Summer is a popular time to go on vacation (though it isn’t always the best time to disappear). For those of us stuck in the office, it can seem like you’re working in a ghost town, particularly when you’re trying to get things done. This article will provide you with three tips for surviving slow summer work days.
Recently I was lamenting the overall slowness of summer with a friend who works in a different sector and also found July to be equally tedious. After all, for those of us who enjoy being busy, juggling only one ball (when you’re used to juggling a dozen) can make the hours feel like they’re passing at the speed of molasses. With this in mind, here are three tips for how to survive the slow summer work days.
Find Developmental and Networking Opportunities.
There are lots of ways to grow professionally beyond the work that arrives in your inbox. Exploring blogs like the Potentiality or other resources to learn about how to develop your professional competencies is a good place to start. Brainstorm new projects that you can tackle that will help you develop these competencies and also add to the value of your organization. When I worked at a public relations agency, I produced a variety of marketing videos highlighting the firm’s best practices. That was good for the firm’s reputation and good for my video editing skills. Plus it passed the time in a productive fashion.
Finally, consider growing your network of peers by conducting several informational interviews or get to know your co-workers better by taking them for drinks (or if you’re in the public sector – coffee) on a patio.
Get Organized.
Are your files/folders properly purged? How is your inbox? What about that ‘downloads’ folder on your computer – are things labelled and organized in an ideal way? Think about all the little things that you never quite got around to doing. Tackle a few each week and set your future self up for success once the rubber hits the road in September.
Enjoy the Calm Before the Storm.
Consciously recognizing that things are slow – and embracing the slower pace – is a relatively new strategy for me. Living in the present, appreciating the brief respite from 12-hour-days, and re-focusing your brain isn’t a bad thing to do once in a while. Don’t worry, you’ll be busy enough in the future, but for now, enjoy your opportunity to take a bit of extra time with your coffee in the morning.
Follow these tricks and more and enjoy the summer’s lazy days while they last. Because before you know it, you’ll be back to the hustle bustle of fall and winter.
Creative Commons image care of Michael Duxbury