At some point or another, we’ve all found ourselves with nothing to do at work. This might be because we simply don’t have any interest in the work we’re doing, we’re not being supervised properly, or the work we’re doing is so simple that we finished it hours ago. Finding ourselves scrolling aimlessly through clickbait, wikipedia articles, and google search results, we can almost feel our souls escaping our bodies.

What do you do when you have nothing to do at work? How do you keep engaged?Most importantly, how do you better yourself when your skills aren’t being used to their full potential by your current employer?

Your Guide for Nothing to Do at Work

Learn a Language

Have you ever considered working in a different country, but you just don’t have the ability to speak another language? If you’re bored at work, with nothing to do, then you should start learning one now. There are multiple applications available (like Duolingo, for example), that can used either on your desktop or your mobile phone, that you can start using to pick up a language (whether it’s German, French, or Pig Latin). Best of all, you can turn off the mic functionality on them, so your co-workers won’t hear you practicing your Mandarin! Practicing a new language is not only productive on a personal level, but it can help you become a jet-setting internal businessperson, too. 

Network on LinkedIn

One of the best things you can do when you have nothing to do at work is job search! Obviously, if you feel like your skills aren’t being appreciated or utilized enough, you should start to look around for new opportunities. We’ve already talked about the merits of job searching in a previous article, but what are some of the ways you can job search while avoiding job postings? You can network online! Networking on LinkedIn is a great way to figure out where you stand in the job market. Especially because the more active you are on LinkedIn, the more likely you are to show up in search results for recruiters. Connect with people, message them, and figure out where you stand and how in-demand your dream position truly is in today’s market!

Work on your Mixtape

What’s the easiest way to keep yourself busy when you have nothing to do at work? That’s easy, become a platinum selling rap artist! Turn your office into the neighbourhood studio, and get to work that way. When you’re laying down some slick bars, you might catch a few side-eye’s from Janice in Accounting, but who cares? You’re trying to make it big in the music industry!

Organize your Files

You can start by re-organizing your physical space, but it can feel just as cathartic to also clear out your desktop/e-mail. Chances are you have a lot of files, e-mails, and lots of other data just sitting on your computer. Sifting through all of that junk can help you immensely, because it can give you a clear head after you’ve gone through and done some spring cleaning. Don’t think too hard about it, and don’t be precious about what you keep and what you throw out. Chances are, if you haven’t even looked at a document in a year, it’s become outdated, anyways!

Geoguesser

Geoguesser is a game made to help you feed your travel bug! It is an opportunity to be dropped into a random location on Google Maps, where you are supposed to guess where you are on a map based on your surroundings (street view). This is an easy way to kill time when you’re bored at work, and can provide you with hours of entertainment trying to figure out if you’re in the Yukon or Siberia!

Sporcle

Sporcle is everyone’s favourite online quiz game, and it can be yours too! This is an easy way to pass the time, and can also help you flex your trivia muscles when you hit the local dive bar for trivia night. There is everything, from geography, to politics, to music and sports, so that you can dive deep into the world of trivia and really figure out if you know every golfer who has ever won the Masters, in one afternoon!

Honestly, it’s really not fun having absolutely nothing to do at work. You go to your job because you like what you do, and you also want to feel good about it. When you feel like you have nothing to do, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut. That’s why these activities are hear to motivate you, to keep you busy, and to hopefully springboard you into another career where you can actually have something to do — and where you can feel good about doing it.

It’s not just about distracting yourself, it’s about bettering yourself, too!