5 Bad Office Habits to Stop This Week- The Muse

5 Bad Office Habits to Stop This Week- The Muse5 Bad Office Habits to Stop This Week- The MuseLets be serious Who doesnt want to take his or her career to the next level? Sure, there may be periods of low motivation or productivity, but most of us want to see our careers (and our paychecks) keep advancing.If you feel like things are stagnating, you could be committing one of these bad office habits- maybe without even realizing it. Luckily, if you are guilty of any of the following, theyre easy to stop doing this week to get back on track. In no time, youll be making your strongest professional impression again.1. Isolating YourselfGetting your job done and getting along with your co-workers doesnt always go hand-in-hand, at least where time management is concerned. You might feel as though you need to work through lunch instead of joining your office mates, and that you get mora done with your ear buds blasting your playlist. Plus, do you really need to get to know the new guy if it you wont be working together that closely anyhow?Although your intentions are (mostly) noble, youre shutting yourself off from the rest of the office. Thats not going to work in your favor. The next time the office joins in to celebrate someones birthday, make time for a slice of cake. Better yet, volunteer to pick up the cake. When you show your teammates you have time for them, theyre more likely to have time for you- and your ideas (win-win). 2. Blowing Off the End of the DayIts 530 PM on Friday, and youre planning to leave by 6 PM to grab dinner with friends. What are you typically doing? Are you running out the clock and checking your email several times without actually getting real work done? Maybe youre even more obviously packing up your things, chatting with colleagues, or obviously texting on your phone.Its easy to fall into that trap of skipping out on the last few minutes of each day, but that time can add up quickly. Your colleagues who keep working will notice (and s o will your boss). Start taking that time seriously and youll start to take your own career more seriously as well. Of course, youre not going to want an extensive project, but you can use it to get organized Plan your next morning or work on helpful small tasks that would otherwise get overlooked (like cleaning your desk or updating your to-do list). 3. Gossiping (a Lot)As writer Steve Albrecht points out in article for Psychology Today, The workplace is a good breeding ground for gossip bacteria. Rumors fly at an alarming pace, and often, they dont have a lot to do with the actual work. Sure, people may point to the bonding benefits, but these are outweighed by the negatives.You never want a mean rumor or joke to get traced back to you. After all, youd hate to share something that you overheard only to find out later that you didnt know half the story (or have a really awkward run-in with the person you were bad-mouthing).A quick response of Sorry, but I dont feel comfortable talk ing about that will usually stop the gossip in its tracks, and even make other people aware of what theyre doing. (And if that doesnt work, try one of these eight non-condescending ways to respond.)4. OversharingSpeaking of rumors, one way to fuel that chatter is by providing too much information about your personal life. Making friends at work is a good thing. However, that doesnt mean you have to open up about all your darkest secrets or the long list of faults with your spouse. Be friendly, but draw that line in the sand. Your co-workers dont need (or want) to know everything. This week, when you arrive at work and start to unload your latest crisis, stop and ask yourself if its something that other people would really want to hear. Do they really need to hear that you cant believe what your roommate did? If not, leave it alone, and talk about something less personal, like the crazy thing that happened in that show you all watch. Oh, and resist the urge to join in when others sha re too much about themselves. What you might gain in temporary camaraderie, youll lose in overall respect. 5. Having a Bad AttitudeIts not just complaining about your home life that can make you look unprofessional. Constantly being negative about things at work can be just as bad (or worse). Even sarcastic jokes like Time for another time-suck of a meeting or I just sent the project to Bill, so get ready for a thousand edits can drain everybody around you. Plus, youll gain a reputation as the office complainer- and who wants to promote that guy?If you have a problem with some aspect of the job, try to find a solution. If its just one of those things, put on some headphones and listen to some uplifting music, go for a walk, or treat yourself to a snack youd never normally eat. Control your attitude or it will control you. If small fixes arent enough, take some time to read books about workplace positivity, like The Energy Bus 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy and The Fred Factor How Passion in Your Work and Life Can Turn the Ordinary into the Extraordinary. Or, if reading books isnt your thing, check out a few TED talks. Its not enough to just complete tasks as assigned. If you care about your job- you need to show it by eliminating these bad habits. If you get find yourself falling back into negative ways, take a deep breath and aim to do better. Nobodys perfect What matters is trying to do your best.