Working in an office building can be pretty rough sometimes. Lots of people seem to agree that they drain you of your personality--being forced to spend 8 hours a day in a small cube, knowing that 5 people will hear everything you say (that's just one example). If you're lucky, you have something worth walking outside for on your breaks (such as evenly spaced trees and an untouched stretch of lawn). Some of us look for ways to escape the daily humdrum cycle that seems to suck our lives away at times. I've realized my escapes are not so ordinary. But then, who doesn't have their own office behavior that others question right? Right? Maybe you shouldn't answer that and leave me believing that at least I have company in my awkwardness. Here's a couple of things I do that fall under the "not-so-normal ways to escape the office" category.
I tap dance in the elevator, but only when I'm the only one in the elevator (it's a rare time when I don't want an audience). Although it's really funny when the door opens and I see a bewildered look on someone's face, wondering if it's safe to enter the elevator after all that noise they heard.
My other funny office quirk has a story that comes with it: Every once in a while I get tired at the office. So tired I need a quick nap to rebound and start working again. But there's no couch in our break room. In fact, there's no break room at all, since they recently tore down the wall separating it from the rest of the office. I can't nap at my desk and be accused of sleeping on the job, even if I was on break. So I go to the next best place: since our office is on the 5th of 6 floors, there's a spot in the stairwell that is virtually never seen by anyone--except one desperate napper. Very rarely has a health-oriented 6th floor employee opened the door and caused me to pretend I wasn't taking a nap. I'm only ever there for a maximum of 15 minutes, after all. And yet one day I was interrupted 4 times, culminating in my favorite interview ever: "Are you homeless?" Yes, I'm a homeless kid who wears business casual and climbs office buildings for a nap. Seriously???
So what about you? Do you have any unusual habits at work? Or do you think I'm just that much crazier?
3 years ago
3 comments:
I used to have a desk at the back of the branch. When I had phenomenally bad days, I'd sit under my desk and hide for 10-15 minutes to relax. Haha.
Hahaha, I love that you take a nap in that staircase! When I worked there, I would accidentally fall asleep at my desk staring at microfiche all day, so to wake up I'd go to the bathroom.
I used to take naps in the "supply closed". Really just a very very narrow room with a bunch of filing cabinets.
Now, what can I say? I work at home.
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