Office: A New Territory to Conquer!
2 December 2008
Read by 1712 persons
Accumulating files, overflowing drawers, irritable colleagues, an overstressed boss, and a broken coffee machine—office life isn't always easy!
How can you best manage your 35 hours a week?
Flourishing at the office: can the dream become reality? Loving your work without letting it encroach on your personal life, making connections without being overwhelmed, managing stress, being efficient, valued, and likeable all at once… it's thankfully possible.
Set up your workspace
Rule number one: be comfortable! You need a proper desk and chair for your back, and all the equipment you need: computer, phone… Don't hesitate to ask for anything you're missing. Is the sun in your eyes, or is the room too dark? Ask for a curtain or an extra lamp. Without displaying all your holiday photos, feel free to personalize your workspace a bit: a pencil holder your daughter made for Mother's Day, plants, your own mug… In your drawer, keep your "emergency kit": aspirin, energy bars for hunger pangs…
Be a "nice employee"
Without spending your time chatting, talking to everyone will help you get to know your company better and make connections. Take three minutes to chat with the receptionist, mail clerk, cleaner, and intern… If communication seems to be a problem on your floor, take action by suggesting a get-together to celebrate the completion of a project everyone has worked on. Make friends—it's always more enjoyable and easier to have lunch in the canteen or ask for help with a ream of paper… Be careful, though: don't get too emotionally invested. Your colleagues don't need to know how much you're overdrawn at the bank or your spouse's sexual difficulties. Be discreet!
Adopt a solid organization
First of all, set priorities each day. Make lists of everything you need to do, based on urgency. Group activities to avoid getting sidetracked: deal with mail after lunch, dedicate the beginning of the morning to phone calls, the mid-afternoon to photocopying… Get a large notebook in which you write absolutely everything: you won't waste time looking for an address or contact, or searching for old, lost Post-it notes! When you start a long task, don't let yourself be distracted, even if it means using earplugs to isolate yourself from others, and putting your phone on voicemail! Otherwise, you'll keep getting sidetracked and won't make any progress! Finished? Remember to also take a break to recharge your energy. Drink a large glass of water, treat yourself to a small piece of chocolate, lie back in your chair as much as possible, stretch as if you're getting out of bed, then take three deep breaths with your eyes closed, and think of something pleasant… Then take a few steps and look out the window. It's a great way to relieve nervous tension in case of stress!
Isabelle Delaleu
Posted on December 1, 2008
doctissimo.fr
How can you best manage your 35 hours a week?
Flourishing at the office: can the dream become reality? Loving your work without letting it encroach on your personal life, making connections without being overwhelmed, managing stress, being efficient, valued, and likeable all at once… it's thankfully possible.
Set up your workspace
Rule number one: be comfortable! You need a proper desk and chair for your back, and all the equipment you need: computer, phone… Don't hesitate to ask for anything you're missing. Is the sun in your eyes, or is the room too dark? Ask for a curtain or an extra lamp. Without displaying all your holiday photos, feel free to personalize your workspace a bit: a pencil holder your daughter made for Mother's Day, plants, your own mug… In your drawer, keep your "emergency kit": aspirin, energy bars for hunger pangs…
Be a "nice employee"
Without spending your time chatting, talking to everyone will help you get to know your company better and make connections. Take three minutes to chat with the receptionist, mail clerk, cleaner, and intern… If communication seems to be a problem on your floor, take action by suggesting a get-together to celebrate the completion of a project everyone has worked on. Make friends—it's always more enjoyable and easier to have lunch in the canteen or ask for help with a ream of paper… Be careful, though: don't get too emotionally invested. Your colleagues don't need to know how much you're overdrawn at the bank or your spouse's sexual difficulties. Be discreet!
Adopt a solid organization
First of all, set priorities each day. Make lists of everything you need to do, based on urgency. Group activities to avoid getting sidetracked: deal with mail after lunch, dedicate the beginning of the morning to phone calls, the mid-afternoon to photocopying… Get a large notebook in which you write absolutely everything: you won't waste time looking for an address or contact, or searching for old, lost Post-it notes! When you start a long task, don't let yourself be distracted, even if it means using earplugs to isolate yourself from others, and putting your phone on voicemail! Otherwise, you'll keep getting sidetracked and won't make any progress! Finished? Remember to also take a break to recharge your energy. Drink a large glass of water, treat yourself to a small piece of chocolate, lie back in your chair as much as possible, stretch as if you're getting out of bed, then take three deep breaths with your eyes closed, and think of something pleasant… Then take a few steps and look out the window. It's a great way to relieve nervous tension in case of stress!
Isabelle Delaleu
Posted on December 1, 2008
doctissimo.fr
