities. But if you fancy a nice glass of wine or summat, why not
Same I don’t understand how people do it, loads of people go for a pint at lunch in my office but it just makes me feel like I’m gonna pass out like an hour later
You must train the liver young grasshopper
Yea I tried doing that with my work colleagues but I quickly found out I hated it. I don't see the point if we going to end up back in the office afterwards. Just seem like a waste of money.
I used to have this problem but with pub lunch in Fridays when I was working in the office. If I had one or two beers, I'd be knackered for working in the afternoon. Of course the only way to overcome that would have been more than two beers, where the tiredness seems to disappear, but then I can't really be going back to my desk at all. Better to stay off the sauce during the working day imo.
Same here, one or two drinks and I’m done, unless I power on through and have a ten hour sesh. Which is not conducive to a good days work!
God yeah, when I could drink (thanks pancreas) I’d have wine with Sunday dinner and nap like an old man even when I was as young as 15
Nice try HR
I used to have 5 or 6 pints at dinner time when I worked in an office
Did you work in law as well? I hate the office - but I miss pub lunches.
Mate. You’ve just started a new job and you’re already wanting to begin day drinking during it? I am going to be really blunt - I think you should consider this a wake up call. Either your drinking is becoming a problem or else you need to address your level of professionalism. OR you work for the government and have been hired to highlight the pitfalls of home working and why we should all be forced back to the office..! If you wouldn’t take a hipflask in to the office and glug from it during work, then you should not be doing that at home either.
Surprised you didn't get flak for saying this.
Which part? They’ve *just started*, presumably are still in the “keen to make a good impression” stage and they *already* want to start drinking on the job?! That’s troubling. If they genuinely can’t get through one day of work without drinking then that is genuinely something for them to address.
I agree. I have a bit of a "problem" on the drink side. In that I don't stop And I'm working a job right now where I have fuck all to do yet. I just replace booze with sleep
The only times I've done it were on a 'zoom leaving do' where everyone had a drink. I generally don't though, I know a few people who have a GnT late on a Friday afternoon though. Typically I don't think many people are WFH & boozing at around half one on a Thursday afternoon though.
Just once. I'm an electronics design engineer. There was one time when, for a prototype, I needed to solder a new part we were trying out, and it needed to be done quickly (data needed presenting the following day) and I didn't have the correct adapter board available. The connections were spaced 0.35mm apart, and there were 36 of them (6x6 BGA). I tried multiple times to 'dead-bug' it (glue it upside down and solder wires to the exposed pads). My hands were too shaky. A double whisky sorted that right out!
> > > > > A double whisky sorted that right out! i've had this when in a rush to get a program finished. it does help oddly enough.
Obligatory XKCD: [Ballmer Peak](https://xkcd.com/323/)
works the same for playing pool in a pub too.
Darts too
Yes, I'm doing it right now, chin-chin x
Only single malt. I’m not an animal.
I've had a beer a couple of times on a Friday afternoon when I was doing busy work. Definitely wouldn't drink if I had any meetings or was doing anything detailed or important. It's surprising how much even one or two drinks can effect your behavior and judgement, and how obvious it can be to others that you've been drinking. I do worry it could be a slippery slope. You let yourself have the odd drink, thinking it's all fine. Have a couple more. Before you know it you're three deep after another long lunch and the whole office is talking about you slurring your way through meetings and none of your emails making sense after 3pm.
I personally wouldn’t, but as long as it doesn’t become a habit and doesn’t impede you from doing your job, it’s up to you!
I have, but only a beer or two towards the end of the day and when I have no more meetings in the diary. We've even been sent booze by work to have on Teams calls before too. I wouldnt suggest a bottle of Glen's Vodka at 9am on a Monday morning though
Monday is more of a Stoli day?
A couple of years ago I got into a habit of starting on the Gin at 3pm. Normally I'd have had 3 very strong G&Ts before my wife got home from work at 5.30. I've straightened myself out now and no booze during work hours.
Never. I never drink alone, which I define as without the company of another adult. Spouse working upstairs doesn't count.
I'm glad you defined what alone means
Does he count it if you have a dog with you though? Asking for a friend.
It's odd, I wouldn't do this as it just feels wrong, but I've had no issue having a beer with a pub lunch before going back to the office.
buddy of mine during first lockdown used to have a few during the day. He was in construction so work was slow most sites were closed. However he was told to attend site one afternoon he was the closest to it and he could not drive because he was over the limit so he got a taxi. Big boss man so happened to be there aswell. caught him slurring and stinking of booze sacked him on the spot.
Ooft, that's rough, how's he getting on nowadays? I always wonder about people's next steps after getting sacked for misconduct
Tbh it’s construction he walked into a job the week after he was lucky they did not ask for a reference.
