Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art… It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.- C.S. Lewis
Relationships are hard. Finding balanced relationships with coworkers and bosses has always been the most challenging connection for me to wrap my head around any of my work environments. I forged a proverbial mask and wore it between the hours of eight and five on week days. After five and on weekends I lived an exaggerated version of myself to make up for the hours that I was suppressing my personality. I dreaded having to spend any more time than was necessary with people from work and loathed the small talk that came along with it. Looking back now, I realize that this was self-inflicted and totally unnecessary.
Gone are the days when we took families to company picnics and invited our colleagues over for dinner. Work used to be a source of friendship, but now work is a mere transactional atmosphere. We go to the office to be efficient, not to form bonds. The reasoning behind this is complex and (in my mind) attributed to factors such as increased productivity requirements, elevated competition within the workplace for higher positions, higher turnover within companies, and overall poor fit of personalities due to poor hiring practices.
My current job and lifestyle as a wrangler on a guest ranch has forced me to forge close relationships with my coworkers. I’m not offered the option of putting my mask on for a certain number of hours a day and then releasing my true self off the clock. Here, I live, eat and socialize with only the people I work with. I’ve learned a lot along the way and still have a lot to learn, but I’ve found that having close friendship in my workplace is more fulfilling, less stressful, and ultimately has helped lead to a happier me.
Let’s face it, if you’re going to spend the majority of your waking hours with coworkers you’ll likely feel more fulfilled and appreciated if you build close ties with them. Don’t build barriers- break them down! Give inter-office friendships a go! Below is an article that breaks down the step by step instructions to forging your workplace friendships. Go ahead! Make a friend this week. I promise it’ll make those 40+ hours a great deal more enjoyable.
8 Tips for Creating Lasting Friendships at Work
Below are pictures and video clips of some friendships and friendly encounters that I was able to capture this past week at work. Enjoy!
