From Power Hour to Happy Hour: Adapting to the Work Week After College

College students' schedules change with every semester, quarter, and/or vacation, and even the schedules they do have vary day to day. On Mondays and Wednesdays, you might have to wake up for an 8:30a.m. class, but you can take a nap until your part-time job starts at noon, and then spend the rest of the afternoon studying and taking more classes. Tuesdays and Thursdays might allow you to sleep until 11a.m., but you're in class until 8p.m. Your main concern as a college student with a busy schedule is keeping it all straight as each day brings something new, but when you graduate and enter the workforce, adapting to a regular 9-5 (plus overtime) is harder than it seems.

Just because you've got to be in the same place at the same time every day doesn't mean you'll have an easy time adjusting. You might have less to remember, but your body isn't going to like the change at first. Your mornings will most likely start much earlier, and you won't have time to go back to your room and take a nap, or even eat according to your own preferred schedule. Top that with wearing uncomfortable work clothes and getting minimal exercise as you sit in one chair all day, and your new schedule could seem like a trap.

With a few tricks, however, you can ease your way into the five-day work week. When you first start your job, you might be tempted to start going to happy hour every evening after work: you're exhausted, lonely and just want to unwind in a way that reminds you that you're still young and crazy. But in the early days at least you should limit yourself to one or two dinners, coffees or drink dates per week, and commit to going to bed at the same time every night. Ideally, you'll head home after work and give your body and mind the kind of rest and rejuvenation it really needs: some exercise, a healthy dinner, and uninterrupted sleep. Drinking alcohol greatly impairs the quality of your sleep, even if you pass out right away. It will also be much easier for you to wake up on time in the morning if you had a relaxing evening the night before.

If you're able to wake up on time each day but find yourself crashing before lunch or during the mid-afternoon slump, arm yourself with healthy snacks and scheduled breaks. High-protein, low-fat snacks with complex carbohydrates — and not starchy, sugary carbs — will rev up your energy and keep your mind focused. Since you can't eat actual meals whenever you want like you could in college, keep these snacks in your desk and in the office refrigerator for break times. Take a walk around the block to clear your head, get some fresh air, and free yourself from the confines of your cubicle. It'll boost your mood and help acclimate you to the work week. It's not so torturous if you find out how to give your body the rest it needs and to indulge yourself in little treats and breaks throughout the day.