65 (productive) things to do when youre bored at work

65 (productive) things to do when youre bored at work65 (productive) things to do when youre bored at workLook, feeling burnt out at the office sometimes is reality.And often, feeling bored at work is OK, actually. But then therbeie are the days when youre looking at the clock, and 242 PM is staring back at you. 242 PM and youre already finished your to-do list and youre staring at your chipped nail polish, considering whether to spend the next 12 minutes picking it off.You could spend the afternoon doing that. Or you could harness that boredom to do something actually productive- like an activity that will dramatically improve your professional standing and career. Something challenging. Something maybe (dare we say it?) a little fun. You with us? Great. Here are 65 options that will fill your time and improve your career.What to do when youre bored at work Email edition1. Go through your spam folder.Seriously, when was the last time you did that?2. Unsubscribe from 10 newsletters.Y ouve gotten used to ignoring them, right? Well, nows the time.3. Subscribe to a new industry-focused and/or women-focused newsletter.You know when you clean out your closet to sell your clothes, and you get to treat yourself to a new item with the money you make? Do the same here. Pick a newsletter that youll actually open, either specific to your industry or women-focused. We loveAnn Friedmans newsletterand theNew York TimesGender Letter.4. Try a new email productivity method.If you havent deep-dived intoinbox zerobefore, well, nows the time. Youve clearly got time to kill. Theres also David Allenstwo-minute rule. Last but leid least, theres ourpersonal favorite,Inbox by Gmail, which turns your inbox into one big, magical to-do list.5. Write to a professional contact to suggest a coffee.Maybe its your old boss or one of your current colleagues who youd like to get to know mora. Regardless, shoot them an email and ask if they want to grab lunch or a coffee next week.6. Update your e mail signature.No, really- when was the last time you looked at it? Is it even accurate? Could it be more pleasing?7. Check inwith your network.Shoot a quick email to a few old colleagues you havent spoken a while a while. Just ask them how everythings going. The point is small hellos keep your network from getting cold.8. Make a to read folder in your inbox.You know those newsletters in your inbox that youwantto read, but theyre too long to read right now? Set up this folder now to throw them all into. The next time youre bored at work, you can open them up.9. Make a to do someday folder in your inbox.You know those tasks you have that are constantly on the back burner? Put those in their own folder as well, so you can refer back to them for inspiration down the line. Think email courses on content marketing or SEO.10. Write an email to your boss letting her know you want to discuss some new responsibilities.Look, if youre this bored, is there something new you could be learning or doing? Spend some time thinking today about what new projects youd like to tackle at work to grow your career, then write to your boss to get on her calendar to discuss.What to do when youre bored at work The great laptop cleanup11. Clean. Up. Your. Desktop.You know, the place where screenshots go to die. Make it sparkle.12. Run all those updates.Yep, the ones youve been clicking remind me tomorrow on for two years.13. Organize your files.The way your folders are set up right now probably leave something to be desired. Come up with a logical structure and clean it alllll up.14. Or consider moving your files to Dropbox.Or whatever cloud service you prefer (although we really, really like Dropbox). It will save your computer bandwidth, and it makes it easier to access your stuff from anywhere, including your phone when youre stuck in traffic and realize that your boss needs that Excel file, like, right now. (Speaking for a friend.)15. Delete anything personal from your work computer. Look, behauptung things happen, but its just good manners. Delete any downloaded photos, notes, or emails.16. Update your passwords.Yep, the ones youve had since high school.17.Actuallyclean your laptop.Keymainboard, screen, the whole shebang. Well wait.18. Then give it a hard reboot.If you somehow miraculously didnt have to restart your computer when updating your programs, give it a restart now. We all deserve a little downtime.What to do when youre bored at work The office makeover19. Clean off your desk.Dont just shuffle everything around. Take everything off of it, pull out the spray cleaner and give the whole thing a nice wipe down. Looks nice, right? Which brings us to our next point20. Commit to a new habit cleaning up your desk every night before you leave.Seriously, it changeseverythingwhen you get to arrive to a perfectly organized desk each morning.21. Organize your desk drawers.Yes, all of them. And throw all those roguePost-It note wrappers and half-used utensil packs away.22. Now that you know whats in there, make a list of what you need.How long have you been using that crappy pen because its the only one you have? How often have you been starving at your desk and made bad vending machine choices? Make a list of office supplies, snacks, whatever that youd like to have. Then go shopping for them this weekend.23.And a list of what youwant.A desk plant? (Fun fact theymake you more productive.) Maybea vision boardon your wall? A calendar,planner, or whiteboard? What