Simple tips to be more productive when bored. Everyone’s faced with this problem from time to time: we’re bored and don’t know what to do with ourselves, yet we still have all these things that need to get done! Whether you have a lot of work to do or want something to occupy your mind, so you’re not as easily distracted, are you bored at work? It’s completely normal to feel this way sometimes, but the key is not to waste your time.
Here are tips on being more productive when bored at work and getting your job done faster and easier than before. If you want to be effective at work, follow these tips!
8 Simple Tips To Be More Productive When Bored
1. Try something new
It’s easy to get into a rut and do what you’ve always done, but that can worsen boredom. Mix things up and try new activities; doing so will help expand your mind in ways that may seem mundane or even boring but can open your eyes to new ideas and experiences. Step outside of your convenience zone and challenge yourself. You might be surprised by how much you enjoy it!
An excellent way to start is with hobbies—for example, if you love books, check out book clubs or meetup groups for people who share your interest. If you love movies, take a class on film studies. And if you love animals, volunteer at an animal shelter. The possibilities are endless!
2. Start a project early
Have a project that you know will take hours or even days? Do it early. Don’t wait until you’re desperate for a distraction. You can use that time however you want: take walks, watch movies, clean your apartment, binge-watch Netflix…whatever works for you. And when you do start working on your project, don’t stop until it’s done—or at least until you need a break.
If you quit in between tasks, those little breaks add up and make it harder to get back into work mode later on. Even if you plan to only spend 15 minutes on your project before watching an episode of A Good Place, set a timer and stick with it, then reward yourself with 15 minutes of TV time!
3. Don’t over plan
Sometimes you’re just not in a productive mood, or you don’t have any extra hours that day to put toward work. So it’s best to leave yourself some wiggle room. This might mean that instead of scheduling a five-hour writing session for yourself on a Tuesday, you accept half an hour at lunchtime and another 30 minutes during your commute home.
Even if you only get one good idea out of those two sessions, it’ll be worth it. Plus, once you hit a groove and start cranking out content like crazy, you can always go back later and fill in those gaps with other content (or more time spent working).
And if you’re trying to avoid distractions—say, you know your social media–addicted family members will want to chat all afternoon—you can always set a timer for yourself so that when it goes off, you know it’s time to stop. But by all means: Don’t stress about scheduling every minute of every day.
4. Take regular breaks
Not only will taking a break to help you regain your energy and feel more invigorated, but it will also be better for your work in general. A study published in 2009 found that people who work at their peak cognitive performance for 52 minutes and then accept a 17-minute break performed better on a series of cognitive tests than those who either took no breaks or worked through their tasks.
They were less stressed, too. So don’t let boredom get you down—take a quick breather! It might just be what keeps you productive all day long. A great way to manage time when working is by using tools like RescueTime. RescueTime allows you to track where you spend your time each day and alerts you if you finish too much time on unproductive activities such as browsing Facebook or Youtube.
RescueTime has both free and paid versions available.
5. Ask for help
Whether you need help completing a task or want advice from your boss, it’s good to ask for what you need. Doing so puts things on your boss’ radar, but it also gives them insight into how you work and what projects you have on your plate. In addition, asking for help can be empowering—giving someone something they need is an effective way of feeling required yourself.
And if your boss doesn’t offer assistance? Ask again in a few days when you don’t seem as desperate.
6. Get out of your comfort zone
One of the easiest methods to be more productive is trying something new or going outside your comfort zone. Push yourself out of your convenience zone and challenge yourself, and you’ll find you accomplish a lot more it could be precisely what your work requires. So go out there and learn something new! You’ll shock yourself with how much you can accomplish when boredom strikes.
For example, maybe you’ve always wanted to try yoga or meditation. Take an evening class in either discipline and then test them at home on your own time; they both have enormous benefits for focus and productivity. Or maybe you want to learn another language—tons of apps will help make learning fun (and not just Rosetta Stone).
Try taking up some instrument like guitar or piano if you never have before; playing music has been shown to boost creativity and overall mental health.
7. Keep your motivation up
The best way to keep your motivation high is also one simplest: Keep going. It’s as simple as that. If you feel unmotivated, do something else for a bit, then get back to it. The feeling will likely pass, and then you can focus on your task with renewed energy.
This can be particularly useful when you hit a mental roadblock—you may be so entrenched in solving a problem that you run out of power for solving it! Take a break, walk away from your desk or computer, grab some coffee or tea (or both) and come back later. You might have had an epiphany while you were out.
8. Focus on quality, not quantity
If you do only one thing, focus on quality. Set aside time every day to work on your top priority, and then don’t worry about multitasking, meeting deadlines, or anything else that doesn’t move your primary goal forward. In short, prioritize. Work on what matters now, and everything else can be put off until later.
If you find yourself doing more than one thing at a time (like talking on a phone while checking email), finish your most important task first. Then, once it’s complete, take care of less-important tasks. This way, you know exactly when something is done – there are no loose ends to tie up or questions left unanswered. The result? You feel performed and in control of your time.
That alone makes being productive worth it.
Bottom Line On 8 Simple Tips To Be More Productive When Bored
In summary, being bored is not a bad thing. It’s an opportunity. Learn how to turn your boredom into productivity and become more efficient. If you can’t get anything done because you are bored, you need to learn how to be productive when you are tired or distracted. And remember – if it were easy, everyone would do it! Have fun with these tips!
Rise above and shine like a star!
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