Bored at Work? Check Out These Boredom Busters

These boredom busters are great to do while one is bored at work.

Not all jobs require one to be constantly working. As much as it may be taxing to have too much to do, surprisingly it can also be taxing to have too little to do. It can lead to one becoming really bored at work. These boredom busters can assist those who are stuck in a work situation where they must sit for long periods of time with no tasks or internet access. The appropriateness of these things to do while bored will vary from workplace to workplace, so they should only be used as boredom cure ideas.

Bring Arts and Crafts Projects

If one is sitting for a long period of time with no internet access, it may seem like there is nothing to do. However, a handy paper notebook and pen provide plentiful opportunities for arts and crafts projects.
The possibilities are endless with a pen and paper at hand, and one possibility is to write creatively. One may free write, plan out a novel, or write a poem. Free time gives one the option to simply sit and think for a while, which may ultimately lead to more productive writing.

Origami creation is another possibility. With a single piece of paper one can make paper boxes, cranes, balloons, among many other creative shapes.

With a notebook, one can also do more mundane, yet necessary tasks, like planning out a budget, recalling a "to-do list," or brainstorming different options when bored at work. One can feel free to cross out notes, make changes, and move comments around with arrows. The information can later be transcribed into an electronic format if organization and neatness are important.

Doodling in a notebook can also be a good way to pass free time and express oneself creatively. These doodles may later lead to a larger arts and crafts projects, such as paintings or charcoal drawings.

Bring Mini Projects from Home

Free time can also be used for mini projects from home. While doing a home project at work may not always be appropriate, it may be acceptable for some situations.

One possible project is card creation for a birthday or special occasion. The only materials required are paper and colored pens or pencils. Homemade cards can save money, and they offer a special touch for a special someone.

Another project that may be considered is making a photo album. This seems unwieldy, but it is definitely do-able if one only brings a few photos and one album. It may be helpful to keep an area sectioned off for the project so that it does not get in the way of any necessary work.

One may also want to consider bringing "mindless" tasks from home that he or she keeps putting off doing. These tasks may include organizing a file accordion, unraveling a knot, or finishing a knitting project. These simple mini projects may allow one to stay ready if needed for action.

Other Boredom Busters

There are also "old standbys" for those bored at work that offer amusement in a small package. These things to do while bored are discussed below.

A novel can transport a person out of their bored state and into another world or time. Whether one reads from a traditional paper book or an electronic one, he or she can escape from a dreary day into an exciting one. If one needs to stay alert, he or she may want to consider an "easy read" book that does not require too much analysis or interpretation.

A crossword puzzle or word search book can also offer hours of pleasure. These books can easily be put away or put down if a call comes in or work comes up. They allow one to avoid being bored without becoming too absorbed to do necessary work, no matter what the day is like.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when trying to avoid boredom is to vary activities. If one only brings a crossword puzzle book for an eight hour work day and little work comes in, he or she will likely tire of the activity. Instead, bring a variety of things to do when really bored, such as a book, notebook, and photo album. This can allow one to stay alert and awake.

How to Avoid Eating When You're Bored

Are you really hungry? Or just bored? At times, we eat because we have nothing better to do. It's something a lot of us do without thinking. Here are a few tips to help you establish a new routine and new habits:

Steps:

1. Make a hunger diary. Record your daily intake. Include a list of calories, if desired.
2. Recognize patterns of eating. Do they coincide with boredom? Is there a time of day when you are more likely to be bored?
3. Identify if you are actually hungry. Ask yourself, on a scale of one to ten, how hungry you feel. If the answer is seven or more, you should probably eat something. Otherwise, refrain from eating until you reach this point of actual hunger.
4. Satisfy feelings with other interests. Find other interests that are just as rewarding. Have fun with a friend.
5. Make an activity hat. Fill the hat with different activities and pull one out to do. This should relieve your boredom and the urge to eat.
6. Find an activity that occupies your hands. Try a manicure, needlework, typing or if you do play an instrument this is a good time for practicing. You can only do one activity at a time.
7. Concentrate on what you are doing. Force yourself to become preoccupied until the hunger subsides.
8. Go for a walk. This will take you away from the kitchen. Once your scene has changed, your cravings should subside.
9. Avoid buying certain foods. Identify the foods that you most commonly reach for and avoid having them in your home.
10. Avoid having food in your bedroom. Eat only at the dining room table. Stashed snacks can be a big temptation.
11. Choose nutritious food. Choose replenishing whole foods. Processed foods are deprived of natural vitamins and nutrients.
12. Schedule a small nutritious snack between meals. This may keep you from indulging at meals.
13. Eat celery or watermelon. They are mostly water, low in calories and can quench your thirst. You may burn as many calories as the celery contains just by chewing it. The sweetness of watermelon is very satisfying. They're both pretty healthy.
14. Drink a glass of water. Water is filling and may satisfy you for a period of time.
15. Never Eat Artificial Sweetener. They are no better for you than sugar and actually increase cravings.
16. Chew a piece of gum. It's refreshing and low in calories. It may help to curb your appetite and actually burn a few calories.
    
