When everyone worked from home, I barely drank at all. Now that we're back in the office, we'll sometimes grab a drink after work. It's funny, but those casual chats are where you hear the best ideas or learn what a colleague is actually working on. I think that's why small, optional get-togethers matter. They spark conversations that just don't happen in the office itself.
When we first started Backlinker AI, we were all remote and honestly, those virtual drinks were just painful. Nobody wanted to be there. Now that a few of us are back in person, it's changed. We'll actually wait for a real win, like shipping that new feature, and then grab a beer. The next day, the vibe in the office is just better. People are looser, work flows better. It actually works.
Being back in the office gave me a different take on drinking at work events. When I was remote, having a drink alone on Zoom felt kind of sad, so I just didn't bother. Now at ShipTheDeal, we have planned team outings instead of spontaneous happy hours, and I actually prefer it. It's easier to manage my drinking, and the conversations feel better than just grabbing beers. If you're dealing with this too, focus on the actual hangout, not the alcohol.
I always skipped the virtual happy hours when Lusha was remote. They just felt forced. Now, grabbing a drink after work at the office is completely different. Last week we were complaining about a CRM bug and by 9 p.m. we'd sketched out a whole new approach. Those unplanned moments are what actually solve problems. You don't even need to drink, just be there.
Prior to RTO I averaged six standard drinks in week (generally split two nights at home with late meetings and kitchen being ten paces away). After Return consumption was four drinks in week with one social night each week and weekend tasting off times. Because of longer commute, earlier starts and tighter evening schedules idle snacking and pouring happening again. Team culture changed to coffee get together and lunch time walks to cover proposed late Zoom debriefs which now spilled into second glass. I keep watch on hydration and sleep using simple log. Observed a falling resting heart rate which achieved 3 beats lower average resting rate and 4 percent better efficiency in sleep after eight weeks. Structure removed free access to home and replaced with planned social time so that consumption came down and recovery improved.
When I was fully remote during the pandemic I drank more coffee and more often because the kitchen was four steps away and there was no social clock telling me to stop. Once we re-centered work in our Shenzhen office the volume dropped without a rule. I'm busy in supplier calls or inspecting samples so there are fewer idle windows to sip. Also I don't want a jitter crash when I must read a 1000 USD MOQ quote line by line with a client. So the drop is not moral, it is structural. Less friction to over drink at home, more consequence to being shaky in-office.