are some ways you could make this space more useful? Youre less likely to feel bored at work if you have plenty of stuff to inspire.What to do when youre bored at work Self-improvement tactics24. Find some great books to inspire your career.Weve beyond got you on this. Consider our lists of thebest self-help booksfor people who hate self-help books, thebest books by women of color, the bestleadership books for women, thebest workplace fiction, and last but not least, books tohelp you ge t your finances in order(finally).25. Watch some career-inspiring TED talks.Here are ourfavorites by badass women.26. Better yet, subscribe to some career-inspiring YouTube channels.The best ones are updated every week, which means the next time youre bored at the office, you can head straight there. First upCareer Contessas YouTube, duh. Then try ourlist of binge-worthy channels.27. Write some SMART goals for your career and life.We loveSMART goalsbecause they help you break down the big picture into smaller, more manageable parts- the ideal way to make the most of a slow period at work.28. And then, write an intimidation list.Sometimes, facing your fears starts with actually acknowledging them. Hence why you should try your ownintimidation list.29. Subscribe to a new podcast.When was the last time you tried a new one? Because weve got the perfectcareer advice podcastfor you.behauptung women-run podcastsare great, too. And heres a list ofour readers favorites, just in case you have nt had enough.30. Download a professional networking app.Networking is hard, especially ifyoure an introvert. The beauty of technology is that there are now tons of networking apps out there. We likeBumbleBizzandVina.31. Or research a networking opportunity.Its one of the best things you can do tomeet new professional contacts, but it will also help you get better at delivering your personal pitch and speaking to strangers. All good things for self-improvement. TryMeetupor readthis article on the five types of networking eventsyou need (theres a list of where to find them at the end, too). Or throw your ownnetworking party.What to do when youre bored at work Skills-building32. Do some research into conferences or professional development opportunities.If your office offers support for conferences or courses, nows a good time to research what your next choice will be. If not, its still worth researching and maybe even pitching a great opportunity to your boss.33. Take an online class or course.These range from the expensive, but exhaustive to the totally free (ahem, YouTube). Heres a comprehensive guide to all ofour favorite continuing education options.34. Research a new technique or approach you can use for your work.Make plans for how you canimprove your public speaking skills.Or your productivity via theRule of 3. Or research new techniques in your industry (scrum meetings, the latest marketing trends, new platforms to use for project management, etc.)35. Download one (or several) of our resources.Theyre free. We think theyre brilliant. Theres probably a good one for you inour library.36. Email a colleague or mentor to ask what skills they think you should acquire.Your boss qualifies, too. Find someone who has an aspirational career and ask them what they think you should work on in your own career to climb the ladder.37. Make a list of all the hobbies youd be curious to try.Yes, hobbies.Justhobbies. Sometimes, the best skills-based learning is the type tha t has nothing to do with your work. (Youd be surprised how often a work idea pops into your head while youre, say, watercoloring.)38. Learn a new program / learn some new shortcuts in a program.Fact 99.7325% of the population hates working in Excel. OK, maybe we cant cite our sources on this, but you know what we mean. The point is almost every career uses Excel at one point or another. Why dont you spend an hour learning how to use it better? Same goes for things like learning Photoshop keyboard shortcuts, watching tutorials on how to design in Keynote, etc.What to do when youre bored at work Leadership strategy39. Download an audiobook to listen to later on your commute home.It can be hard to motivate to read leadership books after a long day at the office, but your commute is a great time to tackle them. We have a list of our favorites leadership bookshere, but you can also find all sorts of options on Audible.40. Build a presentation for an idea you have to show in your next tea m meeting or one-on-one with your boss.Sometimes the best way to gain leadership skills is to create the opportunities. Think of a new responsibility or project you want to tackle, then create a pitch to deliver. Its a great way to practice yourpresentation skills, get over yourfear of public speaking, and of course, the art of the sell. All leadership musts.41. departure a recycling program at your office.If youre feeling like there arent a lot of opportunities to expand your leadership skills in your current role, consider taking a lateral approach. Starting a do-good program at your office is a great way to show you have management potential even if youre a manager- yet.42. Or start a womens groupStarting a womens committeeis a great way to make sure more womens voices are heard in your office and the workforce in general.43. If you dont have one, find a mentor.Great leaders learn from great leaders. If you dont have a mentor currently, spend some time finding one. Think about wh o you admire in your company or field and shoot them