What to Do on Computer When Bored at Work
Someone's late for a meeting.
You've got nothing to do.
You're bored at work and need something productive to do.
So…what now?
If we're at home, we'd probably watch Netflix .
That's not going to cut it. Instead, we check social media on our phone hoping to ease our boredom.
Or create yet another Instagram story about how boring work is ( trust me…we know! )
Uh…productive people can do better. Your precious time shouldn't be wasted. Add these tips to your to-do list to improve yourself, your relationship with colleagues and even your work.
So, what is a fun way to spend your time when you're bored at work?
Here at ClickUp we present these 25 creative things to do when you're bored at work:
1. Write Thank You Messages
When you've got a few minutes to yourself or aren't sure what to do, try sending out a few thank you messages. And better yet, do it by hand. The handwritten note has a lot of power.
This could be to a new contact you met at a networking event (great to meet you!) or to a colleague who just completed a big task (way to go!) or maybe a quick thank you note to a recent customer (how is everything going?).
Or write your friends and family too. They love you. Take a moment and spend time with them via an encouraging note.
2. Make Meal Plans and a Grocery List
Go ahead and plan out that grocery shopping list. The worst is impulse grocery buying because you're hungry.
If you plan it out to begin with, you'll eat better because you're not acting on impulse.
Instead, you're clear and level-headed. You could use a sticky note or get organized with ClickUp (we prefer the latter!).
3. Review Your Schedule 2 to 3 Months Out
Never hurts to be prepared! Your future self will thank you! Start thinking about your travel plans, holidays or big events like conferences you have coming up. This may trigger some other ideas to work on to be prepared or just help you start your to-do list. Either way is fine.
NOTE: For more productivity tips, check out this post on how to be more productive!
4. Learn a New Language
You know you want to…but you can't ever find the time. Well, now you have the free time, because you're looking to be productive even in your boredom. Here you go. This list of online language courses will give you something to tab over to when your other work slows down and all your friends are playing games.
5. Practice Your Current Skills
So you're good, huh? But could you be better. Even if you're an A-player (and how do you know, really? Is there an A-player test? (No, not "a player"). Anyway, unless you're roundly recognized as one of the tops in your field, there's probably somewhere that you can improve. And even if you are the best in your field, you've still gotta practice to stay on top.
Do you think Stephen Curry has stopped taking jump shots?
Or that LeBron James never takes fadeaways?
No way. Even the best have to keep their skills sharp to stay on top.
So how do you do that? You may want to practice on a new problem, or improve your time on some old skills.
For me as a writer, I like to copy old advertisements or books from authors and copywriters that I admire to soak in how they do it.
For you, maybe it's sketching in a style you don't usually try or practicing your sales presentation in a new way. Whatever it is you do, find a way to practice it when the pressure is not on.
6. Read Something Important
There's a difference between scrolling through social media looking for some new political gossip, and setting aside free time for reading important books that could help you in your craft, business or with leadership.
Or maybe it's fiction to give your mind a break and to let your subconscious do the tinkering.
Stay on top of the latest industry trends, new management ideas or disrupters with a helpful book.
7. Learn to Speed Read
Speaking of reading, you could learn to read faster. Then you'd have even more time on your hands to…read more things. First, take this test to measure how fast you can read .
Then check out this an explanation from Tim Ferris about how to read faster. Seems worth it.
8. Organize Your Email
You'll never hit inbox zero if you still have emails in there.
Remember those random emails you starred or marked as important, but you totally forgot? (What? Bills are due…again?) Anyway, take a few minutes and clean out your email inbox.
You can also send emails straight to a task in ClickUp, helping you be even more productive.
9. Check Your Daily Tasks
Just because you currently have a few extra minutes doesn't mean that your colleagues aren't working. So if you're looking for something to do or pitch in, check your daily tasks in your project management software.
With ClickUp, we send you notifications when new work needs your attention. How convenient.
10. Take a Walk
Yes, move a little, especially if you're in a deskbound job. It can help your motivation, enthusiasm and relieve stress even if you're not at your top physical peak.
When comparing days that people walk during their lunch break versus when they don't, there's a huge difference in mood and focus. Here's a very official post on how walking improves your mind that explains it all if you're not convinced.
My favorite is to walk to the nearby pharmacy, convenience store or grocery store to buy candy bars…which kind of eliminates any of the health benefits. Whatever, just make sure you exercise and move around.
11. Organize Your Desk and Declutter
I know a thing or two about messy desks. When I was a journalist, I stacked up old newspapers, printed pages and layout designs all over my fairly large desk and a conference table.
This was ostensibly for us to read, proof and edit, which happened, but then the papers would stay around a lot longer after that.
I'd like to think our mental state would have been better without all that paper clutter around. Anyway, don't make the same mistake and carve out a few minutes to clean up.
Spending time on desk organization will clear your head.
Go here for more desk organization tips.
12. Do the Dishes at Work
At an old job, we had a kitchen with two refrigerators for about 60 people. But we all had the same morning routine. Stand around the coffeemaker and wait for coffee. It was a great time to chit chat, but then when 10:30 rolled around…the sink would be full of dirty coffee mugs.