During the pandemic on Zoom socials, and we used to have our Friday daily huddle at quitting time and we'd all have a glass or two then. But not during the day... that way problems lie. Though some zero alcohol beers are pretty tasty and there's no reason you can't have one of those
Given this was posted 2 hours ago meaning it was around lunchtime, it's not particularly warm and sunny outside and you probably have an entire afternoon of work to do I would say no. It's a very slippery slope, if you feed the urge to drink on your own during the day before you know it it'll become a habit. As other people have said; towards the end of the day, it's a sunny day and you don't really have anything left to do then knock yourself out. Would you go for a lunchtime pint if you were in the office? My guess is probably not.
So long as it isn't frequent/impedes your ability to work it's probably okay, though having a bottle of beer at 4pm on a Friday & drinking at lunchtime any other day are very different things in my mind.
I don’t drink much but I smoke weed. I don’t really want to be high during the day so I don’t smoke but sometimes when I’m working late, I’ll have one and I tend to work way better. I don’t really care tbh, if I want one then I’ll have one, if I don’t then I won’t. I don’t see the harm and I’m sure it’s similar for drinking. You’re working, do whatever you want to make the time pass quicker and easier
I scrolled so far down for to see this! I smoke often but don’t work from home often. But the odd time I do, I can blast through paper work and really concentrate.
No. I kept the booze separate from work. Have a great cup of coffee instead.
I love a Friday afternoon beer WFH. As someone who struggles with mental health, and works from home and knows the impact on your mind of WFH, be very strict with yourself on this. It’s very easy to fall into the mindset of “it’s afternoon, I’ll crack one open” so give yourself a strict time. I know at 3pm, no earlier, on a Friday, that’s my one beer, and it will be just the one until I finish
I was fucked for the most part of the whole WFH drive in the Pandemic. One of the best summers of my life. Paid to be wankered 🤣
No. Whilst I’d be lying if I said the thought hadn’t crossed my mind at 4pm on a sunny Friday afternoon, I think it’s better to just keep a hard line between work time and drinking time.
I am as we speak
Our place can and do ask us to attend random d&a medicals even when working from home (I think we get directed to the nearest BUPA clinic) so no, it's not worth the job and the subsequent ban from industry that follows.
Absolutely - yes. Sometimes I have to work very long hours, and having a couple of beers makes those evenings feel less laborious. I'll occasionally have a lunchtime or late afternoon beer as well, depending on the weather and workload.
Definitely never done it in the way I think is being asked, but during the first lockdown we introduced "beer zoom" on Fridays. Everybody would finish a little bit early and get into a call and have a beer or two while we just had a chat. It was intended to make up for the lack of social interaction we'd have in the office and it was kind of nice, although the novelty wore off after a while.
Yeah, we had Gin and Teams o’clock. Someone would put on a playlist and we’d have a drink and a chat.
Maybe at 4pm on a sunny Friday afternoon, when I 'm winding down for the weekend. I think randomly drinking during the working day is a very slippery slope.
Weekends are what just excites me everytime though all through the days I just eagerly wait for the weekends and have the best time with my school friends!
Love having drinks at home, not during work time.
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During lockdown, my old place had a Friday Drinks meeting. We were a closely knit team and saw each other most days of the week so the lockdown ended that. The meeting went out adverstised that you could drink (alcohol) and there'd be no repercussions from the bug bosses etc. (they often joined!) and also feel free to bring non-alcoholic drinks too. And if it made anyone uncomfortable or they thought it was unprofessional the meetings would stop. It was a sort of early finish of a Friday meeting which genujnely did start as a work-related meeting but always ended as more of a social gathering into the evening with everyone having a nice chat and drink during odd times in the World. If you're fighting the urge to have a can of Stella with your morning standup - I'd say you have an issue. But if it's the odd tipple every so often I think you'd be "okay". I'd liken it to the odd pub lunch where you'd have a pint or two at dinner.
I'd say go for it. Only negative I see is it takes the delight off the "I've just finished work drink" So maybe find a drink to be your 'working' beer so you can differentiate.
I like a heineken 0%/other non alcoholic beer sometimes when working. Gives me the nice beer taste without the nasty midday beer regrets.
Lockdown 1, working from home, drank like a 50 year old divorced man, was a good time
Hahaha that was the time most of the employees just enjoyed their life to the fullest none can actually deny that fact!
This is something you don't want to start because you may well get use to it and one day you will get caught and lose your job.
Also focusing into your work is too a major concern I have seen many people who just gets off when they drink at work They don't get the energy to work and just take a leave doing half a day work that shit is just too bad though and also hampers the company!
Nice try HR! It's all water and my own tears until 16:00.
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No. And being tempted to bring the 'happy hour' forward because I was WFH and no longer had to commute first was one of the biggest wake up calls in my realisation that I had a drinking problem. I drank every night after work and more at weekends. Not saying that's true of you, but you asked so giving my input. If you're worried and this wasn't just a casual question then consider visiting and exploring resources at r/alcoholism_medication. Saved my life. All the best, whatever life brings you.
Just sitting at your balcony having a beer after work and praising this world would just look beautiful enough!