Friday, September 26, 2014

Surviving the Average Workday (My Way)


   

Most of us aren't lucky enough to have our dream job at the current moment in time
(Sometimes I think Carly at The College Prepster is closer than any of us, though!)

You know what that means?
A 9 to 5.
Or, in my case, an 8:30 to 5:30 (with an hour lunch, of course)

How are we expected to get through a long work day--or worse, work week--when every second seems like it's dragging on forever and we've been done with our actual projects for hours?

Well, there's problem number one:

You're  never  done with work. If you're in the office, you should be busy.
When I first started my new job, I would spend a good bit of time feeling bored and hopeless.
And then I realized.
There's plenty for me to be doing.
I just haven't found it yet.

So I asked. That's a big part of growing up. Asking.
I asked my boss (the marketing director) if there was anything else I could do and, what do you know, I was handed not one large assignment, BUT TWO!

Those two projects have kept me sane the past two weeks.

They've also given me a sense of responsibility that, prior to now, I didn't really have with this position. I felt like just another marketing assistant, doing busy work. Now I have what I call "real work" in addition to my day-today projects. It's been great.

And when all of those day-to-days get out of hand and I'm a little stressed? A quick break with a hot cup of tea and my sketchpad calms me down. Maybe you'd prefer a glass of water and a game on your phone. Whatever you can do to "get away" from it all will work. It's been proven that taking a break from your work can increase productivity AND creativity! So give it a try and see how it goes!\

Finally? Make friends. Work is going to be no fun if you're sitting around by yourself all day not talking to anyone. Befriend your coworkers; form an attachment with them; eat lunch with them. You're going to be spending 8+ hours a day with these people, so you might as well bond over something.

In summary:
  1. Ask Questions
  2. Take a Break
  3. Make Friends

It's pretty simple, if you ask me.
Now, every workday is not going to be perfect and some days even the most foolproof plan is going to fail, but keeping these few things in mind should make those bad days just a tiny bit better.

Please tell me if you have any of your own tips that I missed! I'd love to be able to try new ways to make my unbearable days a bit better!

2 comments:

  1. I feel the same! When I started working I was most days just sitting around (hence starting my blog) When I began to ask for things my days starting filling up. I also give myself blocks of times to do work so I can take breaks in between to make sure I don't go crazy. My office is in a basement so I plan plenty of "walks to the mailbox".

    Amy
    Champagne and Pearls

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    1. I definitely take quite a few breaks. We almost always have some sort of treat that was brought in, so that's a good reason to leave my desk. I'm lucky and I'm on our top floor (less traffic, but still people to socialize with!), but I always am getting up to walk around so I don't go stir crazy!! Staring at a computer screen all day can really do a number on you at times!

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