Adjusting to office culture

Let's just say I've had a tiring last few weeks, hence the lack of posts. Everyone at my post-doc keeps telling me it's always hard in the beginning, that it takes time to learn how the department functions, that sometimes you don't even know what questions to ask because you don't know where to start. Add to that: learning two new software packages in German, playing the game of "catch-up" after I returned from Brazil, coming into work in the early mornings to write reports in peace and quiet, staying until the late afternoons when the rest of my research group tends to assign new tasks, and eventually staying until late at night to finish projects for poorly planned publicized deadlines. Did I mention I'm also writing two scientific journal papers on the side?

Now, I've put in my fair share of odd hours as a grad student, perhaps even moreso as an undergrad. The difference here is that as a student I could work whenever I was most efficient and I could use my non-peak times for tasks that required little energy. I far prefer this mode of operation. In an office, however, there's not much of a choice when it comes to personal efficiency. People rely on you to be in the office during certain hours. If too many people start breaking away from the standard, the entire department starts falling apart. Intellectually, I understand the logic. Physically, my body and mind continue to rebel. I'm starting to become convinced that the 8-to-6 work day is really not for me. But somehow, at least for the next 20 months, I need to make it work (and not run myself into the ground in the meantime.) Of course working on interesting and challenging projects with some great colleagues is a good way to start.