an email to get the ball rolling. Or try reaching out to someone you dont know viaan informational interview. Or head to ourHire a Mentorservice to book a session with a woman whos been there and successfully done that.44. Take the time to be a mentor to another woman.Think about someone whos younger in your office and send them an email about having coffee.untersttzung other womenis both essential and a great way to build skills as a leader.45. Read some articles on leadership tactics.Like how torun a great meeting. Or how to combat an innatehiring bias. Or deliver agreat annual review.46. Research your salary.Make sure you know what you should be making, so youre staying on top of your own professional and financial growth. Start by joiningThe Salary Project, then trythese salary toolsthat help you research trends in your industry.47. Start preparing your ask for a raise.If youve wanted to ask for a raise for a while (and youve confirmed a new target number via tip 43), nows the time to start thinking about how and when youll ask. Think through your strategy- Is your work anniversary coming up? Are you turning in a large project soon?- and start preparing your pitch via ourGIMME raise template.48. Read about how to build a more inclusive team, company, and workforce.Inclusivity is a blind spot for many leaders, but not you. Start by reading about what its like tonavigate white workplaces as a black womanand what its like tojob search as a black woman, and the dramatic difference betweenEqual Pay Day for white women versus women of color. Learn how tocombat mansplainingandother casual sexismin meetings. Take into account that women are more likely to bully women professionally than they are men and make it a point todo the opposite as an ally. Think aboutageism, too. Its a big, complicated,problematic world out there and the best leaders are willing to face that, every day.What to do when youre bored at wor k LinkedIn49. Edit your LinkedIn profile based on a recruiters advice.We wrote abouthow to optimize your LinkedInin detail. We also havea LinkedIn-centric coursethat you might want to sign up for.50. Swap out your LinkedIn headshot and cover image.When was the last time you did that? Years ago? If you have a new great photo of yourself on hand, go ahead an upload it.51. Max out your skills list.It can increase your LinkedIn profile views by 300%. Downloadthe skills sheet from this articleto add 50 of them to your profile ASAP.52. Request recommendations (and give some in return)Youre bored at work- could there ever be a better time?53. Connect with professionals you admire.Look for women and men working at companies you love or in the roles you aspire to, then request to connect. Make sure to send a personalized message explaining why youre reaching out.54. And then request some informational interviews.Informational interviewstake 30 minutes or less, and they really are the best th ing for your career. Reach out to some of those new contacts on LinkedIn about setting up a time. Then prepare with 15 of thebest questions to ask in an informational interview.55. Make your LinkedIn summary more creative.Weve rounded upcreative LinkedIn summariesfrom the women who do it best. Follow their example, why dont ya?What to do when youre bored at work Social media strategy56. Follow some positive Instagram accounts.Youre going to want to followall 25 of these women. And then there are the accounts that haveincredible Instagram stories.57. Get more strategic about your social accounts.Did you know you canuse social media to find a job? Even if youre not interested in going that route (because hey, being bored at work doesnt mean you want to leave), nows a great time to follow thought leaders on LinkedIn and Twitter. But the trick is to also get strategic about engaging, commenting, and liking as well. So get chatting.58. Share some of the career-inspiring articles you read today on your LinkedIn.Theres no better way to show how much you care about the work youre doing.59. Make some quick profile updates that will improve your career.The Muse wrote about13ways to tweak your social accountsto make them more useful professionally-speaking. And heresa fun articlefrom theNew York Timesdivided by social channel.60. Reach out to someone you admire on social.We talk about informational interviews and LinkedIn a lot, but think about whether theres someone you admire on Instagram or Twitter. Chances are they dont get asked often to have a coffee or phone chat, so why not give it a go by sliding into their DMs?What to do when youre bored at work Productivity tactics61. Upgrade your to-do lists.Not all to-do lists are created equal. Why not take advantage of this downtime to trya new to-do method?62. Or just try this subtle to-do list tweak.It was a total productivitya-ha momentfor us.63. Plan to master at least one new time management techniques.Here are 15 tha t you should havemastered by 30(dont worry- theyre still good to learn even if youre 83 years old.)64. Stop saying you dont have enough time.Clearly, you have time now. But did you know that you actually have50+ hours a weekto work on new projects or side hustles? Start thinking about how much time you have differently, and youll be more prepared to use it productively.65. Or maybeyou should just do nothing.Because sometimes,embracing your downtimeis actually the best thing you can do to find new inspiration. And on that note- over and out.This article was originally published on CareerContessa.com.