And we even had a dishwasher. Sort of like the point above, decluttering and cleaning up can help you focus , creates a positive team environment and not to mention looks good for any potential customers, clients or vendors who happen to be in the office that day.
13. Think About Long-Term Strategy
If you're confined to always responding to the tyranny of the urgent then you may not have time or energy to tackle the big stuff.
If you have an opportunity, now is the perfect time to embrace those big tasks and strategic work that everyone says they want, but won't give you any time to focus on and complete.
Even if you're a lower-level member of the team, this could be your time to shine. Coming up with a few new ideas, even if they aren't immediately put to use, shows initiative and a desire to contribute. That's what work is supposed to be about anyway.
14. Watch a Ted Talk
Let's be honest: This is the responsible person's way of procrastinating. It's the socially acceptable way to be like, "Look I'm wasting time but in a manner that makes me look like I'm doing something important." Yeah, we got it.
And generally, Ted Talks are more productive (I think?) than Netflix, so have it. There are lots of smart people talking on there. It's like college, but with only the best lectures from the best professors condensed down into half the time with no tests. Why don't colleges just show Ted Talks?
If you're looking for a great place to start, here's a list of the top must-see Ted Talks .
15. Help Out Your Colleagues
This concept is a little crazy, so bear with me for a minute. But I think you can handle it. If you're finished with your work for the time being, or have a little extra time on your hands yet your colleagues still have work to do then you could help them do their work.
I know that's wild, but it's part of being a great colleague. And fostering team collaboration.
With a n awesome project management tool , you can see who's working on what and where you may be able to chip in. Go ahead and be direct about how you can help.
That way it keeps you from doing something you'd rather not do, and doesn't put your colleague in a bind to think of something on the spot or to admit they can't handle something. Project management software like ClickUp gives team members visibility into what's happening to help everyone get their projects completed faster.
People say they want great teamwork, until they actually have to work with a team . Take this chance to prove yourself.
NOTE: Keep your team motivated with these great quotes on teamwork!
16. Daydream
Daydreaming means you're smart.
I didn't make that up just to make myself feel good. See, science .
Take this one too far though and you're veering into the procrastination zone, which is kind of like the Twilight Zone but not as interesting.
Maybe set a timer so that you can get back to the action. You're not wasting time but prepping your mind to focus later.
17. Journal
This activity will help you be productive because it allows you to propose solutions without committing to them. Some people may call this "brainstorming" but without the whiteboards and awkward catered lunches.
Try 15 minutes to write out the issues, possible solutions and your thoughts on the matter.
When you do this, your creative brain will activate and take over. With writing, you can comprehend what's happening more clearly with more detail.
18. Improve Your Recall
You're at trivia night and can't remember the biggest box office hits of 2007 . ( Spider Man 3 followed by Shrek The Third . Big year for 3s.)
Well, to get better you'll need to stretch those brain cells…both for your short-term and long-term recall. Here are some exercises to help your brain .
And with great power comes great responsibility for you to remember those box office returns. Don't let your team down.
19. Share Your Expertise
Sharing is caring and you should also love your neighbor. What's one way to do that? Tell others what you know. One way to do this is to create a quick social media post–such as on LinkedIn or answer a Quora question on a topic that you know a lot about. Your friends will thank you.
20. Stretch or Exercise at Your Desk
If you're a desk jockey like myself, the sedentary lifestyle can be hard on the ol' limbs. You need to stretch and move around a bit, even for 5 minutes.
You could walk outside or get more coffee or go creep on some other floors of your office building to see if they have better bathrooms. Or if you're on that conference call and can leave the immediate area, do a few leg lifts or touch your toes .
21. Record Those Business Cards
Got a stack of business cards from your last conference?
Time to digitize those little darlings.
There are loads of great smartphone apps now to help you do it, or you could manually enter them the old-fashioned way.
Up to you! And while you're at it, why don't you rewind to #1 and write some notes as well? They'll appreciate your thoughts.
22. Find More About Your Industry
Since you have free time, catch up on your industry and find out who the movers and shakers are. You may find a few blog posts or resources that could jumpstart your own work and provide you with fresh ideas. This is a great way to offer value to your company.
23. Review your Investments
If you're anything like me, this feels like work. So why not do it at work? This doesn't necessarily mean do all of your budgeting, but it could be a good time to review your investment options, your 401k plan or your overall savings. Maybe add a few more bucks if your company matches!
24. Schedule Coffee with a Colleague
There's probably someone in the company who is the power broker. It's the person who gets things done. Get to know this person. Pick their brain about their career path. They'll also be a great resource for learning more about growth opportunities–inside and out of the company.
25. Meditate or Pray
Meditation and prayer help you with self-control, combatting stress and even makes you nicer. Relaxing and calming down has mental health benefits in addition to spiritual ones as well.
Conclusion
See, there is life beyond your phone. I promise. Next time you ask yourself "what to do when I'm bored at work," you can consult these fun productive things to do in your spare time.
Successful people will find ways to improve collaboration, teamwork, and relationships while also improving your own abilities.
It's all part of great time management.
Make your downtime at work productive, too. When you have nothing to do, it's the perfect time to do…something.
Note: Need a bit more motivation? Check out these motivational team quotes.
What to Do on Computer When Bored at Work
Source: https://clickup.com/blog/productive-things-to-do/