Today I thought I would share with everyone some ways to kill time at work. Now I am not telling you to try these, and will not take responsibility if you are fired from your great job because you took my advice. But I will say, I have tried and tested all of these and just may use them at my own job to waste time, but SSHH…
So without further ado, I bring you my favorite 10 ways to kill time at work:
1. Sleep
Sleep is by far the best way to kill time at work. Besides, who doesn’t need to catch up on sleep. I hate the sound of the alarm clock going off in the morning. The only plus side to hearing it is that the faster I can drive to work, the sooner I can go to bed.
If you haven’t read my previous post, The Bathroom Stall Hammock, you better check it out. I created a great way to get hammock style sleep while in the workplace. The only catch is you have to sleep in a bathroom stall. Not that there’s anything wrong with that…
2. Entrecard Dropping
For those of you who do not know what Entrecard is, it is basically a way to share your blog. The widget you see to the left, “Blog of the Day, is how Entrecard works. By visiting websites with the same widget, you can “drop” your card on their site. This earns you a credit, as well as draws other people to come to your site to drop theirs.
Dropping cards has become one of my best hobbies now while I sit at work. There is a limit of 300 a day, which I can usually manage to hit. I have a lot of bookmarks of great sites I have found and I usually return to those sites everyday and leave my card.
Entrecard also has some useful forums to read and participate it. I have learned a lot from the people that post in there. This another great way to gain some knowledge and still manage to kill time at work.
3. Write Blog Posts
I love blogging, and the majority of my posts are written while at work. Sometimes I only jot ideas down on paper, but it still makes it that much easier when I get home to type up my posts. I prefer to use a text editor program to right the post, and then e-mail the file to myself so I can post it for the following day when I get home from work.
If you are new to blogging, you could also use the spare time you have at work to research it. Besides, you would always say you are learning new things. No one can blame you for conducting some research.
4. Surf Facebook using the Flock Browser
Surfing Facebook used to be the number one thing for me at work. Then I realized it wasn’t very constructive. Nonetheless, I still do it when I can because I would rather spend my time at work doing is vs. the time I have at home.
If you have not heard of the new web browser, Flock, I strongly suggest trying it out. It is built on Mozilla Firefox but has tons of built in features for social networking. The best thing about it is the sidebar that allows you to stay logged in to different networks such as Facebook and Twitter. You can then surf the internet like usual and see your friends updates whenever they make changes.
Flock also has a lot of useful tools for subscribing to RSS feeds, such as my own. If you are interested in downloading Flock for free, you can download it here. Feel free to let me know what you think of it.
5. Read E-books
If you are like me, I enjoy reading books whenever I can find time. However, it is sometimes hard to sit at your desk at work with a book in front of you and not get caught. Say hello to electronic books. Simply load up a USB flash drives of books and bring them with you wherever you go. Best of all, you can bring it to work and open up your Ebooks with Adobe Reader, which luckily is installed on most office computers.
If you get caught, you could always argue that the books will make you a better employee and you are learning a lot about your position. If they still get mad at you, then I guess it is time to move on to a new job. Or start doing actual work at your current one, ha ha.
6. Catching Up on Bills
Tired of trying to keep up with all of your monthly statements on-line. Why not use some time at work to get all caught up. This has worked very well for me because it seems like no matter how hard I plan time outside of work to take care of bills, I stilled get sidetracked. So I now have an Outlook calendar event with some time alloted to just sorting out on-line bills. Of course I wouldn’t name it that in your calendar, try something like “Meeting with HR” instead.
7. Solitaire
This is a classic when it comes to wasting away time at work. This was first made popular when it came pre-installed on Microsoft Windows. However, some system administrators have gotten smart and tend to remove it from the programs list in the start menu. But don’t worry, some of them only remove the “shortcut” from the menu and not that actual program itself. Try hitting the Windows Key + R, then typing sol.exe and hitting enter. You just might be able to get around it.
8. Planning Out the Weekend
I spend a lot of Thursdays and Fridays planning out my weekends at work. Researching events, ticket prices, and anything else I can find to do. That way when 5 o’clock comes around on Friday, I know exactly what I am doing for the next two days. Besides, weekends are too short the way they are, so I need make sure I spend all 48 hours of them doing exactly what I want. Monday’s just come around too fast.
9. Surfing YouTube (if Allowed)
Depending on how your computers are setup at work, YouTube can be another time killer. Once you get on there, it is hard to stop. Which is perfect because the next thing you know, two hours have gone by. I have actually stayed late on occasion on accident because time flew by so fast it was past five the next time I looked at the clock.
Just don’t get caught, the boss probably doesn’t like it when employees sit around and watch videos. But I am willing to bet, he/she does it all the time.
10. Mingle with Coworkers about Non-Work Related Topics
I have found that talking amongst coworkers is a great way to get to know them. Especially when you ditch the work talk and start talking about other things like family, fun, vacations, and whatever else you can think of.
When I first started my office job, I was always afraid to talk to other workers unless it was work related. Not anymore, now I try to talk about anything. Especially when new employees are hired. I like to be the first to meet them.
