Started a new job where everyone seems nice and lovely, but one thing that is erking me is doing team building activities after work.
I had my first one last Thursday where after work we went to do indoor laser mini golf. This place also had a bar so people had about 2-3 drinks while playing. I just had a soda. I was really shit at the game too and never got a hole in one while others got several. Then afterwards we went out to eat at Spoons which the majority of England can confirm that it is SHIT. The food was salty and gross. Everyone else started drinking like 3 beers on a bloody work night.
By 9pm I was tired and out of it. I had been up since 6am. If I don't go to bed on time at my usual 10pm then I get disassociation anxiety. I start to zone out and that.
Ended up chatting around til 11pm and just decided to awkwardly leave when someone got up. Others stayed around. There were no busses on so I had to pay for a taxi with my own money. Didn't have to pay for golf or food.
I suggested the next morning we do team building during work hours and everyone laughed at me. I think they want to do it at night so they can drink, but doesn't anyone hate coming into work the next day hung over? How can they function like that?
I felt like I couldn't get out of it because I didn't want to be the only team member who didn't show up. I didn't want to feel like not a team player.
What would you guys do or recommend I do for next time?