Ho Ho Ho-hookups: How to Avoid Post-Christmas Party Ick

After a couple of drinks and some christmas games, all decorum flies out the window and your professionalism is nowhere to be found. That co-worker you’ve had some flirty banter with is looking good, and they’ve had a few Hot Toddy-Oddy Oddys too, so it seems like a good idea to try your luck and bring the office romance to life. Flash forward to the morning after, your head is banging and you’re still in your party clothes. You’ve got 10 missed calls and an email from HR reading ‘URGENT MEETING: Unacceptable Behaviour at Christmas Party ’, even worse, a drunk text from your office crush telling you what a great time they had with you. The hangxiety has kicked in and you’ve got a million scenarios running through your mind: “Am I going to get fired? What did I get up to last night? How much did I drink?” But the most prominent question you have is, “How am I possibly going to face my christmas party hookup in the office?”

‘The Post-Christmas Party Ick’ is real, my friends, but not to worry, you’re not alone. A whopping 62% of workers in the UK have admitted to kissing a co-worker at a Christmas party and 31% admitting they had slept with a co-worker. So how can you get over your ho ho ho hookup?

1. Talk to your co-worker about what happened

Ok, I know the last thing you want to do right now is address the situation and speak to your christmas party hookup. Most of us would rather curl up in a ball and hide under our desk with a Pret almond croissant, full fat Coke and phone on Airplane mode for the rest of the day, but the best way to get over the situation is to be upfront. It might be easier to chat outside of the workplace where walls have ears - why not ask if they want to get coffee with you during your lunch break? If you don’t think it’s a good idea to take the relationship any further, be upfront, make that clear and be respectful. After all, there’s nothing worse than being awkward with someone you see nearly every day. 

2. Don’t draw attention  

Office place gossip is alive and thriving, especially at Christmas, and there are absolutely going to be a few nosey nellies in the office post-party. The best way to stop gossip is by not talking about it in the first place. If you were lucky enough to sneak out together without Frenching on the dancefloor, keep it on the downlow, and even your work bestie can’t know until your headache and embarrassment has subsided. 

3. Show up with festive treats 

In the lead up to Christmas, you’re going to hear “let’s circle back to this in the new year” many times. Everyone still trekking into the office right now will appreciate a distraction, and the best distraction comes in the form of treats. Show up with mince pies, doughnuts, or coffees with a nice smile the morning after and your work party shenanigans will be a thing of the past. 

4. Work From Ho Ho Home 

The best thing that ever came from lockdown was the realisation that many of us can work from home on the regular. Make the most of flexible working, set your Slack status to ‘away’ and hide away from all your office-related distractions in a duvet. By the time the weekend has passed, everyone will have forgotten about your festive antics.

5. Fake it till you make it 

It’s all about confidence: things are only awkward if you make them awkward. Hold your head high and act like everything is okay - what hookup? What drunken state? After a while, any awkwardness will naturally dispel. After all, it’s not long till Christmas break. Hold on tight, ho-ho-homie.

Want more? 

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