It’s Friday night, you just got paid, there’s now work or school tomorrow and everyone’s planning to splurge their hard-earned cash on cheap booze and dancing. Sounds great, right? The only problem is, you don’t want to go. Take it from someone who is not all that fond of going out, staying on Friday night is an underrated activity that has been given a bad rep.
Let’s get some things straight. Just because I prefer my couch to a bar stool does not make me anti-social, and just because I like hot chocolate over a jaeger bombs and cheap vodka cokes doesn’t make me boring. There are plenty of reasons that I could give you to explain why I don’t want to go out on Friday night, but none would be more honest nor more justified than to simply say “I don’t want to”.
That being said, if you’re like me and you’re trying to explain to your friends why you won’t be joining them at the club, you are free to use any one of the following 10 reason why staying in on Friday night is underrated.
The constant dush dush dush from the speakers at the club isn’t going to do anything for the splitting headache I already have from working all day. It might be that all important Friday night where everyone plans to drink till dawn, but what tonight calls for is a hot cuppa tea and a good book. Maybe even an early night at the end of it!
You might be under the impression that your friends wont be understanding towards your needs, and will take it personally if you turn around and tell them you don’t want to go drinking with them. This is rarely every true. And if it is, you might want to put yourself on the market for new friends.
Ask yourself this if your gut is having second thoughts. Are you going out because you want to? Or are you succumbing to peer pressure and feeling more obliged to go to keep your friends happy?
I don’t want to demonize the idea of going out. Going out on Friday night can be a great experience when you’re with the right people. And a lot of the time when you do go out, it’s just what you need at that time of the week. But, too often have I found myself sitting in a booth with a pint while my friends have wandered off, wondering why I came in the first place.
Following up from figuring out whether or not I really needed to go out in the first place, is figuring out why. In my case, it’s usually that I’m just not in the mood to talk to people. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Social interactions can be more exhausting for some people than others. And after a week of working in an office with colleagues and supervisors breathing down your neck, more people might be the last thing you need on a Friday night. When the idea of being by yourself becomes more tempting than being with other people, do yourself a favour and give into temptation.
Let’s say your mum is paying you a visit on Saturday. How’s it going to look if she turns up and your head is still splitting in half. Or worse, your still drunk.
Hangover’s are the worst right? And they can last all day. From time to time you just don’t want your Saturdays to be eaten up by the repercussions of throbbing head pains and nausea.
Have any interests or hobbies you’ve been meaning to get into but just haven’t found the time or money? Could it be that you never make that pottery class you’ve been meaning to try out on Saturday morning because you’re always too hungover and out of cash to attend?
Sometimes prioritising over going out on Friday night is necessary if you want to fit everything in on the weekend. At home I have a constant pile of books waiting to be read that I always say I’ll get round to. But then Friday comes around and suddenly they’re on the back burner.
Going out is fun, being with friends is fun, staying at home is also fun. And sometimes, other things just need to be done, like the vacuum cleaning or that pile of dirty laundry you said you’d get done last week.
We all let our homes go sometimes in the name of fun. But for those of us living on our own, now and then we really need to put our foots down and roll up our sleeves. This Friday night is laundry night, not drinking night.
How great is it when you have a free weekend? How do you achieve this? By working your butt off during the week, that’s how. And that includes Friday night.
When I realise I have nothing to do on Saturday or Sunday I can’t begin to explain to you how liberated I feel. If you want the luxury of a free weekend it won’t come cheap. Have the strength to say goodbye to your friends as they head to the pub and buckle down.
There are around 230 calories in a standard pint of beer. That’s about the same as a cheeseburger Happy Meal at McDonald’s. Now, how many pints do you think I could drink in one night? More than I can eat cheeseburgers, I’ll give you that.
Alcohol has a very sneaky way of catching you out on the calorie front. It’s not a solid food, and (depending on what you’re drinking) it goes down easy. Meaning you can quickly go over your fill without realising it. Not only that, but there is the level intoxication to think about, what it’s doing to your liver, and lets not forget general safety when you’re drunk and vulnerable in a club at 3am.
Your body will thank you later in life if you listen to your gut and stay in this Friday night.
Apart from general health, let’s not forget the other downside of going out to drink. The price. Honestly, some of these pubs should get done extortion with their prices. £7 for a pint?! No thanks, I’m a student.
Sometimes it’s a good idea to take a break just so you can let your wallet recover. There’s always next Friday after all!
Maybe this excuse isn’t one to give your friends. It’s pretty dry. But perfectly viable.
It’s important to remember that what you do on Friday night is your business and no one else’s. So if your colleague asked why you wont go out for drinks with them, but don’t accept “I don’t really want to this Friday night” as a justified answer, hit them with this. Because really, it’s none of their business how you spend your Fridays.
Juggling your studies and life itself is even tougher. It requires a healthy amount of each. A delicate balance. Managing to…
Alexa Chung, Emma Stone and Selena Gomez have all tried out a lob haircut, and made us want one too.…
There is no pain quite like a heartbreak. It can be devastating and all-consuming, leaving you a bit of a…
Birmingham is a booming city but it's not the best city in the UK, nor is it the most exciting.…
Few would believe that five minutes of exercise is enough to satisfy your body's daily needs. Many people struggle with…
The character Bridget Jones was originally created by British writer Helen Fielding. Jones first appeared in Fielding's column in The…
