You've got a mulled-wine hangover, have nothing in the calendar and your boss is wearing a Santa hat and handing out minced pies. But if you're being paid for your hours slacking still isn't an option - no matter how festive things feel (or how bad you do).
Here's how to eke out those last few hours of work so you can fake it until the festive break.
Play the Grinch
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With a survey by home interior specialists Hillary's revealing that more than 20% of Brits dislike Christmas, have some 'bah humbug' catchphrases at the ready for whenever festive cheer rears its head. "I hate sprouts," "I'm allergic to tinsel," "Dashing through the - no."
Nobody will suspect you're listening to Wham!, wearing Rudolph knickers and secretly doing a bit of last-minute Christmas shopping with that attitude.
Look lively
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When your computer looks sleepy it's not going to look like you're being productive either. Planning a prolonged coffee-shop excursion to grab a, egg nog latté, maybe a longer-than-normal toilet break to check the Christmas-tree spam on your Instagram feed? No worries.
Disable the sleep mode on your computer. Here's how to do it for a PC and Mac - and walk away leaving something serious-looking on your screen and a spare coat on the back of your chair. You'll be back any moment.
Schedule meetings
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No, not meetings that you actually need to attend. None of your clients from other companies will want to brave the Christmas-shopping crowds anyway so it's time to set up some internal face-to-face hours to kill time with the people you actually enjoy spending time with to discuss what you actually think's important.
Discuss your main point - be it your impressive team performance or that you'd appreciate almond milk in the office kitchen. Next move on to a good hour of friendly chat discussing Christmas plans and whatever scandal erupted at the office party.
Make sure you have a pen handy - hey, you're still a professional - and frown at all times. After all if you sigh, shake your head and look hassled: nobody would dream of hassling you further.
Office crush? Get them involved. Studies show that office romances are most likely to bloom when the nights draw in during the winter months.
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Sit up straight
Play Candy Crush, send your best memes to the group Whatsapp chat and browse Pretty52. But whatever you're doing (or avoiding doing) do it sitting up straight.
Slouching is a real tell that you're slacking and a straight back will make you look efficient and studies show will also reduce cortisol levels so you'll feel happy doing the bare minimum.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash/dai keTopics: You, Life, advice, Healthy