The Workplace Survival Kit

We've all heard of those wedding day survival kits, right? Well I decided it was only fitting to have a Workplace Survival Kit as well, because let's face it, work/office/cube life can be rough sometimes. Here's what in mine:

Candy- I always have some chocolate on hand. Whether it's that time of month or a 3pm slump, it always comes in handy for myself or my coworkers.

Bottled water- sometimes our water cooler stops working, in which case this comes in especially handy if I want tea. Or the cooler is just crowded and I just want some dang water.

Condiments- I'm on the 11th floor in my building. The cafeteria is on the first floor, and there are only 2 elevators, one of which is almost always broken. Catching an elevator around lunch time and 5pm, particularly when this is the case, can be troublesome to say the least. Bringing my own lunch and condiments enables me to skip that whole ordeal. Not to mention, I have some pretty great condiments (Popeye's special sauce? Hell yes.)

(Plastic) utensils and straws- I bring a can of Coke to work to have with ,my lunch everyday. I prefer using a straw than gulping from the can, mostly because it makes it last longer. And the plastic utensils go along with the condiments above- it's just easier to have them in stock than heading downstairs to get some.

Safety pins- For that time you forgot that a certain shirt dips a bit too low, or a button pops. Or ya know, whatever other clothing malfunction you may encounter.

Deodorant- this was actual an emergency purchase when I realized I'd completely forgotten to put it on one day. But I can see where it would come in handy, particularly during the summer months.

Nail file- I am completely disgusted by those who find it acceptable to clip their nails in any public space, but sometimes you get a snag in your nail, and I have no problem giving a quick file when that happens.

Antibacterial gel- this just seems like common sense to me, especially in cold season.

Tampons- if not for you, than for your (most likely slightly embarrassed) coworker.

I keep all these things discreetly tucked away in a lunch tote

Hand cream- again, a no-brainer in colder months, but massaging it into your hands can act as an instant stress reliever, just FYI.

Razor- particularly in summer; I rarely wear skirts, but have you ever gotten somewhere and realized you missed an ENTIRE LINE  on your leg or something? No? Just me? Fine. This and a dab of the aforementioned hand cream can do wonders in an emergency situation.

Contact lens cleaner- I wear contact lenses on the regular. Sometimes heat or AC or whatever can dry out my eyes and my contact can fall out. I'm capable of just poking it back into place, but it's much easier when I have some solution on it.

Hair ties- Sometimes I like to pretend that wearing my hair down doesn't bother me, but then I get involved in some project and I need it out of my face.

Aleve- I don't get them often, but this is the only thing that helps me when I have a headache or it's that time of the month. Coworkers also appreciate this if they can't have Tylenol or something. It just works.

Extra cell phone and iPod charger- I almost always need to re-charge one of these during the day. Helps with long commutes as well.

**Extra pair of black pants- Um, this is only on the list because I happened to find a pair when I was cleaning out my drawers. I'm not really sure what they're doing here, but hey, can't hurt right?!


I was hoping I could keep this list down to 10 but I can't. Here you have it- the top 15 items in my Workplace Survival Kit. What am I missing? What would you put in yours?