6 Clever Office Hacks for Making the Most of Summer While Working 9-5
After being cooped up for months on end during the winter, there's nothing I crave more than basking in that glorious summer sunshine and warm, refreshing air. Soaking up some natural vitamin D is an instant mood-booster and energy reviver. But it's way too easy to let the precious summer hours slip away when you’re stuck behind a desk from 9-5, the daylight and warmth seem to taunt me through the windows as meetings and deadlines pile up. As a motivated yet work-hard, play-hard millennial, I've picked up clever tricks to seamlessly merge my career hustle with seasonal living.
Here are my six go-to hacks for prioritizing summertime while still thriving at my 9-5 job:
1. Lunch Break Reset
The easiest move is taking my lunch break outdoors whenever possible. Instead of hunching over my desk, I'll stake out a sunny park bench or cafe patio. Just 30 minutes outdoors reenergizes me with a healthy dose of warm rays and fresh air. It's amazing how that short escape can boost my mood, focus, and productivity for the rest of the workday.
2. Outdoor Meeting
For team meetings or 1:1s that don't require presenting, I advocate taking them outside for a walk or posting up at an outdoor workspace with wifi. Getting outside can promote more creative thinking and open collaboration, so switching up the setting with a patio vibe instantly enriches our discussions and can help foster better ideation than sitting in the same bland conference room.
3. Remote Office Retreat
On those gorgeous summer days with a light meeting load, I'll work remotely from a local park or quiet cafe patio for part of the day. Escaping my usual desk setup for a shaded outdoor "office" with green surroundings always sparks my motivation and flow state. The change of environment allows me to hyperfocus and crank through deliverables in a surprising way.
4. Afternoon Recharge
By 2:00pm, I inevitably start feeling that drowsy afternoon slump setting in. But instead of scrolling Instagram in hopes of a recharge, I'll head outdoors for a refreshing 15-20 minute walk around my office neighborhood. That quick burst of activity, vitamin D, and fresh air never fails to reinvigorate me and help to power through the rest of my tasks for the day.
5. Summer Friday Wind Down
On those gorgeous summer Fridays that are just begging to be savored, I may even use a few vacation hours to make it a half-day and get a jumpstart on the weekend. Even escaping the office at 3:00 pm feels like a major reprieve and allows me to take full advantage of that coveted warm sunshine before the cold winter months inevitably return.
6. Team Outings
As a team, we'll occasionally plan an offsite summer outing like attending a baseball game or doing a volunteer park cleanup. Anything that gets everyone outdoors and away from the office environment helps build camaraderie. Or on Thursdays, I'll rally colleagues to leave work a little early for an outdoor happy hour at a local beer garden or patio.
At the end of the day, by getting a little creative and being proactive with planning, you can absolutely have your summertime fun and also thrive in reaching your career goals. Life is too short to let an entire season pass you by while trapped inside an office. Why not make the most of the summertime magic while you can?