We’ve all been there. Sitting in the office, staring at the clock- begging for the last few minutes to fly by. Gazing hopelessly out the window at the sunshine, tempting you to come outside. It’s torture, I know. So here are a few tried and trusted tips on how to survive the last hour of work:
1. Check your email a few times. Who cares if there’s nothing new? Just browse. Maybe you’ll find something you missed earlier. If you’re REALLY desperate, consider taking the time to organize your email folders by subject or recipient. This counts as being productive, right?
2. Go to the washroom (AKA the loo). Even if you don’t have to. And take your time. No one’s going to question you about what took you so long- that would be rude .
3. This one’s a double hack. By this point in the day you could probably use a little energy booster. So go make yourself a coffee. And make sure you take the time to make it just the way you like it. No rush here, none at all. And don’t forget to walk back to your desk slowly so as to not spill a single drop.
4. Organize your documents. Make new folders, re-name your files, click here, drag that… it’ll save you time the next time you need to find that one specific document. Trust me.
5. Take inventory of your office supplies. Do those old pens still work? Are you running out of paper? Do you need more sticky notes? Is your highlighter running out? Always good to make sure you’re prepared for the next time a colleague spontaneously asks to borrow a pen. Because wouldn’t it be simply humiliating if you lent them one that didn’t work?
6. Bug your coworkers. I do this a lot (Sorry Oisin). Talk about the weather, weekend plans, how tired you are… anything to get your mind away from the slowly ticking clock. Who knows, they might even be grateful for the distraction too!
7. Check the transit schedule. Make sure you know when your bus is coming. It’s important in case you have to dash out from the office 2 minutes early.
8. Similar to the last one, check the weather! It’s not just an excuse to do a quick google search- it’s important to know before you leave the comfort of your building and head out into the great outdoors whether you need your coat or not.