It's summer and eerily quiet in the office. Your cubicle neighbour took off to the cottage and is sure to return relaxed and a full shade darker. You stare wistfully out the window and wish you could be out enjoying the sun. To keep motivated when you're cooped up indoors, consider these helpful tips:
Brighten someone's day. Bake cookies for your fellow sunshine-deprived colleagues. It will be the perfect pick-me-up for long afternoons and may even start a trend of sharing homemade goodies around the office for the summer. You can also make someone smile overseas. By sponsoring a child with an organization like Christian Children's Fund of Canada (www.ccfcanada.ca), you can help change the life of a child living in extreme poverty.
Ask for flexible hours. See if your employer will allow you to come in to work earlier so you can leave earlier and enjoy the summer weather. Or ask to work longer hours during the week so you can have Friday afternoons off.
SEE RELATED STORIES FROM THE WDM CONTENT NETWORK:
Click here to see the latest issue of Business Review Canada
Get out there. Pick a parking spot further away from the front doors so you'll spend more time walking outside. At lunch, go out with colleagues or picnic on the grass. Try to schedule meetings outside or at a nearby park if possible.
Be thankful. Though it's no fun to be staring at a computer when it seems that everyone is out soaking up the sun, remember that the job market is tough and being employed is worth celebrating. Besides, you can save up your vacation days and enjoy time off during non-peak seasons – meaning less crowds and less cost.
-- News Canada
