Staying sober
You have probably heard if you can’t do the hustle sober you shouldn’t be doing it at all. If you start drinking alcohol because of the job, because you feel you need a drink to steady your nerves about being naked on the stage for the first time, you will go down the road. Then a few more weeks you need a drink for being able to engage in conversation with guys, a few months later to get good at hustling and by the time you realise it, you can’t work a single shift without a drink in your hand. That’s a part of your subconscious mind because you got into a previous routine. Lots of girls start to drink at work to catch and keep good customers. It’s so easy to lose self-control after a few glasses of alcohol and go beyond the limits. If they break the rules, it’s easy to say: “Blame the alcohol, not me!”
I can easily say getting sober is tough work, but probably it is the best thing you’ve ever done to yourself. If you know how to work sober, you will always have better control over what’s happening around you than if you were drunk, not to mention you can make more money in this more controlled way. When you are drinking, you can’t keep focused; alcohol distracts you from what’s going on and how long you sit with your customer.
Alcohol doesn’t give you something that you never had – it only gives you the confidence to show it.
If you feel sexier after a few glasses of drink, here is something to remember: what being drunk brings out in you, is always inside you all along. You have to rediscover it and find the confidence to bring it out. Just remind yourself that once you get used to making money sober, you will always make more money sober than drunk. When you are approaching customers, figure out who’d be instead up for a dance than a drink, mostly by just asking them.
Many guys find intimidating if you appear as an ultimate party girl who drinks every chance she can. Men don’t find it attractive when women drink too much, and you have much more control when you don’t drink, or be honest with them and say you don’t like alcohol because you look after yourself and are trying to live healthily — nothing better to wake up in the next morning fresh and without a headache.
Fake it until you make it
Some men do insist that you should sit down and drink with them, but then order non-alcoholic drinks and pretend to be drunk if you feel more secure doing it. Pretend you’re drinking with the client, say random silly things – whatever comes to your mind – and make yourself laugh. When you laugh a lot, you look like you’re having a blast. It’s a placebo effect; you don’t need alcohol to feel good. Think about the money you make and you get an adrenaline rush that makes you feel high.
You could request a non-alcoholic drink from the bar and let the waitress know that you prefer fake drinks. Having glass in your hand gives you confidence, but you don’t drink alcohol. Indeed, there’s something very satisfying about getting paid for non-alcoholic drinks.
Sometimes it’s so much easier than trying to explain to a client why you aren’t drinking.
If you find yourself with a drunk customer, act like as drunk as he is and mirror his body language. Be patient with him but don’t waste too much time on a boring conversation, go immediately for the big bookings. Ask early on if he’d like to take you for a private dance, suggest him there you can have more fun. There are often guys in the club who are not there to drink but to have a dance and who go for the quieter sober one rather than the intoxicated one.
Act and step into a role, give them the fantasy they need. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, take some acting class, this might help you to develop your dancer persona. Make sure you feel good in your new role and play with it, you’ll make more money sober. All easier said than done, but it takes time and effort.
Dealing with Alcohol
Getting drunk and being tipsy are two different things. Ask the bar staff to help you water down your drinks or tip your champagne into the ice bucket. Remember, the champagne bucket is your best friend. You can even exchange the champagne to a flute of ginger ale (with a little bit of cranberry juice if you drink rosé champagne). You can be more focused on selling and teamwork when your head is clear. Try to drink a glass of water with every alcoholic drink, that helps you to make the hangover sting less. If you keep this in mind, you shouldn’t get a bad hangover.
It’s easy to find a stupid reason to leave the table and empty your glass.
You have to fix your make-up, you need your lip gloss, you have to check your phone because you wait for a message from your mum or say ‘Excuse me, I’ll be back soon’. And then put a tiny little ginger ale into the glass and drink it immediately when you go back to the table. Ups, the glass is empty! Or when you can’t change the champagne, call another girl to the table. In this case, you share the commission but can help each other more, and none of you will get messy drunk.
Drinking too much alcohol can have a severe impact on your health.
The process of metabolising alcohol requires nutrients. Take an energy drink with you and a snack in your bag to keep your energy up. Eating a high-protein dinner before drinking can help slow the absorption of alcohol into the circulatory system. If you can handle it, take a teaspoon of olive oil before your shift. Also taking charcoal tablets before you drink stops the alcohol from absorbing into your system.
