Work habits
None of this is expert advice. It's what people worked out for themselves, usually the hard way — what actually helped, and what they'd tell someone standing where you are. Take what fits and leave the rest.
If you only read a few
Use all of your allotted work breaks religiously, regardless of whether they are short or long.
Unions fought hard for these breaks; if you do not use them, employers may try to take them away. Additionally, good people died so that workers could have these breaks.
one person who lived it
Take your scheduled work break regardless of whether you feel you need it.
It can improve problem-solving and overall well-being.
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Draft emails in reverse order: add files first, then write the body, then the subject line, and lastly enter recipient addresses.
This helps prevent sending incomplete messages to recipients before you are finished writing.
- One user prefers drafting the email first to avoid getting sidetracked.
5 people, independently
- Fill in the recipient fields last, after writing the body and attaching files, to prevent accidentally sending incomplete emails.6
If you struggle with forgetting attachments, pause your writing and insert the file immediately when you mention it in the email body.
It becomes a second nature habit to think about the attachment at that moment.
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Take all your breaks and use all your benefits; do not leave money on the table because employers will not leave any for you.
Employers will not leave a penny in your hands
one person who lived it
Bring a snack like a muesli bar to your break to define its duration, since a rest period lacks the clear lifespan of a cigarette.
A snack helps demonstrate the concept of a defined break length when a rest does not have one naturally.
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Ignore managers who interrupt your break with paperwork; tell them to return when the break ends.
Managers may conclude you are unionized and leave you alone if you consistently enforce this boundary.
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Write negative or emotional emails, wait a few hours, and review before sending.
Most often, you will not want to send the email as written after waiting.
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Save emails with attachments as drafts on your phone instead of sending them immediately, then open the draft on your PC to send.
It avoids waiting for the email to send on the phone.
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Name email attachments to be helpful for the recipient rather than just for yourself.
Document titles are for future readers searching for the content within.
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Write 'INSERT ATTACHMENT' in the subject line and leave the recipient field blank if the attachment is not yet ready.
This reminds you to add the file and ensures it doesn't get accidentally sent.
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Type recipient addresses into the email body first, then cut and paste them into the To/CC fields only after the email and attachments are fully drafted.
Ensures the email is complete before recipients are added.
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- Enter the recipient's email address only after you have typed and proofread the message.1
Switch controversial phone conversations to text messages to create a written record.
Everything is in writing.
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Draft lengthy emails in a word processor or notepad first, proofread, and summarize them to ensure conciseness before sending.
Recipients dislike reading lengthy emails.
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Proofread emails for typos and grammatical errors, as spell checkers may miss correctly spelled mistakes that can make you appear incompetent.
Glaring errors cause recipients to view the sender negatively.
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Carefully review all forwarded content before sending to avoid inheriting or passing on inappropriate material.
Colleagues may forward problematic content without realizing it.
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BCC yourself on important emails to verify exactly what the recipient sees, including attachments.
Helps confirm that attachments and formatting appear correctly to the recipient.
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