When your boss asks you to stay late, or you’ve found yourself stuck behind your desk with no sleep, it can feel like surviving a super-long work day will be a near impossibility. Regular eight hour days can be hard enough on a good night’s sleep. Add in the stress of a late work meeting or a project deadline, and you’ve really got yourself in a pickle.
But don’t worry, because it is possible to get through a long day without keeling over. All it takes is a little planning ahead to make the day feel less stressful, less boring, and less tiring. So, until the fateful day when four-hour workdays become a thing, here are some tips for getting through an extra-long day, and living to tell the tale.
Complete That One Annoying Task
A day can feel much longer than necessary if you have a harrowing task looming over your head. So, do yourself a favor, and get these out of the way ASAP! Your business life can be full of small, annoying tasks that you constantly put off. Most of us rationalize this by convincing ourselves that we have other more important or urgent things to do, and we then let our irritating responsibilities slide. Do these tasks early on, and the rest of the day will feel like smooth sailing – no matter how long it may be!
Zone Out with Busy Work
OK, so the most difficult task is done. Now you have many, many long hours stretched out before you. If possible, spend a portion of this time relaxing with some mindless busy work. You know the things you have been meaning to do but have been putting off forever? Do it now. A super long day is the perfect time to get these time-consuming (yet very simple) tasks out of the way for good. Plus, this will help break up your day by keeping you sufficiently distracted for a few hours. Before you know it, you’ll have a clean inbox, and it’ll be time to head home.
Bring Snacks (Lots of Them!)
Of course, any work day is better with snacks, but never are they more necessary than on extra-long, extra-stressful days. That’s why you should have some emergency snacks in your desk – or in your pocket – at all times.
Plan a Meal to Look Forward To
Just like a good coffee break gives you something to look forward to, so will a delicious lunch at your favorite restaurant. Tell yourself that if you get through a certain number of hours, then you’ll go treat yourself to that burger you’ve been craving. Or, if leaving the office isn’t a possibility, throw in with some co-workers to have some food delivered. A special lunch or dinner will liven everyone up and is certainly far better than that Cup-O-Noodles you were planning on eating alone at your desk.
Get Up and Stretch
Whatever you do, don’t spend a crazy-long shift stuck in your seat! Not only will it make you feel physically awful, but it’s simply not a good idea to spend too much time sitting. So, get up, move around, and do some stretches.
Now, keep these tips in your back pocket. Before you know it, it will be time to clock out, head home, and “Netflix and chill.”
By Melissa Vanderplow