Do You Have An Oasis In the Workplace?
We need at least one because the Workplace can be a desert
I wish to say that the workplace is like a rainforest. You know, those ones where there is plenty of lush greenery, flora and fauna, gentle wildlife, and that occasional breeze that carries the smell of the morning dew. Actually, it might be, just not the norm.
In actual fact, I view the workplace as a desert (most of the time). There are 2 types of deserts; One resembles the Sahara Desert in Africa where it is blatantly hot and stripped of life. The other one is like the cold desert found in the polar ice caps. The workplace desert can be a one-up of the natural ones.
We are extremely capable of blowing hot and cold at each other, with temperatures varying due to emotional snowstorm or tropical hurricanes in our minds. Yes, we are that capable.
In times like this, we need an oasis. A safe place for us to retreat into you, one that we can let our guard down for a brief moment knowing that we will be safe from ferocious attacks in the human jungle.
These are my Oasis go-to’s.
Oasis 1 — Office Pantry.
Somehow, the immediate environment becomes friendlier when there is an abundance of food. The smell of coffee beans calms the tensed mind. Reaching our hands into the cookie jar brings back pleasant memories as a child too.
Oh, the same person who can be confrontational could tone down when they are in the pantry.
Want to have an open conversation? The pantry-oasis might be a good choice.
Oasis 2 — The Toilet Cubicle.
If we need a full retreat — The toilet cubicle welcomes us to a staycation. Take note, this private space “charges” by the minutes. Hugging the throne for hours would incur the wrath of the cleaning auntie.
I personally love to retreat to the toilet cubicle at times when my office is hijacked non-stop by unscheduled appointments. Thanks to the open-door policy for this. There are just times when I needed some quiet moments for quick thinking. The toilet-cubicle-oasis fits the bill.
Oasis 3 — The Boardroom. Surprised…?
The Boardroom could be an unexpected oasis in the workplace. In fact, I tend to stay back after a status update to the Board so I could tie up the loose ends of that meeting before leaving.
I am typically surprised by the uptick in productivity. Then I realized that no one typically comes close to notice my presence. It also helps when my Executive Assistant would reply “In a Board Meeting” to visitors to my office. Simply beautiful.
The Important of Oasis.
I cannot stress enough.
Oasis keeps humans going even in harsh deserts. That is the case even when we do not know if it actually exists. That mere thought alone keeps us going.
When it comes to the workplace — Cold and Hot deserts collide.
There are days where we are given sky-high expectations we can never meet and we might have to entertain people who we don’t appreciate. Also, are there many arrows and knives thrown at your back while you aren’t looking?
We need an oasis. This oasis functions like the Transition 1 and 2 pitstops of a Triathlon. It allows us to change our swimsuit into bike tights, and subsequently from bike to running shoes.
In the context of the office, it allows us to adjust, control, and temper our emotions so we can be prepared for the next bout of action.
Do you have an office-oasis?
It is time to find one.
Happy Oasis-Hunting,
Aldric
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