50 Productive Things to Do When You're Bored at Work
Table Of Contents
If you are feeling unproductive and bored at work and looking for ways to boost your productivity, you are at the right place.
Productive Things To Do
Down below, whether you work in an office or work remotely, you can find a lot of helpful tips for becoming more productive when you get bored at work, and you can learn how to use your downtime for your own good.
To help you be more productive at work, BeforeSunset AI has put together the list below!
Move
Move is one of the first things that people recommend doing when they are bored at work. If you cannot find anything to do, it can be a good idea to get up and take a walk around the office. This can be a good way to take your mind off of work and get some fresh air as well.
If you cannot find anything else to do, there are plenty:
1- Look for ways to go out for a stroll
The first step should be to get your body moving, because you’ve been at work for a long time, whether you are a remote worker or working in an office, and going for a walk will make you feel better. This is arguably one of the best productive things to do when you are bored.
2- Grab a healthy snack- healthy food happy mood
Don’t forget to reward yourself with a healthy snack. Fuel your body with healthy snacks and increase your concentration at work. It will boost your brain power.
3- Take a coffee break
When you start to feel less productive, you can take a break to grab a coffee, or if you are working from home, you can enjoy the moment by making yourself a perfect cup of coffee. Giving yourself the break you deserve is one of the important steps to becoming more productive.
4- Stretch your body more
Stretching your muscles will relax you and renew your energy after long, stressful hours at your desk.
5- Go and chat with your coworker
Instead of choosing online communication with your coworkers, you can walk next to their desks. It not only gets your body moving, but it also improves your communication with your coworkers, and in this way, you can learn new things from them.
Tidy Up/ Organize
It's easy to get distracted by all the things on your desk, especially when you're trying to work. So, it's important that you keep everything in order.
6- Clean your workspace
You can clean your desk to eliminate distractions and create an environment in which you can work more productively. A clean working environment will also assist you in clearing your mind.
7- Organize your desk
By keeping your desk organized, you can discover what you're looking for more quickly and so save time.
8- Organize your emails- clean your inbox
Considering that we handle everything related to work via emails, organizing your mailbox is a critical step toward increasing your productivity. Clear out your spam folder, make a separate file for important emails, and read and reply to them.
9- Organize your files
We may be in charge of a large number of important business documents. Placing these files in an orderly manner will allow you to easily find the file you need when you need it, and knowing which file is where will let you know that critical documents are safe.
10- Create a daily cleaning and organizing habit
The first time is always the hardest. Now that you’ve finished cleaning and organizing, it’s time to protect it. Spend 10 minutes each day keeping your workspace clean and organized.
Maximize Your Productivity
11- Establish daily goals
You can set goals for yourself each day to see what you’ve accomplished and how far you’ve progressed, at the end of the day. In this way, you won't feel like you've squandered your day, and you'll get a better idea of how long it takes you to complete your tasks.
12- Learn about time management tips
11 and 12 are closely related. An online tool can be extremely useful for tracking your goals, time, and projects. Whether you’re an hourly worker or not, time tracking is the most important thing in business life. Here are 14 easy tips for improving your productivity and time consumption.
13- Use an online tool for project management
Using an online tool for tracking team performance will definitely boost your productivity at work. You can also plan your budget with ease. Most of these online tools offer free trial versions, you can choose between them according to your need.
Start your free trial with BeforeSunset AI to track your work hours, gain insights into your work structure, and optimize your task completion efficiency.
14- Prioritize work-life balance
The ability to strike a balance between work and life will make you feel more organized and at ease. Therefore, planning and tracking your progress will make you feel more confident.
15- Prioritize the hardest task first
We usually have the highest energy and motivation for work in the first hours of the day. It is up to us to use this to our advantage. Do the hardest thing first with high motivation and you can easily handle the rest.
Start Working on Self-Improvement
16- Read every day
Reading enriches your vocabulary and researchers have found that a rich vocabulary prevents cognitive decline. It also reduces your stress level. According to a 2009 study conducted by the University of Sussex, reading for six minutes can reduce stress levels by up to 68 percent. Even taking five or six-minute breaks to read a book will benefit you greatly.
17- Find inspiration
Inspiration is a key determinant of discretionary effort, which boosts output and can enhance the customer experience. You can watch inspirational videos related to your business area, or you can spend your reading breaks with inspirational books or even you can listen to podcasts that will inspire you in every aspect.
18- Learn something new every day
Spend 5 minutes each day studying something new, whether it's a new word linked to the language you want to learn or something about your work you don't know but want to get better at.
