Life Hackery

It’s the Christmas season, but The Man just wouldn’t give you a break. While you were having your coffee break, the company executives decided that the most cost-efficient way to celebrate Christmas at the office would be to do away with the tradition of Secret Santa. Instead, everyone would have to bring “unisex” gifts for the company Christmas party. Whoever thought of “unisex Christmas parties” must be a real Grinch.

It’s official: the economy is in a recession. Things are not looking good any time soon, and the only recourse for some companies is to let go of their employees. Companies have used various terms to lessen the blow for employees: cutbacks, downsizing, right-sizing, re-engineering, optimization, and streamlining. Yet once you get that notice or e-mail that you’re out of a job, your whole world seems to have crumbled around you.

Burnout, stemmed by stress and over-exhaustion, is one of the dreaded conditions of all office workers. Once afflicted, you won’t feel any endearment from your job, which will reflect on your performance. Focusing on anything work-related will not be an easy task. Your mind will freeze whenever you try to come up with ideas and you’d be easily agitated by trivial matters.

It’s just one of those days when you want to just stay in your house the whole day. You look at the mirror and all you see are your chubby cheeks, large bum and round waist. None of your clothes feel and look right on your body. Eating also seems unappetizing because you’re afraid you’re going to feel more bloated. You feel that you’ve gained 10 pounds overnight.

Let’s face it, work sucks. Supervisors and managers prowl about the office floor, on the hunt for slackers and people who don’t put in their hours of work. As much as you’d like to be Employee of the Month and contribute your share to office productivity, there are just those days that you simply can’t work. Either you didn’t get your eight hours of sleep because of an all-night party, or you’ve just burned out.

The good news is that you don’t have to do actual work to be a productive member of the working class. You just have to pretend that you’re very busy at work. All you need is to give the higher-ups an impression that you’re a hard worker, and those bonuses and perks will all be yours… without ever doing actual work for the day.
1. Turn Your Workplace Into A Living Space
Ever wondered why many cubicle workers look like zombies at the end of the day? Cubicles are coffins for the living office worker, finished in drab and dull colors that don’t do much to increase productivity. Most companies don’t have rules regarding decorations on office space, although you may need to check again with your company’s employee manual if your company does have a rule. Here are some ideas to liven up your cubicle: