Let's face it: Working in a cube can suck out your soul. A year or two doing the same tedious job, whether in an office or at a construction site, tends to turn a perfectly normal human being into something that could pass for the walking dead. And while this is true about any job, there's something special about being able to stare into a computer screen for most of the day something about that warm computer glow that seems to especially attract everything that makes life worth living and suck it into the abyss.

So, if you feel more like an automaton than a human being, you find some comfort in knowing you aren't alone. You can find more comfort, however, by carving out a small place to hide your humanity where no one can take it away.

One of the most prominent and probably one of the easiest ways to fight off becoming a robot is to decorate your space. Be it a cubicle, desk, or an entire office. This is your home away from home. It's where you spend at least eight hours a day, and so it's good to fill it with reminders of who you are the other sixteen hours of the day. Some people like kittens and penguins, some like sports cars and football. The point is to find pictures, small posters, or Sunday comics that remind you of who you are. Be careful not to put up anything offensive (naked women would be a good way to get fired in a hurry). But decorating your space will definitely ground you to it it becomes your space instead of the company's space. This, in turn, makes it easier to maintain a sense of identity.

The same can be said of a desktop. If you do the majority of your work on the computer, you're not really looking around the office for comfort. As long as you're not violating any company guidelines, feel free to change your wallpaper and screen saver to something that reflects who you are. Again, naked ladies will get you fired in a heartbeat, and you should definitely exercise some professional judgment. But if you're staring at a computer screen all day, it might be helpful to have it reflect your comfortable, home computer.

And while giving you something more comforting to look at might do the trick, there is something to be said about taking your eyes off the screen. It's important to interact with the people around you. The more personality you endow your co workers with, the easier it is to hold on to your own. Make sure you get to know the people around your cube, desk, or office even if you find you don't like them very much. Because, friend or foe, interacting with people will force you into social situations, where you're interacting, thinking about what to say, and showing off who you really are. You'll be able to hang on to your personality your sanity because you'll be expressing it every day. Laughing is good for morale, and so making friends is good for morale, and as long as it does not interfere with your productivity, there shouldn't be an issue with upper management if you start socializing a little in your down time.

The key is finding ways to express yourself while doing your job. This is especially important if your job is no more gratifying than getting paid. If you are doing something tedious like data entry or documentation or bill collection, it's important to find a way to slip your personality into your daily routine. Bring your favorite lunch every day, listen to your favorite music on your iPod, or find a way to tell your favorite (clean) joke. It's important to take that job and make it part of you, rather than making yourself part of the job.

So the next time you find yourself staring blankly at the computer screen, feeling it suck your soul away in an entirely unique and diabolical kind of way, think about what you can do to take it back. Find ways to exercise empowerment rather than submitting to soul crushing defeat. Let your personality show, and keep you and your co workers from becoming mindless drones, just another cog in the wheel, doing its part and nothing more. Employers don't want robots, no matter what some might think they want living, breathing people that can think for themselves, catch mistakes, and contribute in unique ways, and, thus, elevate the company to a new level. So don't let your soul get taken into the night; fight for it, no matter how droll the job is, because as long as you're fighting, you can never lose.

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