    

Tips:

• Enjoy eating. Savor your food.
• Forming healthy eating habits takes time, planning and discipline.
• Periodically adjust to a more realistic diet routine throughout your life:
  
  
  • Give yourself a little freedom to indulge once a day or once a week. Try a small piece of chocolate or a smoothie.
  • Exercise may require an extra snack or a few more calories.
  • Calories may need to be limited later in life to prevent weight gain from a slower metabolism.
• Consult with a dietitian to formulate a plan suitable to your needs. Everyone needs professional direction now and then.
• Overeating can be a symptom of underlying stress. Eating releases endorphins and provides for needed comfort. Weight gain and lack of control can lead to depression. Seek the help of a psychiatrist, if needed.
• Consult your physician with weight gain before it becomes a more serious detriment to your health.
• Consult your physician with binge eating and other eating disorders.
• If this is really hard for you, switch the junk food out for gum. Gum only has around 5 calories a stick and chewing it burns 11 calories an hour.(Nothing to be excited about, but still pretty cool.) Just don't chew too much, because um costs can add up.

 

It's the day before a holiday, raining, a Friday afternoon, or maybe you've finally gotten caught up on all of your assignments.  And bordem sets in.  It happens to everyone, but don't fear; there are many things you can do to stay occupied and productive until the the whistle blows.  Below are a few tips on how to make it through office boredom:

Stretch

            It is a healthy practice to get up one to two times each hour and walk around, stretch, and give your eyes a break from the computer screen.  Not only will this pass a few minutes but it will also act as a little energy boost.  If you don't feel up to leaving your desk, stretch your arms and back from your chair or stand up for a few seconds to straighten your legs.  After sitting at a desk for an extended period of time joints and muscles become stiff and the body relaxes.  Keep it active with stretch times.

 

Snack

            The army does it, so shouldn't you?  Snacking is a healthy practice.  As humans we are supposed to eat a small portion every two hours to keep metabolism up and to keep our energy levels steady.  Make it a habit to keep something quick you can eat throughout the day in your desk drawer along with a drink to sip on. Try to choose snacks without a lot of refined sugars; these snacks can cause a sugar rush that may do more harm than good. 

           Not only does snacking help you feel better, buying and consuming it is an "event" that helps to break up your day.  Get up and discard or recycle any wrappers or containers to add a little exercise to your snacking routine.  

Decorate

            Nothing helps pass time like a little personalization to the work area.  Take a few minutes each day and think about how you would like to decorate your desk or cubical area.  Once you have a basic idea, start bringing items in one at a time or a few at a time and set them up.  Once your work area has been customized, your environment with feel different and it may be more relaxing to work on stressful assignments.  Also, you will have things to stare at if you are having trouble brainstorming an idea or just need to take a break.  Lastly, with personalization in the office you will be creating a conversation piece for people walking by which may also aid in passing time between assignments.

Work Ahead

            There is always work to be done! Even if everything you have been assigned is completed, there is something to do in the office.  If you know what projects are coming up and can do any work towards them, go for it.  Otherwise, go to your boss and talk to him or her about what projects may be coming up or if there is anything at the moment he or she needs help with that you may be able to do.  This will help you later on when maybe several projects pile up at one time all with deadlines.  Having work done ahead of time will make meeting future deadlines much easier.  Also, if you do get assigned something from your boss and do well with it you may be given additional job responsibilities which would give you more to do during the day.

 

Socialize

            During your stretch time, as people pass by your cube, or during lunch, ask people how they are doing.  It is important to always be kind to your co-workers therefore greeting them is also important.  You may not want to hold them up by dragging conversation out for ten minutes, but just a quick greeting followed by a possible comment about a project you know they have been working on is acceptable.  During lunch you could hold longer conversations, but otherwise anything from a quick greeting to a minute or so of conversation is plenty and will make work seem to go by quicker giving you a more variety in the day.

 

Organize

            After big projects things can get cluttered around the desk.  Especially after being at a job for an extended period of time, drawers and files can become crowded or simply out-dated.  Spend between five and ten minutes each day straightening up an area of your office space.  You could dedicate one day to a different section in order to give you something to do during slow work periods over a week or so.  Throw out old papers, sort through files and bring the most recent documents to the top of the pile, check your pens to make sure they all have ink, and sort through old e-mails and delete what you don't need anymore.  This will add to the environment of your office space by refreshing things a bit and giving you more room to work in.

 

            There is no real challenge to finding things to do at work to keep you occupied during slow times.  Above all, it is important to communicate with other team members to ensure everything for each project has been completed to the fullest and that nobody has gotten stuck doing more work than anybody else on the team.  By taking this extra time and putting the extra effort into each assignment you may never become bored at the office.