Author: Nathan Westerberg

Posted in Business Article, The Office

January 2026: Cold and Overwhelmed

Posted on by Nathan Westerberg

Good morning everyone and welcome back to the Breakroom! I’ll be honest with you all, I am feeling very overwhelmed this week so I am putting as much as I can into this post.

I have shared similar posts before and I think it is important to continue to be honest about our state of mind.

In general this work week has been pretty hectic. Plenty of problems going around, plus it is officially tax season so in the Payroll world we are having to explain W-2s to people. As usual, there are people who missed the fact that they didn’t have any Federal Taxes deducted last year so I need to assist them with explaining how this happened because of what they entered for their elections. I am very good at my job and I pride myself on the amount of time and explanation I give to people. Unfortunately, it truly wears on one’s psyche when I am doing the same corrections and explanations over and over again. It seems like no one truly learns and feels like I am not accomplishing as much as I wish I was. I am also processing a slew of checks this period because, naturally, people were not paid and it was tied to the fact that they didn’t watch their timecards. I wish it was possible to take a firm hand with people who do not seem to grasp the amount of work their oversight causes us.

Work I can certainly put up with since I have my home to take away the stress but as of last night we are taking care of our sick pupper. Had a last minute vet appointment, stayed up all night keeping our eye on him, and hoping we will have some good news today that it is not anything serious.

It is also unbelievably cold with “exploding tree” warnings, not to mention the state of Minnesota is being terrorized by the terrorist group that ICE has been shaped into. I think we are all scared and terrified of what is coming next because it truly feels like it is so hard to find a win. I almost forgot to mention our sink developed a leak for no reason, so it really feels like it is one thing after another.

But it is how we deal with the stresses in our life that determines how we get through those scenarios. I wish I could just run and hide from all of these things but unfortunately I do not have that luxury. I truck along at work and try to come up with possible resolutions for the future, all while making jokes at some of the absurd requests we get (like the guy who decided he is just done paying taxes). Sinks can thankfully be fixed and we can bundle up to stay warm, and we can continue to rally and document our interactions with ICE to ensure they are held accountable one day.

And my sick boy is doing much better and I am remaining confident that he will get through this. There I am fortunate to have my husband to get through this, and I think that is the key to getting through all of our stresses. Asking for help whether because you are busy at work or dealing personal problems or issues with your house is not a weakness. We should be able to lean on our friends and family in a crisis because it is that sense of love and community which is the last thing we can spare at the moment.

I am going to go back to staring at my Loki while he rests, I hope each and everyone of finds the strength today to get through all that life throws at you. You do not need an answer to every problem, you do not need to put up a happy front, and you do not need to feel bad in finding it difficult. You just need to get through it, and I truly believe that you can. So eat a hearty meal, grab some sugary snacks, turn on a comfort movie or show (I’m binging my favorite The Magicians at the moment but Lord of the Rings and Jurassic Park are some other solid options).

Stay warm everyone, and be sure to say hi to me around the Breakroom.

New Year's Resolutions
Posted in Business Article, Opinion, Party Planning Committee, The Office

New Year’s Resolutions for 2026

Posted on by Nathan Westerberg

Good morning everyone, welcome back to the Breakroom and our first post for 2026. While this might be pretty unoriginal, I wanted to use this chance to talk about New Year’s Resolutions. Historically many people fail to keep them, but I still find that they are important because it gives us a goal to strive for. I recall mine for 2025 was to get more active including doing yoga. I never did any yoga but we did get back to working out and I actually lost about 20 pounds. Since returning from vacation we went right into the holidays so I have had some trouble getting back into that routine.

Reading an article from NPR (which you can find here) evidently resolutions could technically be traced back thousands of years back to festivities in Rome. Prayers to old gods done at this time was meant to symbolize making a promise to them for the year to bless them in their endeavors. So while we now simply make a pledge on what we wish to strive for, it would have once been made with an offering to a god in exchange for helping this come true. Another cool piece of history was the “Vow of the Peacock.” This medieval tradition had knights reaffirm their pledge to chivalry going into the new year by placing their hand on a peacock. So this goes to show that resolutions are not a brand new phenomenon. The closing of one year into another represents a sense of renewal in us, hoping to help reinvent ourselves or strive to accomplish a goal1. And for those who follow it, I have been advised by a friend that astrology dictates January is meant to be a powerful month for those hoping to start a new project or make change.