11. Disappear
From time to time, I just cannot take sitting at a computer anymore. Sure, the internet is a great way to make time go by, but sometimes you just get “interneted out”. I’m thinking that probably wasn’t a real word but you get the point.
So I what I like to do is leave my desk and just see where I end up. Sometimes I go to a different floor and just roam around like I belong there. Other times, I take a short walk outside to get some fresh air. My favorite however, is walking to my car and catching some sleep in the back seat. No, I am not worried about getting caught because I am smarter than that. That’s why I forward my phone to my cell, and set my iPhone to vibrate whenever I get a new E-mail. Sometimes I respond and the people do not even know I am in my car. They think I am sitting at my desk like a “normal” employee.
So there you have it, my favorite ways to make those 9 hours fly by everyday. I would love to hear any suggestions from others about killing time at work.
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Feel free to leave some comments, unless of course you are my boss. In that case, I am probably fired…oh well.
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Great tip about solitaire!! I’ve missed my game since they gave me a new computer.
It also worksfor spider solitaire. Just type in spider.exe
These are good practical ideas to kill stupid pointless time at work, but are there any type of drugs you can take where you can still function normally – as if you are on auto pilot – but after 8 hours you wake up out of it as if you did nothing in the last 8 hours??? I’m gonna become a scientific chemist and research such a mind altering useful drug – to help the strees of all
adderall!!!!
I had to laugh at the post! I love this blog. Two thumbs up on you tube surfing (smile). Sometimes i get bored at work too..thanks to my computer and to the internet. Definitely a time killing device.
Chatting with friends while working on invoicing spreadsheet? How’s that sound? LOL Just an addition to your lists. Cheers!
hey dude thanks alot, this is gonna help alot *dissappeares*
Some of these could be tough. Thanks though.
Hey um, I think I have another way to kill time. I’m working at my country national aircraft maintenance and sometimes shit happens, I don’t have anything to do except sitting in front of my laptop and wait until time kills himself.
If you are facilitated by your company’s PC, you might have to bring your own USB and fill it with your favorite musics. I bring my own macbook, so if I got some stupid boredom, I pop up my itunes and I’ll just trying to figure out what does the correct lyric of the song that I’m listening at that moment. Try to write a lyric for a song, it is fun and you won’t notice that you have killed almost 20 minutes just to write your 1 favorite song’s lyric correctly.
After that you could post your lyric to any website that provides lyrics searching etc. So, you waste nothing but only time haha.
PS: Ignore those grammatical errors, cuz I’m an Asian :p and don’t forget the headset. Have fun!
Absloutely love it.I disappear during work too.I just go away for 1 hour for a walk or sit in a park.I do watch youtube videos as well.On facebook I play resturant city
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I am the IT guy at your place of employment. I will be locking your access to the internet now. Security has been asked to monitor your daily outdoor time.
You’ve been warned.
Good blog
if you are not a environmentally friendly person try taking printouts of your e statements and e books and sit with a highlighter make random lines. works better as you appear busy and escape more work.
Also try writing comments on news articles helps you exercise ur fingers
Personally, my day goes by much faster if I spend it working. However, I have nothing to do and I don’t want to tell anyone that because I may find myself out of a job it I do.
I usually kill time by IM’ing other friends who are also killing time. We need to support each other. =)
My ways to pass the time at work (if anyone is interested)
1. Day dream: It is hard to do well and I can only do it best when I am tired from the night before but I just sit back in my chair and completely zone out and stare at my computer for half an hour at a time
2. Text and calls: it sometimes in certain places is very hard to pull this off because some people are not allowed to spend time or even have phones at work. I usually use my work phone and call my friends who know the drill! I just speak to them as if I were speaking to someone important or doing something important. If I notice anyone’s head turn my way I throw them off by using fazes like: “Yes sir Mr Johnson, I will get that to you on Monday” (or in anyone else’s case use relevant terms and names)
3. General Surfing: I love the internet and the information it brings, I use Google and Wikipedia to find out interesting things and facts, e.g. movies, music, general history, where things come from, pranks, interesting facts, jokes etc. if you are on sites like Wikipedia etc. it looks official and people don’t really notice, stick to sites that don’t have loads of colour, When was the last time you really noticed the websites one of your colleagues were on?
4. Blogging: start a blog, I personally can’t be bothered as I don’t know how, but I am at work killing time by coming up with 10 ways to kill time at work on this blog right now as we speak! (or as I type)
5. Sneaky Facebook: People who get in trouble for going on Facebook or blogs etc. the best way to do it without getting caught or hitting Alt + Tab every 10 seconds is get to your desired page, if you want to write a reply to someone’s wall message or blog, minimise it! Open a new word document, make the size of the writing as small as possible (8) and write for as long as you want! Like write now I have not stopped once in writing this blog NOT ONCE!!! People have walked passed my desk and spoken to me and even glanced at my screen, the title is “My ten ways to pass the time at work” For all I care it could say “how to murder 30 people and get away with it” and no one would bat an eye lid
6. Sneaky YouTube: (for those who don’t have there are plenty of websites open to all with good podcast and stuff) you don’t have to actually watch you tube to enjoy it, there are plenty (and I mean PLENTY) of songs, videos, podcast etc.
