10 Free and Easy Ways to Celebrate a Co-worker - The Muse

10 Free and Easy Ways to Celebrate a Co-worker - The Muse10 Free and Easy Ways to Celebrate a Co-workerYou like your co-workers, right? Or, you at least appreciate them for all the hard work theyve done over the years. In some cases, you wouldnt even be where you are without their support, help, and positivity (especially on the rougher days). So, dont you want to acknowledge them when they have a small win, celebrate a birthday, or reach a big milestone? And the thing is, celebrating someone else is actually beneficial for you, too It makes people more likely to share your achievements, it makes you look good (you hang out with happy, successful people, so you must be as well), and it strengthens your relationships with all your colleagues.But the tricky thing is, most of us cant afford to congratulate our co-workers with the gifts and free drinks. Thats why I put together 10 completely free ideas thatll be just as good as (if notlage, better than) purchasing something.1. Just Say I tSo simple, yet so overlooked. But it really is that easy- nothing feels better and more personal than to hear from someone else that he or she is impressed by your work or remembered your special day. Because we tend to get glued to our screens and inboxes, we forget that there are actual people sitting near us who could use a genuine, honest boost. So, get up out of your desk, walk over to your co-workers, and say Happy Birthday or Great job on that big sale Its such a small gesture that you dont even realize how powerful it is.2. Shout it Out to the TeamA lot of times people dont necessarily advertise their birthdays or achievements because they dont want to sound obnoxious or self-involved- which is why it can be your job to brag for them.Do you have a company-wide messaging app like Slack or HipChat? Tag the person and let everyone know how awesome she is with a bundle of emojis. Or, send out an email to your team (or if its a small company, your arbeitszimmer) highlighting the persons accomplishment. Or, if youre crafty, create a shout-out board. A what? We created a shout-out board at The Muse for people to share anonymous good work notes with the whole company. It lives in our kitchen and is always full of shout-outs to various teammates for hitting goals and just being all-around awesome people. 3. Send a Thoughtful EmailWe all get emails every day, and most of them arent too exciting- so why not surprise someone with a message he or she will actually look forward to reading? And its not just about sending Congrats and clicking send- its about taking the time to think about how the persons impacted you and sharing that. And it doesnt need to be super serious I celebrated a birthday over vacation once and my boss sent an email full of hilarious GIFs and a nice note. It cost her nothing to do, and it totally made my day to know my team was thinking of me. 4. Or, Write (or Draw) a NoteEmail is great, but lets take it up a notch and really personalize you r letter. Are you a good bewegungsknstler? Draw him a picture of his favorite animal, or a funny cartoon about your office. Do you have awesome handwriting? Print out a cute card online and fill it out with kind words about her. At The Muse, co-workers desks are full of cards theyve received from their colleagues- because on our rougher days, theres no better pick-me-up than kind words from our co-workers.5. Decorate the DeskIf youre up for it, get artsy. Decorate the persons desk, or hang a printable banner above her workspace, or cut out fun party hats for her, and your team, to sport throughout the day (brownie points from us if everyone actually wears them all day). 6. Give People What They WantOK, you probably cant guarantee your co-worker free reign on his special day (unless youre his manager and have that authority), but theres probably some perk you could offer him. Is there a pair of noise-cancelling headphones hes been dying to borrow from you or a shared office snack tha t always get snatched up fast? If theres a way for you to sacrifice today- like giving up a conference room that he needs- do it. 7. Offer to HelpOffering to help a colleague out is always a nice thing to do, especially if youre not particularly swamped that day. But its also a great way to show your gratitude and make his special day a little less stressful. When I worked in a smaller office in a more administrative role, people would always do something nice on my birthday- a.k.a., take care of a few of the tasks I hated doing. It was great not to have to make the coffee on my birthday, says Kat Boogaard, a writer at The Muse.So give him a break from a big project youre both working on, or answer a frustrating email if youre both looped in and you know this person drives him crazy, or offer to attend a meeting and share notes so he can get ahead on his to-do list and leave early.8. Share Some Free SwagOdds are that your office and co-workers have extra swag thats not claimed by an yone. Why not grab a cool T-shirt or hat for a co-worker when he or she hits a goal or has a birthday? Remember one persons conference goody bag trash is another mans treasure. So dont overlook those free notebooks or tote bags.9. Post on Social MediaYes, social media is free- and it reaches an even wider audience When your colleagues celebrating something, share it on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. Especially if that person is away or out of the office, it means the world to know your co-workers miss and care about you.10. Pen a RecommendationIf someone recently got promoted or closed a big deal, a professional and supportive thing to do is write a LinkedIn recommendation. This shows that you respect this person as a colleague and want to see him or her continue to succeed. Its also awesome because its something that most people feel uncomfortable asking for, but really appreciate when its offered unsolicited.Congratulating someone doesnt take money to be meaningful- if you do an y, or all, of these ideas, youll be sure to make anyones day truly perfect.