How to survive a newspaper launch

It's important to always look busy when a camera is around.

A great way to capture the look is to place your hand near your chin. Make sure to appear as if you’re really concentrating on the paper in front of you. It also helps if there are some staging items around you, such as a laptop, cell phone and crazy wires.

Write everything down!

Notepads seem so irrelevant these days, but trust me, it helps to write things down. Copy deadlines, to-dos and other information into a notebook. Then you can transfer dates and times into your phone or calendar on your computer. It seems a bit repetitive, but that helps it say in your mind.

You can't survive solely on liquid

M&Ms are the food of choice in our office. Not only do they taste good, but if you need a break, you can dump out the bag and organize them by color.

Think about the robots

This might not make much sense to you, but when I’m feeling particularly stressed out, I just think about tiny robots doing ridiculous tasks and I crack up. I feel better after laughing; however, my co-workers think I’m nuts because they have no clue why I’m laughing so hard.

Hands-free

Why waste your time picking up a can when you can wear it? This leaves your hands free to do more important things like organize M&Ms, make shadow puppets, or you know, work…

I told my boss that I would be a much better employee with this hat. I expect to see it on my desk in the next few days.

Consider having an office pet

Yes, that’s my handsome devil up there. When preparing for a day in the office, be sure to dress accordingly. You really can’t go wrong with a nice polo. He would have had a bow tie, but getting a collar on this cat is hard work. When choosing colors, be sure to go with something that really complements fur tone.

Expect late nights; come prepared

Newspaper employees aren’t coffee drinkers. Energy drinks is where it’s at. Stock up. You definitely don’t want to find out at 1 a.m. that you’re out of Red Bull.

Know what you're drinking

When harboring such an eccentric collection of energy drinks, it’s important to plan ahead and taste-test them for awesomeness. If you’re going to be drinking this all night, you need to be sure you like it.

For the record, No Fear tastes horrible. Rockstar isn’t much better. Full Throttle and Red Bull Cola is where it’s at.

Lie.

When your mother calls at 11 p.m. to see if you’re still working, lie like your life depends on it. Absolutely under no circumstances do you tell her that you were at the office until the wee hours of the night…or morning.

Laugh often

Laugh.

Your boss will love when you crack up at his jokes. You will feel better after a laughing fit. Laughter makes everything better.