Decide that you are going to make your work week as bearable as possible. Instead of waiting until the last minute, pick out your clothes on Sunday night and lay them out. Also make your lunch the night before, and choose something that you really like. That way you don’t have to panic in the morning. Panicking in the morning, and possibly making yourself late are some of the best ways to make an already horrible situation even worse. Don’t allow yourself to get into that rut.
Even if you feel like you don’t have any friends at work, decide right here and now, that you are going to make a decided effort to be a little more friendly, a little more helpful, a little more kind, a little more compassionate. If you are one of those people that goes into work with a big grump on your face, and you walk down the halls looking at the floor, and you don’t open the door for people that are walking down the same path (doesn’t matter whether you are male or female, just open the door if you get there first) then you will be guilty of causing yourself and others a certain degree of grief. Simply be kind and say thank you if someone else opens the door for you. If you can’t manage to push out a “Hi Marge, how are you, did you have a nice weekend?” At least look at the person and give a little smile and a nod. Believe me, the grumps of the world can even make the kindest, nicest person feel like crap after weeks and days and years of having to put up with the grumpiness. DON’T BE one of those grumps, ever. Even if you are having a bad day, still give the smile and nod if you can’t muster up something more substantial to say. Even if you have to face a hallway full of grumps, don’t ever allow yourself to become a grump like them. And just to make you feel a little better, the meanest, bitchiest people really hate it when other people are happy, so you acting happy is a great way to get back at those awful people, while at the same time, making life better for the good folks at your office.
If you don’t have any friends, be a friend (even if it’s just an outward appearance, nobody says you have to love these people.) Be friendly and courteous and helpful. Instead of thinking or shouting, “What the eff is going on here!” instead start saying, “Hey Bob, looks like you guys had a little mishap, is there anything I can do to help?” Instead of saying, “What!?” say, “What can I do for you today?”
Maybe plan out a list of delicious treats that you can bring into work on Monday mornings. Even though it sounds like that’s a lot of work for you, you can always pick up something from the store, if you don’t want to make something home made. And even though it will be kind of a one sided deal (you will probably be the only person doing this) Everybody will look forward to seeing you and your cookies or pie or cake or donuts on Monday.
Also, get yourself some snacks that can be kept at work, like those big jars of pretzels from Costco, or some bags of mixed nuts or some dried fruit. By keeping those stocks replenished and being nice enough to share with other people, you will always have at least something to look forward to. Even if it’s something as small as that.
Get yourself some tasty tea bags, and start drinking tea instead of slogging down that awful burned coffee. Sometimes even teeny tiny niceties such as these go a long way to help us not feel completely dreadful at work.
If you can, make a plan to step outside at least once a day, whether it’s at lunchtime or during your coffee break. Don’t sit in your cubicle or don’t sit in the breakroom where it’s dark and stuffy. Even 5 minutes of time outside can make a big difference.
Decide right now that you are going to change your phone presence. Don’t pick up the phone and say, “Yeah?” pick up the phone and say, “Cogswell Cogs, this is Jellie?” If someone asks you a question that you don’t know the answer to, don’t say, “I don’t know.” Instead say, “You know I’m not sure, can you give me your name and number and I’ll call you back in about an hour? I’m going to talk to XY and Z and get that info for you. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
On Fridays, make sure that you tidy up your office. Walking into a disaster area on Monday is a very depressing way to start. If you solve that problem on Friday, you will automatically make Monday better for yourself.
In other words, do lots of little things. The sum of little things can go a long way to make your own life a little nicer and they can often go a long way into making other people’s lives better. It’s a win win situation for everyone. But you have to decide right here and now that that is what you are going to do. If you think that somehow good things will magically happen, you will be wrong and disappointed. You have to make the changes.
