Are you bored at work and looking for things to do to occupy your time?
Honestly, you won’t have free time like this forever.
It’s an opportunity that you should pounce on. Let me give you some suggestions on what you can (and maybe should) do to occupy this free time instead of reading blogs, browsing social media, or doing your nails.
My Personal Bored At Work Story
I remember back in the day when I was bored at work. I was in my twenties, broke, and content with reading blogs in my free time.
My free time consisted of about half my work day. Did I ask for more work? Nah. Being bored at work was fine with me.
Did my co-workers and my boss know that I was an untapped resource? My boss was most likely too busy to feel that way. My co-workers were probably angry that I was getting away with less than a full time job, but getting paid for one.
I will say that I showed up every day on time and was physically in the office for eight hours a day.
I look back on all of that free time and wonder what could have been if I had refocused and done something productive. Could I have started my own side business at work? Probably. Could I have started this website 20 years earlier? Yep.
If I had stepped up, I could have even gotten a promotion.
Many years later, when I had two children and a more demanding position, I took on going back to school and finished my degree. If I had found some sort of motivation when I was bored at work previously, I could have finished that earlier in my twenties.
All of this being said, let’s get into some things you can do while you’re bored at work.
Pick Up A New Hobby
My absolute favorite thing to explore when I’m bored at work (or anywhere really) is coming up with ways I could generate income.
Perhaps there’s a hobby you had some time ago that you haven’t picked up in a while.
Maybe you have never had a hobby that has stuck, but you’d like to give something new a try.
What if you found something new that was fantastic that you could actually turn into a side hustle or a full time job to replace this boring one?
Do you know how many free YouTube videos there are out there for every hobby imaginable?
If you need ideas on hobbies, check out my article on 50 Cheap Hobbies To Learn That Could Turn A Profit.
Use this time to research, learn, and explore your options. This time is so valuable! If you already have something you’re good at, could you sell it online? How about starting to research how you could sell your hobby creations to earn cash?
Spend Time Journaling While Bored At Work
Where do you want to be in five years? What’s your dream job? What could you personally improve on?
I’m great at writing to-do lists, but not that great at coming up with things to journal about.
If you’re like me, think about picking up a journaling book that helps you with prompts or questions.
Consider doing a search for “Journal Prompts” each morning or a certain time each day. Set aside 15-20 minutes to focus on you.
A quick search led me to Brilliantio’s article 80 Journal Prompts For Women To Help Them Unleash Their Inner Strength And Find Happiness.
Improve Your Physical Or Digital Environment
Look around you. Are you happy with the environment you are in?
Are unread messages and junk mail flooding your inbox? Set a timer for thirty minutes and begin unsubscribing and cleaning up your digital life.
Could you become more organized, which would gain you even more valuable free time? Look at the file folders on your computer. Do you like how everything is organized and color coded?
Do you have papers stacked up that could be eliminated?
Is your office or work space cluttered? Set another timer and work on your area. Create a place that you love entering each day.
You spend so much time in this digital or physical space. Take the time to make it beautiful and reward yourself for your hard work after.
Educate Yourself While Bored At Work
Have you ever thought of going back to college? I did in my thirties.
If you find yourself with extra time often, consider utilizing the time to further your education. Is there a field you’ve always wanted to go into, but didn’t have the time?
Take this golden opportunity and start researching what you can do to get the career you’ve always wanted!
Again, there will not be many times in your life when you are at a stand still and looking for ways to get out of your boredom.
Could you educate yourself on a new system that is about to come out that you know nothing about? Perhaps you were passed up for that last promotion because you were lacking in certain areas. Consider completing a self evaluation and finding out what you could improve on.
Review Your Budget
I have to often revisit my budget and adjust.
Take advantage of being bored at work. Make the time productive by creating a stellar budget. Pull out your spending habits for the last couple of months and compare to what you budgeted. Does your budget allow for the right amounts in the right buckets?
Should you create a new category on your budget because there’s one that is pretty massive and captures too many miscellaneous items?
If you haven’t created a budget, this is the perfect opportunity to start!
If you have debt, or even if you don’t, have you prioritized what is most important for you to pay off (or save)?
Budgets are meant to be used as a planning tool. They are definitely not meant to make you feel uncomfortable or like someone is chaining down your spending.
If you need help creating a budget or want a refresher, I really enjoyed the book Dear Fellow Spender by Emily Burnett. I created a personal review of the book here.
Also check out Ramsey’s step-by-step guide on How To Make A Budget.
Research Savings Vehicles
Are you placing your savings in the right accounts?
I was bored at work one day and started researching savings available to my seventeen year old daughter. She had a small income. By the end of the day, I had opened a Roth 401k for a Minor. Check out Forbes’ article on How To Open A Roth IRA For Kids for more detailed information.
My point is, your available options are always changing. Are you up to speed on current offerings?
Have you rebalanced your 401(k) plan? Have you even looked at how much you are contributing currently to your work sponsored 401(k)? Do you know if you’re maxing out the match that your company offers?
If you’re new to 401(k) investing, check out my article on 401(k) plans for newbies.
Read And Research While Bored At Work
When I say read, I do not mean social media.
Read something that improves you. What could make you a better person, improve your financial situation, or make you a better leader?
Do you want to learn more about negotiation at the office? Perhaps your email skills are subpar and you could use this time to learn proper email etiquette.
Perhaps you’re considering a large purchase and you want to know how to budget for it.
Think about the current position you are in. Do you feel that you deserve a raise? Spend this time researching other like positions and learning what other companies offer.
If you’re in a money saving mood, get your hands on any budget or money related blogs, articles, websites, anything. The more you educate yourself, the easier it will be to achieve you goals.
Ask For More
Every now and then, I like being bored at work. It gives me the opportunity to do some of the things that I’ve listed here.
However, boredom is like burnout. It can become unhealthy.
Talk to your boss and let them know what is going on. Don’t go in empty handed. Have a list of a few bullet points prepared.
Here are some suggestions:
- How much free time do you have each day?
- What do you feel that you could be doing to help contribute during this free time?
- What departments/responsibilities interest you?
- Are there any company initiatives you could help drive?
- Do you have any ideas that could create positive change?
You’re attempting to direct the narrative how you want it to go. If you simply say “I don’t have enough work”, work that you don’t want could be piled onto you and you’ll soon regret saying anything.
I would end by saying how much you appreciate your position with the company and how you feel you’re underutilized.
You’re being a leader by stepping up and calling your own shots.
Final Thoughts On Being Bored At Work
Not doing something when I was bored at work was a huge mistake I made in my twenties.
Looking back, I should have either went back to college sooner than I did, created a side hustle sooner, or stepped up and asked for more.
Instead, I went back to college in my late thirties. I created a side hustle in my early forties. I never asked for more at the office, but it did eventually fall in my lap in my mid-thirties.
Don’t let this time slip by. Make the most of your downtime.
Sometimes, simply appreciate the downtime and relax. There’s nothing wrong with that either as long as you don’t stay in that state of mind.
Also – being bored at work shouldn’t be annoying or make you feel worthless. This is absolutely a rare opportunity.
Take it while you have it!
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