Surviving the 9 to 5
Okay, I am writing this on the premise that we would all love to be full-time leisurists (heck yes I just made that word up), funded by a trust set up by Mr Abbott (lol). Naturally, the trust is magical and never runs out.
While this is sadly not the case, being owned by The Man in my day job has not stumped my appreciation and desire for the nicer things in life ('finer' things probably takes things a little too far).
So let's go through the ways we can make the workweek at least bearable, at most, a breeze.
1. Have breakfast
Every morning, every day. Not on the go. Sitting down. Not at your desk. Outside. Winter? Inside. Somewhere snug. A cup of great coffee (and a GREAT cup of coffee, for that matter) deserves to be enjoyed at ease. While I am not adverse to a sneaky cup mid afternoon on my way back from court, the morning coffee needs to be consumed during a ten minute sit down. The rest of the day will be busy; it's not going anywhere and can wait.
2. Don’t be afraid of that lunchtime shopping session Buy something frivolous. It does not have to be expensive and you may find considerable satisfaction in finding something that sets your pulse racing and is inexpensive. Take a walk in your lunch break and have a look around. I bought an amazing mimco-esque necklace from Diva for less than 25 smacks. I probably have enough shiny things, but another doesn't hurt and when you bag a bargain like that, even better.
3. Pretty up your workspace There is a fine line between personalising your office, and slamming your colleagues with every detail of your personal life. A few prints, a personalised or colourful wall calendar, or some cheerful stationery always lifts my mood and is not too OTT. There's something about the colour orange that puts me in a good mood. So, my pen, document holder and mug are all in a shade of burnt orange. Using/looking at them several times a day = boost of happiness several times a day. It's like a legit science, or something.
4. Dress up I am not suggesting you put on your Saturday night clubbing gear for the Monday meeting. In fact, I would highly recommend you not do that. But don't we all have certain outfits that just boost our confidence and make us feel a billion bucks? Today for example, I am wearing a black shirt dress with a full skirt and tie around the waist (I borrowed it from my sister, but that hardly makes a difference). Blazer on, I'm perfectly appropriate to meet with management. Sans blazer there's a sort of 50's ladylike vibe. Add ballet flats or heels, as mood dictates.
5. Chocolate Need I say more? No, but I will. Eating chocolate makes you feel good. Eating chocolate after a tough day makes you feel better. Sharing chocolate at work around 3pm, besides being good manners, creates a hard-to-explain sense of camaraderie and turns your peers from being just your colleagues and into work mates (I think, unless they are using me for my chocolate).