7 Reasons Workplace Friends Are Actually Your Best Friends
May 13, 2019 by apost team
The workplace is known as being a battleground with employees facing unkind bosses and snappy co-workers. While the office certainly can provide a lot of unpleasant drama, the truth remains that those we work alongside often become some of our very best friends.
Over the course of time, we find ourselves sharing secrets with co-workers, forming close relationships with them, and often feeling as if we know them as well as our own family members! Why is it that co-workers can turn from total strangers into our very best friends? We’ve put together a list of the seven top reasons that those we work alongside often become some of our favorite people!
1. They Can Sense How You Feel with a Glance.
istockphotos.com/martin-dm
At home, we often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of completing tasks and going through the routines of everyday life. Sometimes we stay so busy that our spouses and family members lose sight of the struggles that we’re really going through; however, when we hit the office, our co-workers can instantly tell when something just isn’t right.
Because of their keen sense of awareness, co-workers can quickly become in-office counselors who help us through our struggles, lend a listening ear, and provide a shoulder to cry on.
There’s nothing like a co-worker who can sense your problems and step up to give you some help! A good co-worker may be your biggest cheerleader!
apost.com
2. They’re Ready with a Fresh Cup of Coffee.
istockphotos.com/fizkes
Yeah, it may not sound like much but the little things in life matter. That’s why it means the world when you step up to your desk to find that your co-worker brought you your favorite kind of coffee!
Little gestures like this are simple and yet they say so much about the close friendship that you share with those who work by your side.
Not a coffee person? Perhaps your co-workers provide you with your favorite sweets or pick up the sandwich you enjoy while they’re out getting fast-food. What matters is that they think about you and know what you like.
3. They Stand Up for You.
Office friends help by stepping forward to watch your back in the workplace. If someone is complaining about your abilities or trying to exclude you from a project, your workplace friends are the ones who make sure that you are kept in the loop.
They stand up for your best interests and do whatever it takes to ensure that you are well represented.
If someone is talking bad about you to the boss, they set the record straight!
4. They're Just Like Family.
istockphoto.com/Deagreez
The average person spends around eight hours a day with their co-workers – which is probably more time then they spend with family members! During the course of the work day, it’s easy to start loving your co-workers like family members.
Yes, you may stay busy with projects and responsibilities, but you still spend lunch and other breaks together. Plus, working together makes it feel like you’re a team.
While few personal problems are often actually solved with co-workers, sometimes just having someone to listen to your problems is enough. A lot of the time, our co-workers know more about our romantic relationships and personal problems than our actual families understand!
5. Sharing Secrets Brings You Together.
istockphotos.com/Deagreez
Yeah, the workplace isn’t technically what we think of as a secret-sharing place; however, it quickly becomes just that when you start to mesh with your co-workers.
From small secrets such as eating the last piece of the cake to major hidden details from your past, we quickly start to trust our office buddies with the most intimate parts of our personal stories.
Not only do we share our secrets, but they let us in on theirs as well, forming a deep sense of intimacy.
6. Co-workers Gossip! A LOT.
istockphotos.com/Deagreez
We all know that there is plenty of drama that goes on at the workplace, and good co-workers are there to share in a good gossip session about all of it.
Co-workers who are actually friends spread details about the boss’s latest fit, projects that are not going to be finished on time, and clients that are particularly hard to get along with.
Often, co-workers develop their own secret jokes that they share with only one another. Surely, passing along a little gossip helps the work day go faster and boosts your relationship with your co-workers.
7. You May Fight, But You Forgive, Too.
istockphotos.com/andresr
When you’re in close contact with people for eight hours a day, it only makes sense that an occasional squabble will arise. Sometimes, co-workers can get frustrated with the stress of the job and their own personal problems.
Fights among even the closest of co-workers are certainly a part of life. But the great thing about co-workers is that they forgive just as quickly as they get into arguments.
Let’s face it – you maybe able to avoid a regular friend, but you can’t avoid a co-worker. Because you will continue to see each other every day, it will be necessary for you to get over your disagreement and move on with life. The office is a great place to learn to communicate, work through problems, and offer some forgiveness.
istockphotos.com/monkeybusinessimages
Do you have a co-worker who is more like a bestie than a work partner? If so, then let us know about them in the comment section below, and then tag them on social media so that they can see how much they mean in your life!