When the alarm goes off, to get you out of your warm, comfy bed to go to work, it’s never a good feeling, no matter how hard-working you are. The sole idea of spending the whole day in front of your computer under neon light can make you feel so anxious that you feel like calling in sick — especially if the outside it is a beautiful, clear, sunny Spring day. There is one easy, fun fix for this state of dissatisfaction, though: become friends with your colleagues. If you manage that, then that alarm that reminds you that you have to go to the office won’t feel like a sentence anymore, it will just become a friendly reminder. Most of you spend 8 hours a day, more or less, sitting across the computer from your coworkers after all — we actually spend more time with workmates than with our partners, our parents, our siblings, aunties or grandparents. So, if you can make your coworker into something more than just the recipient of formal e-mail or boring stats, if you can befriend them instead, every day will feel instantly better, and the amount of work we need to tackle together will be taken care of way more easily. So, if a friend is a treasure, a colleague who becomes a trusted friend basically equals the discovery of a goldmine!
So, here we go, with the 5 steps to turning your workmate into your friend!
– Take him or her out for dinner
Let’s start with the one thing everyone loves: food! Hands up if you don’t think eating is one of the best things in life. In this case, though, since we want to make a new friend, we should make sure we invite our potential future friend to an original place: it’s too easy to go for pizza, and make everyone happy. Find out if your workmate shares the same taste in food as you do: why not try foreign food? Thai, Korean, Mexican, and Italian of course, if you are outside Italy. If you have the same taste, well, great, you already have something in common! Check here our tips!
– Go listen to some live music
How many times did you hear your favorite artist’s voice filtering out of your workmate’s headphones? How many times did he or she walk in whistling your current favorite hit song? Well, seize the opportunity, then, and invite him or her to listen to your favorite artist live, together. Going to a concert together will be an experience, and in addition to being fun, it will be a cool way to share a passion! TBS Crew did this and went to Ed Sheeran’s concert (here his worldwide tour), which made everyone happy thanks to its great vibe, in between “let’s get wild” and “let’s cry together and hug each other”, LOL
-Relax together
Now you know each other a little better, the third step can be a calmer, more intimate experience. Always too busy to have a good chat? No problem, then, just pick a weekend that works for both and treat yourselves to magical, relaxing moments in a spa. This will give you the chance to relax, have a conversation, open up and start going deeper when you talk. Although make sure you keep quiet when it’s time for massage! (Our fav spas in Milan).
– Shoot one another (in jest, of course)
The fourth step might seem like a game to you, but you will soon realize that there is more to this than just the fun you will have together. Have you ever heard about PaintBall? It looks a little like war, only done with toy guns that shoot colored paint. It would be ideal to involve all coworkers in something like this, to create team spirit, and redefine your relationship with pretty much anyone: start a team, agree on tactics with your teammates and “shoot” one another for fun. You could even tell your boss about it! Sometimes even simple things, like a game in this case, can be essential for getting to know your workmates a little more deeply. Here is where to do it in Milan!
– Go on holiday
This is the ultimate step, the most important on your path. The idea of spending a holiday together — whether it’s a weekend or the summer holidays — is a truly important one. So, if you made it this far, it means you have reached your goal! You coworker is now a friend you can trust, and most of all, he or she is now a person you can also hang out with outside of work. One thing is for sure, though: even if this is the last step on your path, it is also the most difficult test to pass! You have no idea how many friendships, sometimes decade-old ones, were damaged or pretty much brought to an end by a holiday together — and of course, a lot of new friendships were also born on holiday. Whether you go to the beach, to the mountains or on a city break, it doesn’t really matter: what matters is wanting to spend time together! Do you feel like giving it a try? Here are our ideas on where to go.