Written from Qatar, where the weekend starts Friday…. so swap in “Thursday” wherever you read “Friday” below. Hala bel khamis!
You’ve got to love Fridays for the sheer burst of energy you feel just knowing it’s the last day of the week. It’s strange, if you think about it — by Friday you’ve usually put in a full week of work, so logically you should feel more tired, not less. But that’s not how it goes. It’s clearly all in our heads. We could tap into that same energy on any other day, if we let ourselves.
There’s no arguing that we all love the comfort of home, our people, or doing something fun. But if we could bring even a little of that comfort or fun into our workplace, we might feel that Friday-level energy far more often than once a week. So what’s actually stopping us? A few common culprits:
- We no longer enjoy the work we do (or never did)
- We no longer like the people we work with (or never did)
- We see our work as purely a means to an end
- Our work environment is boring or unpleasant
- Our hours aren’t flexible
There are plenty of other reasons, but these cover most of it.
When the work itself is the problem
If you used to enjoy your work but don’t anymore, something shifted — maybe the role changed, maybe you did, or maybe it just became routine. Either way, there’s usually something you can do about it. Look for new opportunities within your organization or elsewhere. Ask about secondment options — a good way to break out of the day-to-day grind without leaving entirely. Or make your current role more interesting: pitch new ideas to management, experiment with how you approach tasks, use your breaks differently.
When the people are the problem
You can’t easily change someone else’s attitude. If a colleague’s negativity is wearing you down, start by checking your own read on the situation — sometimes what feels personal isn’t. If the issue really is you, that’s actually the easier fix, since you’re the one thing you can control. If it’s genuinely the other person, talk to them. It might be a misunderstanding, and if you’re both reasonable people, it’s usually resolvable. Let go of the small stuff. Be accepting of people as long as their behavior isn’t actually harming you — but don’t be a pushover either. Stand up for yourself when it matters.
When work feels like just a paycheck
For a lot of us, work is a means to an end. But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer through it. Don’t think of your job only as a source of income — think of it as your way of contributing something to the society, whatever that looks like for you (unless your hustle is illegal—then you’re on your own).
Think about the last person you helped, worked with, or the last thing you accomplished — no matter how small. Think about what it meant to them, how it may have moved them a step closer to something they needed. It’s not about how big the moment felt to you. It’s about what it meant to them. You do this more often than you probably give yourself credit for, and that’s worth feeling good about.
These are simple, common-sense ideas most of us have had at some point. But it’s worth the occasional reminder: what we do matters, if not to everyone, then at least to the people it actually touches.
So go ahead — tap into that Friday energy. See if you can make it last all week.
