Working as a IT support position can really take it’s toll on any geek’s social life (uuhh…social life?) and otherwise. It’s easy to become jaded and lose track of why you love your job and moreover- your life. Here are my own personal tricks for finding a reason to smile even with the weight of the server rack is on your shoulders.

First, wake up in the morning to kid’s shows.

Every morning I wake up to TLC’s “Wilbur”. It’s a cow puppet and his friends promoting reading to really little kids. It’s a very happy show, just like most kids shows and gives you something to giggle at while you’re getting ready to jump back into the daily grind. “Reading is mooo-velous” indeed. Any kid’s show will do, because they’re all very simple and sunny as opposed to the news, which tends to be a dark start to the day in this day and age.

Second, listen to something that gets you pumped on the way to work

It’s really hard to get psyched to hop on the subway (or get in the car for your commute) in the morning without something in the background to get your gears turning. These have been my top tracks recently while I’ve been working extra hours. 

My criteria:
1. Upbeat
2. Good lyrics that I can ponder while I do the more mundane tasks.
3. Catchy (so that you can have a song that you like stuck in your head all day while you follow issues from cubicle to cubicle.)

Third, BLOG

Blogging is often regarded as “lame” or “not productive” or “i hate you and nobody reads your blog” but I find it to be a good way to break up the day. Blogging offers you an outlet and a way to share tips and tricks that you could even send people for how-tos, or just geeking about something new that just came out (ooooh iPhone 3.0 b3…). I would say it’s a good thing for a hopeless case like me who hates being away from my cave, because during my rarely-taken-advantage-of lunch hour, I can take a break and talk about y’know….stuff.

Fourth, use your sense of humor.

Seriously guys, I have worked with so many bitter and snippy IT people that it has a tendency to make me want to run away screaming. Please, when you’re frustrated with an issue you’re having at work, do everyone a favor and just find the humor in how ridiculously frustrating and annoying the issue is. DO NOT throw a tantrum or start getting pissy. Not only will your colleagues think you’re a huge loser with a short fuse, but they’ll lose confidence in the fact that you can handle yourself in a tough spot. Most importantly, it keeps you calm and clear-headed throughout the day if you just have a sense of humor about everything.

Trade services

Find someone at your job that specializes in a different field and make friends with them. I work with chefs so this is an extremely convenient deal. My co-worker loves computers and video games and I love to eat. I’ve hooked him up with a few hacks on his computer and he has hooked me up with a 5 lb slab of tasty roast beef. By doing this, you can break up your day by showing off the cool things you can do and you get rewarded with the services they have to offer. It’s a win-win- both parties feel appreciated and rewarded. *sigh*…sweet, mutual respect.

I’m not always awesome at staying cool, but these have helped me in the past