We’ve all had that kind of week. The kind of week where first thing Monday morning you spill a cup of coffee on your crisp, clean white dress shirt. You change, get to your office late and your administrative assistant tells you the copy AND fax machines are broken. The week continues in that pattern until it is 5pm on Friday night and the first thing coming out of your mouth is “What a week. I need a drink”.
While some professionals do use exercise or a hobby to take their mind off the disastrous week they just had, many opt for that beer in the local watering hole to wash away the week. A good happy hour with fellow entrepreneurs and friends can do wonders for stress relief. But are you setting yourself up for disaster by allowing alcohol to be your go-to stress relief?
Entrepreneurs have the luxury of being their own boss, setting their own hours and making business decisions. With this responsibility also comes more stress than the average worker. If something goes wrong with a client, you take the blame. If your books happen to be wrong, you will have to spend all that time fixing the mistake. It can be very easy to turn a social drink here and there into a more serious problem, especially if you don’t have an outlet for your stress.
This weekend is the National Alcohol Free Weekend. The challenge has been put forth by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence for everyone of legal age to abstain from alcohol for a 3 day period. The 3 day period begins April 6 and ends April 8, 2012. The primary purpose of this weekend is to set a good example for young adults; you CAN have fun and not drink. The secondary purpose is to alert any persons who find this 3 day prohibition difficult; maybe you should re-evaluate your dependence on alcohol.
If you decide to take this challenge, come back here and tell us about your experience!