While you’re at work, you should always be working (duh), so if you find yourself procrastinating or just staring blankly at your computer screen for long periods of time, you should figure out a way to make better use of your time at the office. Here are a few tips for turning your chronic boredom into productivity:
Talk to your boss.
Let your boss know that you are prepared to take on more responsibilities and challenges. Assure your boss that you can complete your current duties efficiently and correctly while also taking on some additional work. Make sure your boss knows that you’re excited about the work you do and refrain from using the word “bored” at all costs.
Help out a struggling co-worker.
If you have nothing to do, but you notice that your co-worker seems to have a lot on their plate, offer to help them out with some of it! It will give you something to do (which always makes the day go by more quickly), and they’ll be very grateful for your help. Plus, you never know when you need a helping hand down the road, so that person will be more likely to help you out when you need it.
Make a to-do list.
Set aside some time in your day to get organized. If you know what you need to be working on over the next couple weeks, create a to-do list for what you need to accomplish each day. Then, you’ll be sure to not forget about anything on your list and you won’t ever miss a deadline.
Review your work.
Check and make sure that you’ve actually completed everything you’re supposed to be doing. Especially if you keep up with your assignments in your head, there’s a good chance you may have missed something. Or, if you feel like you need to go back and revise a previous assignment or project, do that. You always want your work to be the best it can possibly be.
Educate yourself.
There are some days when there really isn’t anything to do, but that’s still no excuse to browse through Facebook all day long. Instead, increase your own knowledge base by doing some research on your own company, companies like yours, and the general field you’re working in. Being informed about your career will never hurt you and will probably help you if your boss sees that you’ve done your homework.
Talk to those around you.
Even though you work in the same office as your co-workers, it doesn’t mean you are all doing the same job. How much do you actually know about the marketing division of your company? Probably not a whole lot. So, make your way to that department and take an interest in what they do. Be sure to ask them beforehand if they have time to speak with you, but you’ll probably learn a new thing or two.