7. Clock Block: This is actually the most effective one that I have ever thought up, you will definitely want to know this one as it is my BEST!!! It sounds stupid but if you work behind a computer you will find yourself looking at the time all the time, get a post-it note and cover the time so you don’t look at it, and tell yourself that’s its way behind what you think it is, so when it comes to lunch or any breaks its always a nice surprise instead dragging through the day one slow painful minute at a time
8. Unofficial Break: Actually running out of any good ideas, but this one is good, but you need to sacrifice abit of dignity (women might not be so keep on this one as everyone thinks you have the shits) I use my blackberry or Ipod touch and go sit on the loo for 20-30 mins and watch an episode of something, play poker or just general apps, when you come back from you unofficial break if anyone asks where you been, say you were on the loo (which is true) and is anyone really going to challenge you in front of the whole office that you’ve been on the shitter or half an hour? No its embarrassing and awkward and people don’t like doing it
9. Sicki: just pull a sicki, the best way to pull this off is text your boss very early in the morning saying that you’ve been up since 4:30 shitting your guts out on the can, they usually don’t want to talk to you once you’ve said that, so they usually cover for you and just tell people at work you’re sick (the great thing about this is that when ever anyone pulls and old fashion sicki people automatically assume they are hung over or faking, but your boss will usually bitch about you and spill the beans to a few people so there is less tension the next day and people don’t really tend to ask or enquire about it, again you need to sacrifice abit of dignity for this
10. MY last resort and don’t advice you do any of the following!!!!!! A) go down to the nearest red light district or high criminal area buy yourself a gun, murder everyone in your office then you can sprawl out on the conference table like you’ve all ways desired and sleep all day long (or until someone hears the gun shots and calls the police) B) the same as plan A but cheaper, just go to the kitchen and grab a knife, maybe don’t do this if you are a small person or work in a massive office as some may tend to escape or over power you and ruin nap time. (I was joking about plan A and B, don’t do these, but if you cant bare working and more C and D may be to your liking) C) pluck up some courage, make sure that your balls are fully attached, look your boss square in the face, tell him to go f**k him self and walk out with your head held high! D) stop whining and get back to work!
I hope that this has probably taken up a couple of minutes of your time so your that much closer to 5 o clock! And a few good tips along the way!!! It’s now 5 o clock where I’m writing from and I’m going home for the weekend!!!
If you speak other language besides English, it’s great to exercise it translating a Wikipedia article to this language. It’s also a way to use this wasted time to something useful, at least.
I do it all the time, but don’t let my boss know this !!!
Thought you might want to know someone pirated your post-I enjoyed yours and thought you should know (finders fee on any lawsuit is 10%, right ;o)
http://radiosophie.radio.com/2011/03/25/11-ways-to-kill-time-at-work-come-on-it-is-friday/
Hey I don’t know about you guys but at my job which is extremely boring, but I have the most comfortable chair in the world, and sometimes ill just spin around for 5 minute intervals at a time. Passes a few minutes……..
For me, there is only one way to kill time: Sleep, sleep, sleep!
Meditation is best way for timepass!
It helps to concentrate on Work!!!
I think you work in my building… These are funny! Most I have done but will try to perfect like it sounds you have.. Thanks
nice job. Im a student and i kill time all the time. I don’t have much interrest in the lessons so what i do is simple. I look at my tekstbook and instead of reading it i try to make a shape with the letters its fun becaus it always changes and the rest thinks i am realy focust on my tekst. also when i study i read the tekst for 5 min and think what is going to happen next its fun and creative and beleive me it kills a lot of time sometime i have like planned to study for 2 hours and do 5 and imagine the rest of the story for like the rest of the day.
I like suggestion of disappearing. Thankfully, we have a games room in our office and I come during night shift, so it is empty. I play some snooker and chess over there in 30 minutes shift by going out pretending to be on a client call.
Cheers to all time killers… planning about weekend is also very cool point, I am including it in my agenda from right now onwards.
I just read this entire article, comments included really really slowly and I pulled a half an hour out of it. Then I tried to picture what each person looked like and bam another 10 minutes.
hahahahahahahahahaha…. I laughed for 10 minutes with your comment. You made my day. Thanks man
I have become a master at time wasting at work, as for the past 6 months, I have had no work really to speak of. Just random assignments. Kudos to all who waste corporate time.
Hi, This is a great piece of reality you have shown. phew!!!! i have few other tips which can be useful. if your work place has leisure zones of some sort then you can show your skills. may be snooker, table tennis foosball are few things that can be done. but last of all thank you for these great tips.
I hope this works. Let me give it a shot!!
Check the coffee pot frequently. 1) Every time you find it low, it takes another 5-10 minutes to fill another pot. 2) Make it as strong as possible so the rest of the office buzzes up and takes more of the responsibility leaving you free to roam the net. 3) The boss will actually take notice of the extra “work” you’re putting in to make sure customers and co-workers have that nice cup of coffee whenever necessary. We will do about 6 pots a day at my office. Hence about an hour of non-productive activity that I am credited for every day! Easy way to “buzz” through the day!