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Rain Rain, Go Away: 6 Ways to Make Bad Weather Work

There’s nothing worse than being woken up by your alarm on a Monday morning, only to be faced with a dark sky and rain clouds. To make matter’s worse, the rain starts just as you leave the house. To top this off, you don’t have an umbrella or appropriate shoes, to put an even bigger dampener on your day (literally).

So before you walk into your office, miserable, cold and wet, there are some things you can do to boost your motivation and improve a rainy day, and (metaphorically) bring the sun into your office.

1. Perk up the office

Picture this: a rainy day, grey skies and soggy shoes…and then you walk into an office that’s equally as bland, grey and soggy. The trick to boosting motivation when the weather’s horrid is to brighten up your office any way you can yourself! Decorate your office with bright flowers, giant bean bags, fairy lights, funky wall decals and posters. Inject some colour and fun into the space as best as you can. If you didn’t come prepared, maybe you can print out some pictures for the walls!

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2. The sun will come out tomorrow

Rain and bad weather can make you feel low. But remember “the sun will come out tomorrow” (singing optional). It’s always best to try to think positively, and remind yourself that tomorrow is a new day and a chance to improve, weather included. If you’re struggling to stay positive, maybe even host a little office Annie sing-a-long to brighten the mood.

3. Invest in an umbrella

Before this year, I never seemed to have an umbrella that wasn’t broken. Rainy mornings meant a very wet walk to the train station, and by the time I’d arrived at work my shoes would be squelching and my hair would have taken on a mop-like texture. But then I did something that changed my life; I bought an umbrella. After years of buying cheap, throwaway umbrellas, leaving them at parties/on the train/under my bed, I vowed to myself that I would guard this umbrella with my life. Since that day, I’ve always got a strong, sturdy umbrella in my bag, just in case. Umbrellas can change commuter’s life.

4. Bust a move

Do you know what rainy days call for? Spontaneous dance parties. If your team is feeling down in the dumps with a lack of motivation, pep them up bringing some beers into the office and turning the tunes up just before close of business. A social like this can assist in developing peer relationships and in bringing the team closer together.

5. Leave earlier in the morning & don’t rush

Something that makes a large difference to my commute on a rainy day is leaving myself enough time so I can have a relaxed and not rushed journey into work. Public transport and roads are generally congested and dangerous on rainy days as those who would usually walk/cycle use public transport to avoid the horrible weather. Feeling rushed and unorganised is a pain in itself, and being soaked with rain is the cherry on the top. Make sure you’re prepared for anything by giving yourself enough time.

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6. Music makes all the difference

It’s been proven that certain types of music can improve motivation and productivity in an office environment. That’s why you should create a Spotify playlist and blast some tunes out in the office on rainy days. Having summer tunes playing will help you forget about the sorry state of the weather outside, and get you hyped up for work.

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What helps you motivate yourself on rainy days? Let us know in the comments below.

Image credit: Shutterstock.

By Ruby Lowe

Account Executive at Link Humans, download our 12 Essentials of Employer Branding eBook now.