Like many college students, I decided to pick up a summer job. And in this job, I happen to work thirteen-hour days, six days a week. Crazy, I know. Although I love my job, there are drawbacks to working so much. But there are also many ways to combat these drawbacks to make the most of a summer job (while making a good sum of money)!

1. Conflicts with coworkers

Coworkers can be some of the best and worst people. In a job where you are with them constantly, there are bound to be moments where conflicts arise or the bad moods of some workers begin to bring everyone down. One of the best ways to shake the bad moods that lead to a less than fun work environment is to spread positivity and stay patient with all the people around. It can be as easy as saying thank you to a coworker who you see is putting in lots of effort or smiling or cracking a joke. If someone is being particularly hostile towards you personally, you can take a deep breath and let it roll off your shoulders. But never be afraid to have a private conversation with them to sort things through and approach your boss if the conflict is too big to conquer alone.

2. Long hours

Long hours attribute to grumpy coworkers, decreasing work ethic and quick tempers. However, staying positive and always putting your best foot forward encourages others to do the same, making the long work hours fly by. However, if the hours are beginning to affect you in a significant way, it’s probably time to talk to a boss about not working as many hours, and doing so is 100 percent okay.

3. Exhaustion

Working many hours leads to mental and physical exhaustion. Because of this, days off are enjoyable and can leave you feeling ready to get back to work, as long as you use them wisely. For some people, this means spending time with friends and family after not being able to hang out with them much on work days. For others, this means spending the day indoors curled up watching Netflix or reading a book. Figure out what recharges your battery and do that on your days off. Another way to fight mental and physical exhaustion is to get a good night’s sleep each night. Whether that means going to bed as early as possible if you have a day job or letting yourself sleep in if you have an afternoon or night job, always try to get at least seven hours of sleep so you are recharged for your next shift.

4. Missing out

When friends and family begin to plan and do fun activities without you, it can be quite upsetting. But rather than sitting back and being upset, try to organize some fun with them when you know you have days off. That way even if you have to miss out a few times, you still have other memories to look back fondly on.

5. Faltering physical and mental health

It’s easy to forget to take care of yourself when work is taking priority. And when you forget, work becomes more of a chore than it should be. Nonetheless, there’s a couple small ways to take care of yourself to help you stay healthy. First, eating healthy and taking vitamins significantly help body functions and will help keep you from feeling sluggish. Second, taking thirty minutes everyday to do something you want to do, such as writing, reading, exercising, calling a friend, meditating or whatever makes you happy, will help to improve your mood and help to put you in a better mood all day long.