I get it. Your employer gets it. Your coworkers get it. No one wants to be at work during the summer months. However, you owe it to your employer (and yourself) to stay motivated, get your to-do list done, and do just as good a job with the sun shining, patios calling your name, sangria flowing from the taps and cute summer dresses bursting from your closet… as in the middle of January. All it takes is a little bit of psychology to get around the summer office-blues. Here’s how.
Set defined goals
While setting goals is something I hope you always practise, they’re paramount in the summer. Set your goals for the week, month, or even the entire summer, and write the big ones on a sticky note and slap it on your desktop. Remind yourself every day what you’re trying to achieve; whether it’s connecting with new business partners, ensuring strategy is ongoing and on track, or that big project that has sat at the end of your to do list since December 2015 actually gets finished.
Get into the office earlier
Depending on your office, some may offer flexible hours to suit your schedule. If they don’t, why not suggest it? Many offices offer summer hours, meaning you come in an hour earlier, and leave an hour earlier. If it’s important to you and you think you’ll be more productive as a result, schedule a meeting and bounce the idea off your boss. The worse thing they can say is no!
Suggest outdoor team-building activities
Whether you have team-building activities scheduled every month or whenever a good idea comes up, suggest an outdoor activity to your boss. A yoga session in the park, outdoor scavenger hunt, or even a trip to a local park where you can host your weekly/monthly company meeting is a great place to start.
