If you’ve asked yourself this question, know that there are much more productive ways than browsing social media. After all, even if it’s not your fault that you’re idle, know that bad use of that time could end up compromising your image within the company.

WAYS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DOWNTIME AT WORK

Running out of things to do at work can be bad in many ways. First, because time seems to pass when we are not entertained by anything. Second, because showing that you are idle may not be so positive and pass an image of lack of commitment . Even if all obligations have been fulfilled, it is not good to be doing certain activities during working hours.

Furthermore, we must remember that those hours are being paid by the company. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the employee to take care of activities that add to the company in some way. Sitting around waiting for a new order to come in is frowned upon by managers and supervisors, so beware!

Below we will share some suggestions for ways to use this idle time productively, follow along.

1. CONSULT THE BOSS ABOUT A NEW DEMAND

The first thing to do when you become idle at work is to inform your boss. Thus, it will check if there is a new task to pass you. It is only from this answer that you should leave for other activities.

After all, he is your supervisor and needs to be aware that he is idle and available to meet new demands. If the boss is absent or in a meeting, talk to the person who is below him, like a colleague with more time at the company, for example.

2. OFFER HELP TO A COLLEAGUE

Do you have a colleague who performs a similar function to yours? Offer him help, so they can divide the activities and complete them in less time. This is a good opportunity to be proactive and give your supervisor a positive image. It is worth remembering that, if no colleague accepts the offer, it is better to respect and not insist.

3. CHECK THE POSSIBILITY OF HELPING IN ANOTHER SECTOR

If there is no one in your sector that needs help, check the possibility of offering support to another area of ​​the company. In smaller companies, this rotation is quite common, in addition, it causes certain employees to be seen as wildcards, that is, they can be allocated in any sector. Even if you don’t become an expert, the fact of learning new functions can count points in your favor.

4. ORGANIZE YOUR WORKSPACE

One more activity option to carry out in idle time at the company is to organize your workspace. With the rush of everyday life, it is natural to let certain items accumulate without a more careful organization. This way, take the opportunity to sort documents and other papers, as well as common items such as pens, ruler, stapler, among others. Having things in their proper place will make your day to day work easier.

5. ORGANIZE COMPUTER FILES

In addition to physical items, it is also worth organizing the files on your computer. Once again, the rush of routine often leads us to save documents and images without much criteria, which makes it difficult when it is necessary to find something. So how about taking the opportunity to put each file in its proper folder?

6. ORGANIZE EMAILS

E-mail is yet another place that needs to be organized to avoid wasting a lot of time when you need to find a message or file. Use the functions offered by the electronic system, such as creating folders and colored labels. This way, it will be easier for you to organize them on a daily basis and find emails whenever necessary.

7. WATCH VIDEOS THAT ARE RELATED TO YOUR WORK

Gaining knowledge is always a good idea, as it is in the company, it is important to direct this to your work, learning about something that adds to your role. With just a few clicks you can find videos that talk about the most different subjects and even free courses. Just remember to let your supervisor know to avoid problems.

8. DO RESEARCH FOR NEW PROJECTS

If it is not possible to watch videos or prefer to read, do research on websites. Depending on what your profession is, you can find ideas for new projects, learn something new or deepen your knowledge. The online universe is extremely vast and allows for several subjects to be explored. It is only important to be careful to do your research on reliable sites that present reliable sources of information.

9. PLAN THE ACTIVITIES FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS

Planning is key to using your time productively. Then, when you’re idle, you can take the opportunity to make or review your plans for the next few days. Remember that it is not enough to think about it, you need to have records to follow up properly and avoid forgetting an important task that you need to do.

10. RELAX AND PREPARE FOR UPCOMING TASKS

Finally, you can take advantage of your downtime to relax and prepare for your upcoming tasks. Some suggestions on how to do this include: stretching your body, walking around the company, having a snack. Remember to use common sense and prevent this moment from going on too long.