You might recall that they have also done resolutions in Dunder Mifflin (just once, and it only lasted a day). Those resolutions were:

PamDrink less caffeine
JimBike more
AndyLearn to cook for one
AngelaMake time for romance
DwightMeet a loose woman
KevinEat more vegetables
CreedDo a cartwheel
MichaelFloss
OscarFinish my living room
GabeBe less squeamish around people’s dogs and babies
HollyCross-Train
RyanTreat the world like art
ErinLearn a new word everyday
PhyllisYoga lessons with Bob
Meredith2 cigarettes a day
KellyGet more attention by any means necessary
DarrylRead more
StanleyBe a better husband and boyfriend

Most of these are really good resolutions and likely have been chosen by yourself or people you know! This year I decided I want to do multiple resolutions, and I do that for a few reasons. I want ones of various difficulty so that even if I am feeling unmotivated, there is likely something I can strive for to accomplish. I also like the idea of having resolutions for different parts of my life so I can work on different areas and feel like I am trying to better myself overall. And finally, I like the concept that the more resolutions you have the more likely you will close the year out having worked on at least one.

So what are my resolutions this year?

  1. Get back into working out routinely and focusing on my health, including finally starting yoga.
  2. Read more, I used to love reading a lot and I’ve gotten several new books so I want to read more this year.
  3. Advance my career, I hope to finally find a new job so I can take that next step.
  4. Take this blog to the next step, between the podcast and these posts I have options, I just need to devote more time to expanding upon them.
  5. Finally, expand my writing to work on other projects. I have several projects and concepts I have thought about and fleshed out all in my head, but have not attempted to put pen to paper. My goal is start working on them to actually see if they pan out.

I think 5 resolutions are a good number, and I hope to report back on how I have worked on them this year. What about you all? I would love to hear about how past resolutions have gone and what you have chosen to focus on going into 2026.

Share here or on Facebook, besides your resolution let us share tips on what we can do to stick to trying to work on these resolutions. Remember that it isn’t about accomplishing perfectly, but getting out there and trying our hardest.

I hope you all have a great weekend and a Happy New Year. Until next week, I’ll be seeing you around the Breakroom!

  1. Treisman, R. (2025, December 31). Why do we make New Year’s resolutions? A brief history of a long tradition. NPR. Retrieved January 1, 2026, from https://www.npr.org/2025/12/31/nx-s1-5649767/new-years-resolutions-history ↩︎
Posted in Party Planning Committee, The Office

Post-Christmas Reflections

Posted on by Nathan Westerberg

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a great a holiday! Whether you were with a partner, friends, family, fur babies, or on your own I hope you were able to to make some special moments and enjoy the spirit of the holidays as their pertain to you.

I admitted to my husband that I struggled this year really getting into the holiday spirit. We watched several holiday movies throughout the month but I didn’t listen to any Christmas music until Christmas Day and didn’t even get decorations up until Christmas Eve. But the day came and I was able to relax in the peace of the day, sip on my eggnog, and take in the smell of the turkey filling the house.

For those who were like me and feel like they missed out on the whole month, do not forget that December is not over yet. Keep your decorations up, listen to the music, and keep watching those holiday films right up to the New Year and then some.

For those looking for some added holiday spirit, do not forget that The Office has multiple Christmas specials to enjoy. We have conducted a few breakdowns of them so feel free to revisit our past posts (links below).

The Office: Season 5, Episode 11 “Moroccan Christmas”

The Office: Season 3, Episode 10/11 “A Benihana Christmas”

The Office: Season 2, Episode 10 “Christmas Party”

At the end of the day, it really is up to us to decide how we want to celebrate the day. We all have our own ideas of what we think should go into a holiday but the truth is we cannot put those concepts on other people, not to mention our feelings about it change.

I hope you find some happiness as we race towards the new year, and maybe I’ll actually stick with my resolution this year in 2026.

I’ll get in touch with you all next week, until then I’ll see you all around the Breakroom!