Once you’ve hit the point where you graduate from college and life, in all of its forms, is dawning upon you, the realisation that you have to join the so-called “rat race” is something that is being a thorough reality. Most people the idea of joining the rat race is a sense of conforming more to a prescribed way of existence, but it doesn’t have to be like this. In fact, there are many things you can do to help make the transition less of an impact overall.
Get Your Stamina Up
Especially if you come from college, where you are used to getting up at noon, and going to bed at 3 a.m., the workaday week is going to hit you like a ton of office shaped bricks. For those that are just out of college, the first year is spent mainly sleeping, because the shock of having to work at least 7 hours a day, combined with the regiment of a 9 to 5 job, means that, for the first time in years, you have to get stuck into a routine. So, the best way to prepare is to start increasing your stamina, whether it’s by exercise or healthy eating. And also make sure that you wake up at the same time every day, and go to sleep at the same time. This will help to regulate your sleep cycles, which will make the whole process far easier.
Look The Part
If you’ve gone from college or even a freelancer lifestyle into a high-paid, high-stress job, there’s a lot you need to help you learn your trade. Psychologically speaking, you would benefit from learning tips and tricks on how to best present yourself in a working environment. If you are hell-bent on promotion, and climbing up the career ladder, that idea of faking it til you make it is something that crops up a lot, so make sure you dress sharp, but present the right image to show your superiors that you mean business. It’s very difficult, but there are little touchstones that you can use to show how you come across. The extreme end of the scale is purchasing a Jaguar XF for sale, which is definitely a status symbol to show you as a person to be reckoned with, but if you don’t have the finances to go that far, show it with your lifestyle. You know that expression “there’s no such thing as a free lunch,” maybe you should embody it?
Keep That Work-Life Balance
Beginning a high-powered career, especially when you’ve spent many years training, or you’ve been a freelancer for quite some time, you may need some guidance in how to manage that work life balance. The difficult thing about a career that is high-powered or high-stress, is that they expect you to be there, in the office, 12 to 15 hours a day. When you do join the rat race life, making the most of your downtime is something that doesn’t tend to be focused on, so while you feel the working life to be a shock to the system, you still need the beneficial rest and rejuvenation.