Do you count down the hours at work? Do you already miss your bed before you even got to work? It can be excruciating to feel boxed in by your workplace so let’s talk about the 10 smart things you can do to make the time go by faster at work.
Read: 10 Signs you should quit your job immediately
Table of Contents
1. Mentally break the work hours into chunks
Breaking your work hours into chunks can make the day go by faster.
If you have a schedule assigned for you, think about how many chunks you can break the shift down to. You can do the same thing if you don’t have a specific schedule made for you by your supervisor.
For example:
- 9 AM — 12 PM
At the first chunk, you should try to get as much work done as possible so you can use the rest of the time to pretend to be working hard while not being totally mentally present. You’ll have fewer things to work on later in the day if you get it out of the way early on.
- 12 PM — 3 PM
At this point, you should have your lunch break. Depending on your job, your lunch break could be 30 minutes or an hour long. You’ll use that time to text your loved ones to keep yourself sane. Text them how much you miss them and how you can’t wait to go home. You’ll also catch up with your favorite coworkers a bit at this time.
You’ll then return to work. After you get through this chunk, you’ll only have 2 hours left. You may take a bit more “bathroom breaks” at this stage since you’ve done most of your work and are just pretending to be busy while you are mentally elsewhere.
During these bathroom breaks, you can also grab a quick snack before returning to your desk or office.
- 3 PM — 4 PM
Now you’re two hours from going home. Time to finish a bit more work but not too much. You have to leave some for the last chunk of the work hours.
- 4 PM — 5 PM
At the last chunk of your work hours, you should have maybe one hour left and this is the time where you finish the last bit of work you left for the day. The easy tasks that you’re sure you can finish in a matter of minutes.
Some people may think that what I’ve listed above is unethical because you should always “give 100% at work!”. Let’s face it. I’m being totally honest here so can you be honest with me too? Do you really like working at your job? Probably not, otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this.
Do you really think you’ll get anywhere at this job? Or do you even want to? Most likely not. Maybe you’re thinking about switching jobs, maybe you’re thinking about quitting, maybe you’re thinking about changing career, maybe you’re thinking about being your own boss instead (which by the way, I have an article for you if you’re interested in being your own boss on the internet).
Whatever you’re planning to do, you know you can’t stay at this job long term. You can’t live the next 10, 20, 40 years like this — counting down the hours. The truth is, you don’t enjoy working at this job so why give 100%? Just do what you’re supposed to. That 100% would be to waste since you won’t be compensated too much more than you’re making now should they give you a raise and you also won’t enjoy the title change that may come with working harder.
We’re trying to find a way to get you through those 8 hours of hell so if it means not being the “best” worker, so be it. You’re a replaceable tool for your boss anyway. Once you have done your due, you should have the rest of the mental energy to yourself. They pay you to do 8 hours of work, if you can do 8 hours of work in 4 hours, you don’t have to let them know.
Mentally breaking down your shifts into chunks may save you from jumping out the window. You’re welcome 🙂
Read: 15 Burnout symptoms to look out for: A must check
2. Don’t look at the clock too much
Looking at the clock too much can give you the impression that time is passing by slower than it really is. Place a paper over the clock if you have to, just set an alarm for yourself if you got meetings at a certain time.
Read: How to improve emotional intelligence: 10 Unique ways
3. Find something to be excited about at work
Finding something to be excited about at work can make work more enjoyable and the time goes by faster. This could be, your best friend at work, snacks, break time, lunchtime, spare moments to text your loved one, ice cream truck, Free Doughnut Tuesday, etc.
Read: 14 Important money lessons to teach your kids
4. Bring a stress squeeze toy with you
When you’re feeling stressed, squeeze the stress toy so you can calm yourself down quickly. There is a whole range of squeeze toys you can acquire. Like this.
Read: 8 Reasons you should be your own boss
5. Have a close friend at work
Having a close friend at work is the most effective method in shifting the perception of time. You can take breaks together and talk to each other during lunch. If there’s any complaining you can talk to your work buddy.
You have to be careful here, sometimes, your “close friend” at work really isn’t your “friend”. If given the chance, they may rat you out for saying certain things if it means they get the raise instead of you. I personally have never experienced a betrayal by a coworker but it is a common story I’ve heard many times before.
Some say that your coworkers aren’t your friends even if they act like you are friends. In many ways, they could be right. It’s always good to have someone to lean on at work, someone you feel safe around, and someone who you can actually talk to without being all formal but don’t be too trusting. You can build more trust after you leave the workplace when you aren’t coworkers anymore.
Read: Want to be your own boss? 11 Reasons to start a blog
6. Have someone to text random things to at work
I used to text random things to my mom at work whenever I get a chance to. She wouldn’t be able to read it right away but at least I can feel a bit more at ease. It’s like a diary, a place for me to dump my emotions and thoughts at no judgments and have it feel understood. If you don’t have someone to do this with, you can open up your Notes app and start typing.
Read: 7 Must-know money lessons from Rich Dad Poor Dad
7. Snack on something
Snacking on something can be a great way for you to cope with the stress of being at work. It can also be a reward you give yourself. Take 8 small pieces of candy and for every hour that it’s passed, you get to eat one piece of candy. Pick carefully what your candies shall be because it wouldn’t be fun to gain 10lbs in the process.
Read: 50 Ways to make extra money today
Start a side-hustle to escape a 9–5
If you don’t like your job, you really should think about how you’ll get out of it.
You should also consider the possibility of quitting your job for another more exciting one. Wondering whether you should quit your job? Here are 10 signs you should quit your job immediately, read here.
Maybe start a side-hustle to see how it goes. If your side hustle does well enough, you can quit your job and become your own boss!
People have made a living online as a:
- Content creator
- Blogger
- YouTuber
- Artist
- Etsy seller
- Podcaster
- Slime seller
- Self-published author
- Freelancer
- Twitch streamer
- Medium writer
- Font creator
Pick one of the following and start creating a different stream of income you can use to escape your 9–5.
Final thought
It’s no fun to stay at a job where you have to count down the hours continuously even if you did learn some new tricks in making the time pass by faster today. No one should spend their lives counting down the hours. It’s an undignified way to live. You should be spending your time doing what you love.
I would recommend starting here if you want to make a living on the internet by being a content creator and building up a brand.
