At #Team834, we’re usually on our second pot of coffee by 9 a.m. Dark chocolate brownies take the edge off of the “didn’t have time for breakfast” stomach growls which are amplified on Fridays when the crockpot aroma fills the office. The common couches make the need for a nap even stronger after a long week, but office dogs offer a perfect distraction and therapy session. Doesn’t sound so bad, right? Well at a small firm, the demands are high and the help can be scarce so it is important to learn how to get through it and stay sane…or at least attempt to. Here are seven things that will help you through your work week, especially when Friday afternoon seems so far away.
- Get a decent night of sleep
Actually getting a good night of sleep is the one thing that we could stress the most, considering we hardly ever take our own advice. Netflix is a drug and neighbors without curfews can kill the plan for any nightly routine. It is not a good thing when it becomes normal to hit snooze 30 times before realizing that any hope of not looking like a zombie in the morning is lost. Coffee is the only solace for days like those, but it’s better for everyone to be rested rather than wired. So get some sleep! - Avoid getting burnt out
Not only will the quality of your work suck, but working on too much too quickly will move your 2 p.m. crash up to 11 a.m. An early crash like that results in a slow burn for the rest of the day. Spending your last six hours staring at your watch is no way to crank out productivity. Prioritize and focus what needs to get done first and add variety into your work day. Late mornings have been proven to be the most productive time, so save your most pressing tasks for then. - Take your lunch break
We’re in the era of the workaholic and working through lunch no longer means going home early. A recent survey found that 66 percent of employees don’t take a break, even when they’re encouraged, all because of guilt. Guess what? Giving your brain time to get back to reality is healthy and creates a better state of productivity, efficiency and focus. A+ work skills can be lost simply from concentrating too hard for too long and being bored (We see you on Buzzfeed over there). Find something that is not a screen to focus on for a while each day. That should help you rejuvenate and get back at it. - Never stop communicating
Whether it’s talking about your weekend as you’re typing the last quote of your press release or getting a last second opinion on a graphic, keeping up with your co-workers maintains cohesiveness and synergy in the office. Assuring that you’re all on the same page and asking for help when needed will ease the burden of your never-ending workload. Don’t be the jerk in the office that never shuts up, but don’t be the office hermit that hides in their cubicle for eight hours a day. No one will believe that you’re being productive the whole time, and we naturally assume you hate all of us. - Go home when you go home
Although it’s great for the image of your work ethic, always taking your work home with you can cause resentment for your job. And yes, this will mean your work will become stale. Who would want to turn out crappy content? Quit hoarding the wine and turn on the Bachelor. Your sweatpants need some wear and you deserve it. - Make a decent playlist
If you really need to ignore everyone, get your $5 noise canceling headphones (they actually work!) and put some decent music on. We don’t mean the pop top 40, even if that’s your music of choice, just don’t do it. There are literally hundreds of playlists for productivity on Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, or whatever music player you use. There is no excuse. The Rocky theme song is always an option if you want to be a true work champ. You’re almost there! - Be honest
This may not work for everyone, but constantly smiling, being positive, and censoring your “trucker mouth” is exhausting. It’s good to complain, rant, and laugh. Artificial work relationships are the worst. You CAN’T be that nice. Not in this industry. Don’t be a jackass, but allow yourself to say “this sucks” once in a while. Then re-group and move on.
Don’t just “get through the work week”, but challenge the stereotype. The week shouldn’t feel like a marathon. Take this advice, we promise it’s pretty good. Plus, what’s cooler than being the only one to say you love your job?
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