The best parts of having a work BFF

Welcome to Besties Week! We’re kicking off the release of our first HelloGiggles book, A Tale of Two Besties, with an epic celebration of friendship and stories about friendship. Read an excerpt of the book, buy a copy, catch us on our cross-country book tour, and share your photos from our events by tagging us @hellogiggles #ATaleofTwoBesties.

In the meantime, join the party right here. All week long, our contributors will be sharing stories, essays and odes to their very own partners-in-crime. Read, laugh, cry (because you’re laughing) and share with your bestie!

When the work week feels insurmountable, sometimes the only light at the end of the tunnel is knowing that you get to see your job bestie for the rest of the week. Having a best friend at work is absolutely priceless, because they always make work feel less like. . .  well, work. You’re in the trenches together, and no matter how rough it gets, having someone you love by your side makes the whole thing a lot more fun. So, in celebration of these glorious humans, here are just a few of the many perks of having a work bestie.

You share a ridiculous number of inside jokes. 

When you’re spending 8+ hours a day with someone, you end up amassing a surprising amount of references and one-liners. From personal experience, this especially applies in food service/customer service jobs, but jokes are abound no matter your industry — and they are next level glorious with a work BFF.

You have someone to talk to about career frustrations and goals.

Even if you work in separate departments, you both ended up at the same place, so you probably have vaguely similar interests in what you want to do (or, as the case may be, what you don’t want to do). It’s always helpful to have someone to talk things out with, who understands what you’re going through and can help you make a game plan for the future. A work bestie is always there to give a listening ear and to cheer you on, and you’re always there to do the same for them.

You have a partner in crime for happy hour.

Sometimes you just need a drink and/or a plate of cheesy garlic fries after a long day at work. Instead of trying to rally up your buddies and figure out when everyone gets off work and where they can meet up, a work bestie makes the whole thing a heck of a lot easier. They’re basically the perfect pal to troll happy hour with: you can leave work together, go somewhere close by, unwind, and then make sure one another gets home safe — all in the span of a couple hours.

They’re always there with the perfect pick-me-up when you need it most.

Whether it’s blasting your favorite song, dropping an inside joke, or leaving a surprise sweet treat on your desk, a great work bestie is in tune to your stress levels and knows just what you need to feel better. And let’s be real: it’s the little things that make the biggest impact in our day to day.

Your Gchat history is solid gold.

This only applies to office jobs, but Gchat is more or less the ultimate respite from the daily grind. From goofy YouTube videos to the latest aww-worthy cat GIFs, a work bestie Gchat session is the ultimate mini-distraction. Sure, you occasionally go off the record when necessary — but no one needs to know what’s discussed there.

They’re always down for a snack break.

No one is immune to the late afternoon slump (or, you know, the any time of day slump). When you absolutely need sustenance to stay focused/awake/alive, a work bestie is always equally ready and willing to raid the snack drawer or run to the closest vending machine. (No judgments.)

If you’ve forgotten something at home, they have your back.

Whether this means a tampon or a computer charger, the importance of having a go-to person to get the goods from is not to be underestimated.

Work events are way more fun.

From conferences to team-building retreats, work events are always better if you have a buddy going through it with you. Even if your job is known for throwing the wildest holiday party around, it’s still always about a billion times more enjoyable with your work bestie by your side.

You always, always, always have someone to talk to.

Sometimes, you just need to vent. Maybe you’re overwhelmed by your workload, or maybe someone accidentally took your lunch from the communal fridge. You’re only human, after all — and if you need to let off some steam, your work bestie is there to talk it out with you always.

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