21 ways to sneak summer into your 9-5
Get out of your routine and bring some mischief to work.
Must you spend summer locked away in an office, like Rapunzel in her tower?
Probably. Or at least from 9 am to 6 pm Monday through Friday.
As much as you may want to, you can’t quit your job just to savor the season. But if you’ve been listening to me, you know what I’m going to say: control your controllables. Break out of your routine, bring some mischief to work, and invest energy into making your office experience more enjoyable.
Without further ado, I present to you 21 ideas to make the most of your summer with a full-time office job.
Disclaimer: I don’t work in your office. Use your best judgment before proceeding with any of the below.
Meet a friend for breakfast before work. Make a reservation, put on a cute outfit, and gossip over pancakes at 8 am.
Initiate a picnic potluck office lunch. Think of this as summer Thanksgiving. Throw a hold on the calendar, start a Google doc with names and potluck items, and wait for your coworkers to sing your praises.
Bring your dog to the office. Don’t have one? Borrow a friend’s.
Set up an out-of-office brainstorm for your team. Pick an afternoon to get outside for a few hours, then go home early. You can go to a cafe, a restaurant, or simply set up a picnic blanket in the park. Something about fresh air helps with idea generation.
Uninstall Slack from your phone.
Pick an upcoming Friday and take it off. Just because. As a general rule of thumb, I don’t support random “sick” days unless you’re actually sick, but planning ahead to play hooky is permissible in my book.
Break out of your lunch rut. Go get a slice of pizza with your coworkers or scavenge the hippy health food store around the corner.
Try a new playlist while you’re working (my rec is below). Feeling adventurous? Skip the headphones and see what reactions you get from your office mates.
Stop at a grocery store on your way to work and curate an iced coffee setup for the office fridge. This can be as simple as a vat of cold brew, or as luxurious as a handheld frother and artisanal syrup.
Speaking of the office fridge, buy a popsicle tray for the freezer. Make iced coffee popsicles or just use something basic, like lemonade and fruit.
Try a different commute, preferably one that involves spending more time outside. It will take you an hour to walk to work, and it involves crossing a bridge? You have to go out of your way to take the ferry instead of the train? Perfect.
Dress for the summer you want, not the summer you have. Wish you were in Greece? Give me your best take on ‘Mamma Mia,’ but make it office-appropriate.
Trade your afternoon coffee run for an ice cream truck visit.
Take daily vitamin D breaks and get outside for a 15-minute walk.
Convince the powers that be to grant you a budget for an out-of-office team bonding activity. Bonus points if it gets you to do something creative. May I suggest a Susan Alexandra Bead Night for the New Yorkers?
Ask your next one-on-one if they'd like to take it as a walking meeting.
Toss a beach towel or picnic blanket in your work bag, or leave it at your desk if it won’t fit in your bag. You never know when it might come in handy.
You know those summer nights where the temperature and breeze are just right? Take yourself to a spontaneous solo happy hour on your way home from work.
Break into your office building’s roof. (Proceed with caution.)
Bring fresh flowers to work on a Monday. Leave them in a public space if you’re feeling generous, or put them next to your computer if you’re not.
Keep a beach-scented candle at your desk to set a mood of coconut, salt, and summer — but skip this one if you have migraine-prone coworkers. This is my #1 summer candle (neroli = sunscreen).
What else has helped you get more out of summer with a full-time office job?
Getting more summer out of my 9-to-5 (and life, in general) is always a priority for me! My tried-and-true strategy is planning sunnier outfits and queuing up the right playlist.