If your office is like many others around the country, this March will include hours of lost productivity and surreptitious score-checking, as everyone anxiously awaits the fate of their NCAA basketball tournament brackets. And if you’ve joined an office bracket pool, you might go through these seven distinct stages this month.
<h4>1. Anticipation</h4>
Everyone’s excited about the shared fun that lies ahead. Sports! Camaraderie! Prizes!

<h4>2. Annoyance at the guy who takes it waaaaaay too seriously</h4>
<h4>3. Self-doubt</h4>
Why did you pick Podunk State to win it all?!

<h4>4. Smugness when the upsets start breaking your way</h4>
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<h4>5. Despair when your bracket busts like a piñata.</h4>
<h4>6. Rage that the one who DID win it all made her picks based on uniform colors.</h4>
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<h4>7. Ready to do the whole thing again next year.</h4>

The 7 Stages of Your Office March Madness Pool

1. Anticipation

2. Annoyance at the guy who takes it waaaaaay too seriously

3. Self-doubt

4. Smugness when the upsets start breaking your way

5. Despair when your bracket busts like a piñata.

6. Rage that the one who DID win it all made her picks based on uniform colors.

7. Ready to do the whole thing again next year.