Work doesn’t have to be the grim, daily lurch on the hamster wheel rolling towards the grave that we know it to be. It can actually be less awful!
The cubicle farmers who have been able to stick it out know what’s up. They’ve survived the worst and have figured out a few ways to make the office less crappy and more happy. And they’ve now shared their works of genius on the internet.
1. Wars have been started over smaller matters than adjusting the thermostat at the office.
So this person found a way to get the heat to activate without touching any dials or buttons.
2. When the office doesn’t have reliable A/C but you do have a Dyson fan, its design is that much better.
And the price of a Dyson fan feels that much more reasonable.
3. Things that look broken aren’t always completely useless if you can find a work-around.
Like plugging a wireless mouse into a phone using a USB connector so you can still use it even when the touch screen is busted.
4. This is a low-budget way to keep the office’s lights on if they’re controlled by a motion sensor.
Because those sensors aren’t always the most accurate or reliable in a cubicle farm.
5. Standing desks are great for those who are sick of sitting all day, but HR doesn’t always want to pony up for them.
Lucky for this guy, he works in a place with options.
6. Desk space tends to be at a premium, so you might have to be creative with your corkboard.
It’s not like tissues will come crashing down, so you might as well hang them up.
7. «I filled the door to my office with a life-sized print of myself working at my desk. Nobody noticed when I left early,» one person shared.
This is a huge hack if true, but seems like it might be a sizable «if.»
8. When you want hot dogs for lunch but the office doesn’t have a stove (because what office does?), you have to improvise, adapt, and overcome.
Coffee maker to the rescue again.
9. The lazy will always find a better way of doing tedious things — for example, filling an ice bucket at a restaurant.
Let the soda machine’s ice maker do the work!
10. Teamwork makes the dream work!
In this case, transforming back-breaking labor into a fun adventure everybody will want to try at least once.
11. Geniuses don’t just work at the Apple store.
They also find extra uses for Apple products, like using the charger as a bottle opener. No word on how this impacts the warranty.
12. Tech support bingo!
They’ve heard it all, and many, many times over, so why not make a game of it? «What’s a browser?» is my favorite.
13. If you use a key card to get into your workplace, it probably fits easily inside your phone case.
That way you just have to tap your phone to get in, and you’re less likely to misplace your card.
14. «I keep a box of office things in my car so if I get pulled over, I can tell the cop I’m having a bad day,» one person shared.
Office supplies aren’t just good for office work. Hey, things happen, why not be prepared?
15. The only thing worse than old, burned coffee at work is no coffee at all, so the person who makes the office’s coffee freshness indicator is a hero.
It doesn’t take much, but hey, somebody still has to do it.
It’s all about working smarter, not harder. What’s the greatest workplace hack you’ve seen? Let us know in the comments!
