21 Things To Do When Bored At Work | Try It Out Now!

So, let’s say you close from work by 5 pm every day. However, on this day, you went through your to-do list with the speed of light and found yourself staring at the clock by 3:07 pm. Now, you’re wondering what things you could do since you’re bored at work.

You wait a while and after picking your nails 45mins later, you look back at the clock and it’s 3:08 pm. Who hasn’t been in this situation?

Usually, the go-to activity is sleep. However, that’s not the only one there is. Who says you can’t be productive and still have fun in the workplace?

Depending on your preferred activities on a regular day, there is a pool of activities you could choose from. For someone who doesn’t like to walk about, trying to get rid of boredom is not a walk in the park (pun intended).

So, I have compiled a list of 21 things to do when you’re bored at work for everyone.

Things To Do When You’re Bored At Work

The following activities would help you get rid of boredom at work whilst encouraging you to be more productive in your workspace.

#1. Strengthen Your Brain

Crossword puzzles, chess, and scrabble are my go-to games. I find them entertaining, engrossing, and at the same time, educating. Find an interested colleague, and start a “Game of Boards”.

Or, try playing online too. There’s something about exploring game ideas with people you don’t know. So, if you’re bored at work, try putting your brain to work this way. You’d enjoy it.

#2. Go On a Walk

It’s pretty simple right?!

Go on a walk.

It does help to just go on a walk. Leave your desk, leave your computer, and just take a walk around the office and outside. Soak in some good Vitamin D and meet random people around.

Sometimes it could take nothing more than a good stroll to rid you of that malignant writer’s block. You could also receive inspiration or ideas. Also, it’d help you familiarize yourself with your environment some more.

#3. Talk To A Friend Or Family Member

For me, it’s my mum and my best friend.

Here’s a fact: hearing your mum’s voice is therapeutic. Honestly, when the pressure is high, I take some time to talk to my mum, and I feel relieved after having a random conversation with her.

It also works when I’m bored at work. I’d call her or my best friend. Besides text and voice calls, you can also try face-timing loved ones.

If you’re bored at work, dial and talk to them.

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#4. Update Your Résumé

Nobody said you can’t be productive even if you’re bored at work. Have you recently completed any courses or made any huge accomplishments in your workplace?

Seize the opportunity to update your résumé and personal website. You don’t have to do that only if you’re in the market for a new job.

So, think of the new courses you’ve done, new skills and experiences you’ve gained, and translate them into your cover letter and résumé.

#5. Thoroughly Clean Your Laptop. 

If you’re someone like me whose computer is my primary tool, take out some time to clean it up.

The keyboard, screen, the whole thing. There are usually germs on these parts of the computer. So, since you know just how often you use it, try to clean it up if you’re bored at work.

Also, clear up your desktop. That place where you store screenshots and random documents. Organize them in folders until you can see your background image a lot clearer. 

You can also seize the opportunity to run all those updates you’ve been clicking on “remind me later” for months.

#6. Stretch

My boss would sometimes insist we all take a couple of minutes to perform these stretch exercises together. It’s usually fun, and believe me when I say it, it’s actually relieving.

If you work seated in front of a computer all day, take some time to perform some simple stretches like the downward dog and some simple supine twists to give your muscles some relief.

However, if you’re in a conference call or meeting and can’t leave your immediate location, do a few leg lifts or touch your toes.

Your limbs will thank you.

#7. Take a Power Nap

If you’re bored at work and you have some free time, you can take a quick nap. Often, when you’re engrossed in your work, you may experience a slight headache and fatigue. A 30 minutes’ nap should do the trick.

Always remember to attempt to ensure you take care of yourself and your health. Taking a short break to relax your head and your mind will go a long way to achieving that.

#8. Send a Few Love Notes

It’s quite demanding to maintain a relationship while keeping a day job. A party may feel neglected in the relationship if you do not make out time for them.

So, whenever you’re bored at work, take some time to draft and send a sweet poetic message to your significant other. This letter would let them know they are important to you and you’re always thinking about them.

Trust me, this will go a long way to curb some complaints, and help you maintain sound relationships with the people you care about.

#9. Listen to Music

Now, I do this a lot. At the barest sign of boredom at work, I just grab my headphones and play music to my heart’s content. The genre of the music would depend on my state of mind.

So, whether it’s rap for you or hip-hop, jazz, country, or the oldies, pick up your headphones and do away with the boredom.

I also go as far as creating choreography for each song in my head and just entertaining myself until I have to go back to work. You should try it too.

#10. Stay Informed

Don’t let you’re demanding job keep you out of touch with the happenings in your community, and the country at large. Catch up on the news of the world and your town. Go to theSkimm, The New York Times, and your local sites to see what’s going on around you.

If you know you fall into the category of people who only hear the news when others are talking about it, take the next opportunity when you’re bored at work to remedy that situation. Be an active member of your community.

#11. Write in Your Journal

Writing about how I feel helps me almost as much as talking to someone. So, I write about anything and everything I think is worth remembering.

