Let’s be honest: work is work.
In a mere eight hour shift, there’s so much to do! Invoices need to get paid, deadlines need to be met, and customers need to be happy to guarantee repeat business. Schedules are full of meetings and appointments, lunch hours fly by without a hint of relief, and events require your attendance at all hours. With all of the many projects we juggle in the workplace, it’s hard to remember work should also be fun.
How can work be fun? Funny you should ask. Work has the potential to actually be enjoyable and meaningful with a work best friend.
Think about it: you’re going through the normal mundane acts of your day, when suddenly your work BFF sends you a YouTube video of a giraffe waiting to give birth (speaking from personal experience here; who didn’t watch April the Giraffe for months?). Cue the laughter and shared entertainment. Dang, work BFF, you just get me!
Your work BFF is the person you confide in. S/he is the colleague you joke with, laugh with, and help each other get through the day. Basically, your work BFF is the reason work doesn’t have to feel like such work.
Here is why I love sharing my office space with my work BFF:
1. You get to laugh.
You and your work BFF send each other GIFs to pass the boring, slow hours of the afternoons. You’ll break up the day with a laugh over funny videos, silly emails, and share stories when the office is quiet.
Your work BFF gets you, knows you, and ultimately fuels your laughter during the day. Basically, you and your work BFF have inside jokes and funny stories that help the both of you pass the time. It’s great!
2. You have a lunch break buddy.
Who wants to isolate themselves in their cars during their lunch breaks? Unless you’re a true hermit, most of us thrive off of social atmospheres. Having a work BFF means you have someone to share your lunch breaks with.
The two of you can catch up over grilled cheese sandwiches and share a side of fries. You’ll get to laugh at the chaos in the office and share sentiments over workplace culture. You can grab coffees down the road and enjoy a brisk walk in the sunshine. Having a work BFF is the best way to cure your lunch break blues. Now, you have someone to pass the time with!
3. You share ideas.
Do you know who is going to back up your crazy professional ideas? Your work BFF, of course! Your BFF is going to support you, inspire you, and ultimately guide you to be the best employee there is.
You and your work BFF can brainstorm together. After all, there’s power in numbers! Plus, you automatically have a person to work with when team building calls for collaboration. You and your work BFF are like two peas in a pod. You’re the perfect pair to get the job done.
4. Work becomes easier.
With a work BFF in tow, work doesn’t feel so hard. You can sympathize with each other during long, agonizing meetings. You offer support and help each other balance the work load.
Having a friend in the workplace makes your job easier because you feel like an equal. Your work BFF isn’t someone who is going to boss you around or demean you. Rather, your work BFF “gets you” and completely has your back. Your day will fly by with a work BFF around.
5. You have a “person” at work.
Let’s face it: your family, friends, and/or significant other just don’t get it when your job stresses come home with you. They can’t sympathize because they really don’t understand what your job is like. Cue your BFF. They completely get it. Heck, they live it!
Your work BFF is totally there for you. They know exactly what the job is like, so venting is completely honest. Your work BFF understands your work woes and listens to your rants with ease. You also do the same in return! A work friendship is a positive relationship because you both totally get it each other.
Having a work best friend forever is everything. S/he supports you, makes you laugh, and completely gets you. If you don’t have a close friend in your workplace, consider befriending your colleagues. Get to know others and invite them to know you in return.
At GenTwenty, we are all about making lasting connections in our community. We hope you make lasting connections in your workplace, too. We promise, it’s worth it!
[clickToTweet tweet=”5 Reasons Work Is Better with a Work BFF” quote=”5 Reasons Work Is Better with a Work BFF”]
About the Author
Rachael is a University of Southern Maine graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Sociology. She remotely works full-time as a Senior Content Marketing Specialist for Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. In her leisure time, Rachael enjoys traveling with her husband, finding the next Netflix series to binge, and taking too many photos of her dogs Jax and Kai. Rachael is obsessed with chapstick, favors the Oxford comma, and is a proud Mainer. You'll likely find her exploring New England + beyond.