You love your job, but sometimes, there are moments when you feel like you’ve been doing the same thing over and over again. People who have monotonous jobs often complain about boredom at work, and even those who have just completed a major project can find the time between tasks to be excruciatingly boring.
Sure, you could go on social media, or watch endless videos on YouTube. However, there are more productive things that you can do to keep boredom at bay, and some of these can even lead to a potential promotion or salary raise, as you gain a few skills and knowledge through them.
Here are some productive ways to keep boredom at bay.
Organize your workspace
If you truly have nothing better to do, then this would be a good time to create a filing system for that stack of papers on your desk that you’ve been meaning to file away but haven’t had the time to do so. While you’re at it, get rid of knick knacks and other things that clutter up your workspace, and see if you can make your desk look clean, efficient, and attractive enough to post on Pinterest.
Learn a new language
If you have a few weeks to go before your next big task, you can spend the time learning a new language. You can go on sites such as Duolingo to learn Spanish, French, German, Italian, Swedish, Russian, or Greek. Before you know it, you’ll be making conversation in another language, which is sure to impress your co-workers and friends.
Brush up on your skills
Let’s say you only know enough about PowerPoint to make a decent presentation, but why not make use of the time to become great at it? Use the time to brush up on your skills, so whether it’s making a slideshow, a spreadsheet, or a business letter, there’s always room for you to improve on anything that you know how to do.
Write a blog post
If you don’t have a blog, you can start one right away. Starting a blog won’t cost you a single cent, and you can motivate yourself to keep on with it by writing about things that you’re truly passionate about.
If you love to read books, you can review books and make a recommendation of books that other bibliophiles will love. You can also write an industry-related blog if you wish to do so. The sky’s the limit! Just make sure to write about non-controversial subjects—you’ll never know who’s reading your posts.
Organize a group
If you have work friends with similar interests, why not organize an office group? You could have a book club, a wine club, a workout group, an 80’s movie club, or a volunteer group. The latter is especially good as you get to spend time with your work friends, and at the same time, all of you have a chance to give back to the community.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on signs that you may need to take a break from social media.
