So, Governor. Mike DeWine lifted the statewide curfew, and your friends want to get together for drinks to celebrate that grueling assignment you struggled for weeks to research, write and submit? Maybe you’re not entirely comfortable with dining out during a pandemic, or perhaps you want an alternate way of celebrating that doesn’t require drinking. “Let’s grab drinks” is a phrase used too often that it sometimes becomes synonymous with, “I miss you; I want to spend time with you, let’s hang out!” but these two statements are not the same thing, and they don’t have to be. Sometimes, suggesting a night of drinking is the easiest thing to do. Many are even conditioned to look to a night out as a rite of passage in celebrating an achievement, meeting a deadline, letting loose from built-up stress, or seeing friends you may not have seen for a while. The truth is, there are plenty of ways to meet these needs without having to indulge in an overpriced cocktail.
Virtual Options:
- Have a virtual game night. Gather a team of fellow students and friends and sign up for OUAB’s Grad/Prof bi-weekly trivia night!
- Gather your friends for a movie night. Do you have a favorite comfort film that always helps get you centered after a crazy week? Pick your favorites with your friends and watch them together virtually.
- Hop on to an online cooking class with friends through OUAB in the Kitchen. After you’ve created your meal, sit down on zoom and enjoy a meal, and the company.
- Throw on your favorite songs and have a dance party or share your screen and host a karaoke moment with friends.
Does the idea of sitting in front of your screen tire you? Are you struggling with Zoom burnout? If your comfortable, here are some in-person suggestions that you could try following COVID guidelines:
- Potluck at the park – bring your favorite dish in individual, COVID–friendly containers and have an outdoor, socially distant meal with friends (when the weather allows!)
- Host a private showing at a local theatre. You and three others can rent an entire theatre for about $25 apiece. There is plenty of room for social distancing, and no one to kick your seat, or yell at you for dancing or running through the aisles!
- Find a low-risk activity as suggested by the Mayo Clinic. There are still ways to have fun, get out of the house and give yourself a break in these trying times.
There are many ways to celebrate or catch up with a friend that doesn’t have to involve drinking. In some situations, maybe you’re comfortable with them drinking in their own space virtually and don’t feel the need to participate yourself, or perhaps you’re uncomfortable with the presence of alcohol altogether and want fun options to reflect that.
If you’re thinking about reassessing your relationship with alcohol, consider joining Beyond Your Buzz, a moderation management program offered by Ohio State’s Alcohol and Other Drug Education through the Student Wellness Center. This drop-in group is built to meet students’ needs who want to explore and make positive changes in their substance use.
Of course, there are additional resources through the Student Wellness Center if you feel you want to make substance use changes. You can sign up for a BASICS session to explore your alcohol and drug use to reduce harmful consequences of alcohol abuse, or look into the option of the Collegiate Recovery Community if you are committed to an abstinence-based, long-term recovery community.