Distractions

In my 6 years with Primavera I have learned from my supervisors and co-workers that we have to have some distractions at work. When I first started, this was a bit of an alien concept. At my last job the boss would peek over the cubicles and yell at you if you were playing solitaire or surfing the net. When I started here, every time I needed a break and played a game, I would look over my shoulder and keep an eye out for the boss, worried that I would get in trouble for "messing around". I was happy to hear that they encouraged taking a break now and then.

We certainly don't want to spend our whole day distracted, but the thing to remember is that while most of us (unless you are in maintenance or do the yard work crews) sit at desks most of the day, talk to clients, get wrapped up in their issues and their successes and failures. In a way, we take them under our wings and treat them to a degree like family. When they succeed, we are very happy, when they fail, we take it personally to a degree and it hurts. We have to remember that this job is stressful and that some days you just need a break.

I always encourage my staff to take some time during the day to goof off if they are having a particularly stressful day, talk to your co-workers, surf the net, read a book, play some solitaire, go for a walk, or in the case of 5 Points, break out the ping pong table!

As stressful as the job can be sometimes, especially when you are new and tend to take things more personally before you develop that hard exterior emotional shell, it can be very rewarding. For those of you reading this that might be newer staff, remember wise words that were once told to me when I first started, you have to let this sh%& go, like water off a duck's back. If you get too wrapped up in people's stuff, the job will chew you up and spit you out.

Anyone who has good feedback on what you do to de-stress from work while at work or at home should feel free to share!