Alcohol is absorbed in your stomach.
If you haven’t eaten anything before drinking, you’ll undoubtedly feel the effects of drinking much more the next morning. Heavy drinkers also need vitamin supplements. Boost your nutrition before you drink. Alcohol is known to use up a large number of nutrients in your body including vitamin B1, B6, B12, folic acid, zinc and magnesium. As nutritionists say, one of the most common and severe types of alcohol-related vitamin deficiency is the lack of B vitamins like Thiamine, which is an essential vitamin for neurobiological health. Taking magnesium every day may help you to avoid headaches and muscle cramps.
Difficulty Falling Asleep after Drinking Alcohol
The alcohol is disrupting your sleeping patterns, that’s the reason why you can’t sleep well and get disturbed night after drinking. Alcohol makes you physically incapable of sleeping. Your body can’t get into a relaxing mode no matter what you try to do. You need to sober up before you go to bed. The only thing that works is eating a little and drinking loads of water before going to bed. A gentle workout to sweat out the bad stuff could help to make you feel better, but only if you can manage it.
Try doing things that aren’t overstimulating before you go to bed.
Avoid using electronics including TVs and smartphones, as the blue lighting triggers your mind into thinking it’s daytime and will keep you awake longer. Always keep the same routine before going to bed, that makes your mind get you ready for sleep. It might seem pointless, but it helps. Try to relax with a good cleansing routine, wash your face, moisturise your skin, then drink a cup of relaxing infusion and listen to meditation. I don’t recommend sleeping pills after alcohol; it could be dangerous.
Dim the lighting, make a tea and read a book, it will relax your mind and take you away from the work-related thoughts.
Chemists also have natural sleeping aids in the form of drops or tablets that can be helpful. Try melatonin, is the sleeping hormone our body produces. But you have to take it one hour in advance. CBD oil also can help you to relax. Cover your pillow in lavender oil and take Valeriana, then listen to meditation music on your headphones until you fall asleep.
Hangover Remedies
Your liver needs to break down the harmful toxins in the morning. Hangover happens when our bodies are dehydrated, our blood sugar levels are all over the place, our electrolytes lessen, and fatigue takes over. Dehydration, hypoglycemia, and the harmful side effects of toxins in your drinks causes the hangover symptoms. Water will not only hydrate your muscles and organs but will also help in flushing out the toxins.
Juices such as orange juice refill your body with missing sugars while coconut water is high in electrolytes.
Add a little sea salt and lemon juice to your water to alkalise it or drink pickle juice. The salt in pickle juice replenishes electrolytes that you lose while drinking, which can make your headache disappear. Your body needs an opportunity to recover. Some sleep can heal and make you feel better. Just keep a big bottle of water next to your bed to rehydrate your body. Avoid caffeine and pain killers if it’s possible. Get your vitamins, eat something, maybe get some workout followed by a ton of water.
Day-off Liver Detox
Water flushes toxins out from your system and keeps your body working correctly. Our already overburdened livers struggle to clear out the excessive amount of toxins and chemicals absorbed from too much alcohol, drinking an adequate amount of water each day helps a lot. Chlorella is a fantastic liver protector because it cleanses harmful toxins from the body and removes alcohol from the liver. Spirulina is a B-Vitamin powerhouse and makes a great addition to your drinking routine. It’s rich in Vitamin B6 which is known to help hangovers, as well as vitamins B1, B2, B3 and more. Wheatgrass is another favourite to take before drinking; it is a good source of vitamins and rich in chlorophyll.
Add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of warm water each morning, it is a potent liver helper.
Turmeric is also great for cleansing the liver and is super easy to add into your drink like smoothies, juice and tea but you can also add to cooking. Eating lots of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts that contain enzymes that support liver detox, so load up on them. Green juices, smoothies are a great way to add more greens. They’re high in minerals and electrolytes. Dandelion root tea and nettle tea also a good choice.
Looking after yourself is the NO.1 task to feel confident and have enough energy through your shift.
Don’t forget: Your health is your most significant wealth!
B. Lindsay Belan
Comment below if you have another useful tip to your sisters!
