Navigating office life for the first time can be really daunting. Adapting to any new team or group comes with many challenges. Here are some of my tips for adjusting to a new work environment!
Tip #1: Begin by saying hello to everyone!
In a large organisation (or even a small body of people), it can be really hard to start communicating with new people (especially people in different teams). I’ve found that making time to get to know people and introducing yourself can be really helpful in getting a sense of everyone’s role in the organisation, and for any help or support you might need in the future!
Tip #2: Connect with people
Building on tip #1, forming connections at work is vital for organisational sustainability and your wellbeing! You don’t need to be close friends with people at your work, but it’s beneficial if you’re able to build a professional rapport and mutual understanding with your team. If your work does not provide opportunities for staff to team-build or have weekly catch ups, reaching out to colleagues to initiate catch-up chats or calls can be a great way to build relationships, while also gaining an understanding of what work they are currently undertaking.
Tip #3: Create a comfortable working space
Whether it’s working from home or in an office, having a space where you can work comfortably is so important. A comfortable working space might be something you can develop or adjust. For example, if your office environment is a bit noisy and distracts you from concentrating, you could wear headphones to improve focus. Alternatively, if you’re working from home and require a keyboard or mouse, reach out to your manager or HR team for those resources.
Tip #4: Be yourself!
Your workplace hired you for a reason, so embrace your style of work and ideas with confidence! If this means not saying yes to every team-building or lunch invitation, that is completely fine. I sometimes have enjoyed eating lunch on my own during a busy day, instead of going out to eat with others.
Tip #5: Take time to reflect
Things can move by very quickly at work, but it’s important to take time to breathe and reflect. Reflection can involve reaffirming what your goals are and what experience you are gaining by being in this position. You can also take time to ensure that your work and life balance is healthy, and works for you. For example, are you thinking about work when you’re in your uni classes or spending time with your family?! (this is something I am guilty of…). After reflecting, I realised that over-thinking about work when I wasn’t working was NOT healthy. To work on this, I have deleted any work related apps (emails and teams) from my phone to have more of a clear separation.
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