Surviving…Relationships When You Have A Job
I don’t mean surviving your job in general…that’s a whole different story. What I mean is having a full time job while still holding down solid relationships (friends and boyfriend alike). Up until this summer, I thought I was set when it came to this. I worked retail, which meant ever-changing shift schedules and an indescribable exhaustion at the end of every shift, no matter how long it was or how many breaks I took. But a 9-to-5 is a totally different ball game when it comes to exhaustion. I’m talking raw mental and physical exhaustion. It’s inexplicable. So here are some ways that you can maintain your relationships while working away at your day job.
Phone. Hip. Attach.
If you work at a desk in an office like I do, people are on their personal cell phones all the time, just texting away. I’m not suggesting that this is acceptable in every office environment, so take your cues from your boss. Basically, if they text at work, you should be able too (unless there’s some special reason…you get it). Be reasonable here, but if your office is cool with you texting at work, attach your phone to your hip. Or desk. Or whatever surface is closest to you. Responding quickly to your texts lets your friends know that you’re there, even though you’re not physically there. Disclaimer: this doesn’t mean that you should always be texting. Put that thing away when you’re working and check it between tasks if you can!
Your lunch hour. It’s more than just an hour.
An hour is a really long time. I realized this in college when I had that one hour between classes and I would cram like a chapter of information into my long-term memory. Your lunch hour is a fantastic time to meet up. Friends that are in summer school don’t have school every day usually, and friends who work in the area have lunch around the same time as you. Plus, if your office is like mine, lunch hour means “about an hour from when you leave”. So if you leave the office at 12:30, you’re not expected to be back until around 1:30.
Make the time.
I’m completely spent by the end of the day. By the time I get home, I have about enough energy in me to eat dinner, watch two episodes of The Big Bang Theory, and go to bed. (Really. I fall asleep at like 9 pm on the regular now.) Dinner plans seem impossible for me to handle, but I find that the exhaustion doesn’t really hit me until I get home. Besides, I love my friends. I’m gonna see them this summer. Not as often as before, but at least a couple of times. Making the time shows your friends that you’re busy, yes, but not too busy to spread the love. And I love spreading the love.
I know it’s easy to be overwhelmed by work. Staring at a computer all day has never been more tiring. But your relationships are worth it. So who haven’t you seen in a while? Give them a call!
What do you think? Leave a comment and tweet @vanessayylam!
Photo found on http://badstef-thefame.tumblr.com/post/24489816306
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