Do you need to know how to survive in the office during this Christmas period?
Mariah Carey’s ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ is on repeat, there are endless mince pies on the treat table and the burden of an office-organised Secret Santa hangs over your head like a dark cloud.
Don’t panic Chameleon-i users, we’ve put together a selection of handy tips to help you get through December in the office and the Christmas Party.
How to survive in the Office…
1. Survive an Office Secret Santa with our brilliant gift ideas
We’ve put together 15 Office Secret Santa gift ideas for recruiters who haven’t got a clue what to buy their fellow co-workers.
They all cost just £5 and under, so it’s your chance to discover a decent pressie for any of your co-workers without breaking the bank. Don’t forget to check out our bonus suggestion, right at the bottom of the list!
2. Set a reminder to bring in noise-cancelling headphones every day
What will you be listening to?
If you’re not a fan of Mariah Carey, The Pogues or Wham! and your boss allows music to play while everyone works then set that ‘TAKE HEADPHONES TO WORK’ phone reminder on repeat for every working weekday in December.
Alternatively, if you love nothing more than the joyful repetition of Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree or Santa Baby, then do try to be respectful to those around you and keep your (lovely) singing voice to a minimum.
3. Try to stay positive (AKA don’t be a grump)
If you’re working in that odd time between Christmas and New Year and you’re kicking yourself for not booking it off in time while everyone else is still partying and stuffing their faces, try not to let it get you down, and subsequently bring everyone else down.
Instead, use this time wisely and tick off all those annoying tasks you’ve been putting off, or why not plan work goals for next year? If you’re doing some meaningful work or achieving something great, you’ll feel better about yourself and the time you’re spending at work.
And don’t forget New Year’s Eve is just around the corner so you can let your hair down again then!
4. Choose healthy lunches during December
December is the time for endless chocolate, mince pies and socialising with friends and family. While you’re at work, lunch is the perfect time to sneak in those fruits and vegetables to help keep you healthy this December.
Check out BBC Good Food for healthy (and interesting) packed lunch recipes like Butternut Squash Salad and Spicy Chilli Bean Soup.
This is particularly important this time of year when colds are spreading like wildfire, and that party lifestyle leaves you feeling run down, so do make sure that the right food is accompanied by lots of sleep.
And here are some tips on how to survive the Christmas Party…
5. Try not to talk about work at the Christmas Party
This might be a hard one considering work could be all you have in common – but take the chance to speak to fellow office members about anything other than your work.
As the night and the flow of drink continues, you might feel your tongue getting a little looser – this is NOT the time to start unloading Truth Bombs about your workload, co-workers, or (heaven forbid) your boss.
6. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water
For sensible Christmas party drinking, make a vow to slurp a drink of that hydrating H2O after every alcoholic beverage. If you’re not a fan of water, why not try other available options such as orange juice or lemonade?
For the truly sensible drinkers, you may want to check out Drinkaware for a range of useful online tools such as their drink tracker and unit and calorie calculator.
7. Eat a big lunch (this is vital)
Forget ‘Eating Is Cheating’ – this is your work do, these people are your colleagues, and you need to make sure you’re not drinking on an empty stomach.
Be extra safe and kind to your future-self and keep a packet of nuts in your pocket to nibble on during a big gap between drinking and the evening meal. You’ll be patting yourself on the back tomorrow morning!
8. Get a friend to check in with you every hour
If you’re really untrusting of your own potentially rowdy behaviour then ask a responsible work-buddy or non-work pal to check in with you at various times through the night. They can tell you whether it’s a good time to hang up your dancing shoes and call it a night before you do something you regret with a photocopier …or worse.
We hope you’ve enjoyed our 8 ways to survive work in December! If you’re looking to find out more about Chameleon-i recruitment software, please contact us and we’d be happy to help.
