The Benefits Of Happy Hour

When you think of happy hour you probably picture a crowded restaurant with frothy beers, chilled wines and fruit infused cocktails lining the bar. And if you’re trying to eat well, stay active and generally maintain a healthy lifestyle this scene doesn’t exactly scream “good times” to you. But there are other ways to participate in happy hour that don’t involve drinking half of your daily allotted calories and sitting around a sticky bar while trying to hold a conversation with your friends over the noise of televisions, radio systems and other patrons.

 

Although the thought of alcohol and the bar are most often associated with happy hour, it’s not the only way to kick back, relax and unwind from the stress of your day. So if you’re looking for a few healthy alternatives that will turn a bad habit into a beneficial pastime, look no farther than these suggestions for your next happy hour function.

Go To Trivia Night

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The trouble with traditional happy hours revolving around alcohol and fried appetizers is that they work against your brain power. You spend your days working tirelessly to learn new procedures that will increase productivity and new information that will create a better work environment but when night rolls around you throw all of that work away by fueling your body with unhealthy food and mind altering alcohol. Rather than erasing all of the hard work from your day with a glass of whiskey why not try exhilarating your mind with a round or two of trivia with your friends or coworkers?

Trivia night allows you to work together with those you are with to answer questions in the hopes of winning prizes, or at least bragging rights. It allows you to use your mind in a fun and creative way, while still giving it a break from the daily grind of your work life. By keeping your brain stimulated with random facts and information found at trivia night you are more likely to retain the important information required to do your job well and efficiently.

Take A Class

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Learning something new, whether with friends, colleagues or strangers can be an exciting use of your time. Rather than throwing your money away at a bar buying round after round of drinks that will be consumed and forgotten before your next payday, why not invest your money in yourself? Choose something that you’ve always wanted to learn how to do but never found the time, energy or money to put into it, and then do it! Take the money that you would have otherwise spent at happy hour swilling back drinks and sign up for a fitness class, a cooking class, an art class or even a foreign language class. Anything to stimulate your body or your mind. You’ll be glad you did.

Volunteer For A Cause

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Maybe you’d rather spend your time volunteering for a great cause that’s close to your heart. Did you know that volunteering doesn’t need to take up a huge chunk of time? You can volunteer to help any number of organizations for short spurts of time or days and weeks at a time. It’s all up to you. Volunteering and giving back to your local or global community will not only make a significant impact on the world around you but it will likely also make a significant impact on the way in which you see the world.

Train For A Marathon

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Have you always wanted to complete a marathon but never thought you had the time or willpower to train for one? Well here’s a wild and crazy idea. Stop going to happy hour two or three times a week to drown your stresses and troubles, and instead hit the gym to sweat them out. Don’t like working out alone? Invite a friend along and make it a social hour that’s good for your body. There’s nothing like a little accountability when it comes to making sure you’re getting a great workout and moving closer towards your marathoning goal. Remember though that you don’t have to set your goals as high as a marathon to start getting healthy and into shape. All it takes is a little dedication to yourself.

Try A Ropes Course

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Many people use happy hour as a way to connect with their friends and coworkers in a low key situation without the usual pressures of life and work. And while the alcohol may lower your inhibitions so that you feel more comfortable engaging with each other, there are healthier ways to break through that wall. For instance you could take an outing to a ropes course where you will learn to work through problems and dilemmas to come up with realistic solutions that will get your team from one end of the course to the other. This opens the lines of communication in a way that doesn’t require mind altering substances and gets you working together towards a common goal, much like is required in real life situations.

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