If you also keep a journal, you’d know that one challenge of maintaining the journal is the lack of time. So, I devised a system of writing in my journal when I’m bored at work.

You should try it. You can write about anything (it’s your journal after all). Write about the things you’re grateful for each day, as this helps reduce mental stress and anxiety.

You could also debate within yourself on the solutions to some of your challenges. Brainstorming without the whiteboards and deadlines would increase your productivity.

#12. Start Learning a New Language

You know it’s something you’d like to do – learn a new language. However, the challenge has always been the lack of time. Fortunately, in the spirit of being productive even when you’re bored at work, you can take up that spare time to learn a new language.

Get an introductory textbook and try to read a chapter every day. If you feel you may need a reminder, get an app like Duolingo that will remind you to practice.

This is a list of online language courses for your perusal. Find a course and learn a new language.

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#13. Learn Something New

If you constantly practice your current skills, you’ll find ways you can improve yourself. When you find those ways, try to learn them and get better.

Regardless of how good you are at your job, there’s always room for improvement. That’s how you stay the best as other people are also looking to beat your records and take the lead.

Personally, as a writer, I like to read the works of older and better writers to pick up a few words and styles. I also set new goals for myself. After putting the new knowledge to play, I’d want to see how they can help me improve my skill.

Regardless of what you do, try to learn a new skill. Or, improve the knowledge you already have. It doesn’t even have to be work-related.

#14. Share Your Expertise

My boss would always say that knowledge is the only thing that gets bigger when you share it. So, if there’s a topic you’re well versed in and there’s a colleague struggling with knowledge in that niche, do well to help.

When you teach, you internalize that knowledge even more. You may come across some new questions you can answer and get even better.

Also, if there’s a Quora or LinkedIn question on a topic you excel in, you can create a succinct social media post to answer the question thoroughly.

#15. Read That Book

Let me just say it; buying books and having them on shelves alone doesn’t mean you’re well-read. You actually have to pick them up, dust them, and read them one page at a time.

So, if you’re guilty of having all the best books but never really reading them, attempt to start reading. Begin with the free times when you’re bored at work, one chapter at a time.

#16. Meal Plan For the Week

If you also need a lot of time to decide exactly what to eat, start thinking of the meal plan for the week when you’re bored at work.

Trust me when I say this will make your life easier.

Sometimes, I also do it in the bathroom. Knowing what to eat will help you create a mental picture of what your grocery list should look like. And, having that idea will reduce the time it should take you to decide. Besides, eating in will save you some money.

#17. Online Shop

You can always do some online shopping when you’re bored at work.

Shopping online for me is more like a communion between me, my wants, and my bank statement. So, I need maximum attention for that. What better time is there for that “communion“ than when I’m bored at work?!

If there are appliances, furnishings, or toiletries you’ve been thinking about getting, you can search for them, and order from a legit store.

#18. Go Through the Photos on Your Devices

You could do this to reminisce about old memories. You’d probably come across some old pictures and remember friends to give a call. Delete any pictures you don’t need anymore to free up some space on your device.

Do the same on your computer too. If you use a work computer, delete all the personal pictures. Believe me, it’d save you some embarrassment.

Sort them into folders to keep them organized.

#19. Organize the Apps on Your Phone

Categorize them according to their purposes or whichever way works for you. Delete the apps you haven’t used in the last 3-4 months. This will help you free up some space on your device and make your home screen/ desktop look organized.

#20. Clean Out Your “Junk” Drawer

You know you have one of those. It wasn’t made to be called a junk drawer. However, that’s where the “half-eaten’s”, “half-done’s” or “can’t-really-figure-out-where-to-put-it-just-yet’s” go to die.

Whenever you have some free time on your hands and you’re bored at work, clean it up.

All of it!

Keep the receipts in a folder, while broken rubber bands and dead batteries should be thrown away.

Get a drawer divider and try not to put yourself through this process again.

#21. Check-in On Your Finances

Go through your savings accounts and checking accounts to know just how much money you spend, and if there’s a possibility of cutting down the expenditures. How much do you spend on office junk? What services have you subscribed to but rarely ever use?

Consider all these questions and make intentional decisions to cut down where necessary. Also, review your investments. Now, if all of this is not your forte, it could very well seem like a whole job.

Leverage the work environment to get in the mood when you’re bored at work. You don’t have to do the entire budgeting. However, you could use the opportunity to review your options for investment.

Conclusion

After the pressure at work eases a tad bit, there’s a huge chance that you may have some free time on your hands. If you always find yourself wondering exactly what to do at that moment, then this article is surely for you; as I have listed 21 things you can do when you’re bored at work.

I’m busy at the moment putting this post together just for you. When I’m done with it, I’d probably have some free time too, and I’d have to think of what to do with that free time.

I’m considering listening to music or taking a walk (it’s been a long day!).

Share any other things one can do when they’re bored at work with us in the comment section.

Have a productive day!