Hi, everybody. I’m Mike Staver. This is Mondays with Mike, a weekly video series where I answer questions from people just like you. Here’s this week’s question.
“Mike, we have numerous social events at work. I’m talking about one a week since things have lightened up and we’ve gotten back together. I find these types of events exhausting and just want to go home and rest or regroup or isolate. In your experience, is there a rule for attending company social events?”
Yes, in my life, there is a rule, I tend not to. I read this somewhere that I think this is really awesome, it says, “When I was young, I used to sneak out of my house to go to parties, now I sneak out of parties to go to my house.” So true. Is that true? That is so my life. The easy answer to your question is no, there’s not a rule, but unless you’re required to be there, there’s no obligation that you go every week. If you have FOMO, if you have fear of missing out, I totally get it, but no, there’s not a rule. I don’t think it alas though, I don’t think social event every single week will sustain because people have lives and they’re going to want to do things so maybe you ride it out for a few more weeks.
I don’t know when you sent us this question, but maybe write it out for a few more weeks and see what happens and then go from there. Maybe that’s what you do, but what I want to focus on is, “I find these types of events, and I just want to go home and rest and regroup or isolate.” Okay, there’s nothing wrong with that go. Say I’m going to go to one a month or two a month or whatever, and then go home and regroup and isolate and rest. It’s totally okay. Sounds like you’re a little bit of an introvert, there’s no shame in it. Don’t let them shame you.
Now, if you never go to a social event, and if you’re never seen in social activities, it probably will appear that you’re not a member of the team, that you’re not connected, so I think you’re going to have to lean into it a little bit. That’s what I do. Often I’m invited to social events with clients or that kind of thing, when I’m tired or when I’ve been working all day or my throats tired, but I know that sometimes that’s important. I need to be there. I need to show up, and so I often will do that, but not once a week. All right, hope that’s helpful.
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