19- Keep a bullet a journal
Keeping a journal can help you a lot. Besides improving your writing skills, it can help you find inspiration, strengthen your memory and reduce your stress level. Moreover, you can develop your self-awareness by writing things you are grateful for, and by means of this you can gain self-confidence.
20- Grow your professional network
Meeting new people will improve your communication skills while also allowing you to benefit from their experience and knowledge.
Manage Your Finances
21- Set financial goals- debts and budgeting
You can use your downtime to set financial goals. You can set goals for how much you want to save for the future and retirement, as well as how much you want to budget for the things you want to buy.
22- Track your spending
One of the most important aspects of budgeting is keeping track of what and where you're spending your money. Especially for those paid by the hour, planning your budget with ease will help them a lot in business life. Online tools like BeforeSunset can be extremely beneficial for monitoring budgets.
23- Find the most suitable money plan for you
You can use your time to look for the best financial plan for you, based on your income and expenses. There are different budget rules such as 50/20/30 or 80/20.
You can also take your time to check financial sites like http://milvestor.com for more personal finance information.
24- Research useful financial advice
You can check out reliable sources and read the books of reputable people you trust for financial guidance.
25- Make a grocery list or wish list
You can save money and time by determining your needs in advance.
Advance Your Professional Development
26- Focus on your skills
Create a list where you can see what you're talented at and where you're lacking.
27- Edit your Linkedin profile
Linkedin allows you to create a professional social network. Updating your profile allows you to make the right connections and access current information on your areas of interest.
28- Update your resume
Updating your resume can open up new job opportunities for you. Don't forget to include any recent experience and skills that you've gained.
29- Stay up-to-date
Keeping up with current trends in your industry will allow you to advance in your career.
30- Develop self-awareness
Ask your manager or coworkers for feedback. Getting feedback and working on it will definitely improve you.
Build Up Your Communication Skills
31- Help your colleagues
Caring about teamwork will not only improve your communication with coworkers but will also help you grow socially and professionally. When you are bored or unmotivated, you can spend a few minutes helping others.
32- Improve your written communication
In the business world, effective written communication is just as important as effective verbal communication. You can take a few minutes to improve yourself in business writing.
33- Attend an online course, workshop or Ted Talk
Many events and workshops are now available online as a result of the pandemic. You can take advantage of them to hone your communication skills.
34- Step outside of your comfort zone
Get comfortable with discomfort because it will provide numerous advantages for you. If talking to new people makes you nervous, get over it and start chit-chatting at work with those you're not close to or haven't yet spoken to.
35- Make a presentation
You can take an important step toward improving your verbal communication skills by volunteering to make presentations at meetings.
Practice Self-Care
36- Plan your weekend
Make time for yourself this weekend to unwind from the stresses of the week!
37- Meditate
You can close your eyes and practice meditation for a few minutes to sharpen your attention and calm your thoughts.
38- Stay hydrated
Where coffee is not enough, drinking water will sober you up by accelerating your blood flow.
39-Listen to your favorite music
We can all benefit from music’s motivating power. Take some time for your favorite tune.
40- Decorate your desk
You can add your own touches to your desk to make it feel more like a part of your workspace.
Have Fun
41- Start a book club in the office
It's a fantastic idea to start a book club at work to relieve stress and tension while having fun with your coworkers.
42- Make time for a hobby that makes you feel good
You can make time for a hobby that brings you joy. Here are some hobbies you can do at work:
- coloring
- drawing
- crossword puzzles
43- Honor the birthdays of the staff
You can create a fun atmosphere in the office by celebrating your coworkers' birthdays and making them feel valued.
44- Host a walking meeting
You can make your meeting more enjoyable by holding a walking meeting.
45- Decorate the office space with your coworkers
Organizing and decorating your work environment with your colleagues is a fun way to strengthen your bonds.
Relax
46- Rest your eyes
Nowadays, we spend long hours in front of our computers to get our work done. Take a few minutes to rest your eyes.
47- Try deep breathing
It will decrease your stress and increase your calm. Your endorphins, or "feel-good" chemicals, are also increased by deep breathing.
48- Get some fresh air
Your brain uses 20% of the oxygen you breathe in to function. Give your body what it needs.
49- Massage your hands
Your skin will feel refreshed after applying lotion to your hands for a stress-relieving massage, and your joints and ligaments will be free of tension.
50- Make playlists to relax
Make a playlist of the music that helps you unwind when you're stressed out so you can quickly access it.
If you're having trouble staying motivated at work and don't know what to do, try these helpful hints!