More Productive ways to use “Office Downtime” than Perusing Facebook 

Many career women (and men) thrive on feeling productive and accomplished, and feel that as a reward, there is nothing like that first glass of red wine after a hard day’s work. But many of us have jobs that have a natural ebb and flow — some months are super-busy, while others leave us wondering if we deserve our full-time salary.

When you hit an ebb, it can be easy to start to feel bored and unproductive, which can lead to feelings of self-doubt and depression. But there are things you can do to combat these feelings and help you “find the flow in your ebb.”

If you encounter yourself with less to do — whether it’s a few days or a few weeks — it’s important to first identify if it is a natural part of your work cycle, or if there is something bigger happening, such as having lost the trust of your manager or a larger challenge facing the organization that is leading to less work all around. Here a few common reasons you may be experiencing a natural ebb:

• You are Waiting on Others. The last few weeks have been a blur of work, and now you are waiting anxiously for people to get back to you with feedback and approvals so you can move your project to the next step.
• It’s a Slow Season for your Industry. It’s that dreaded time of year when everyone seems to be spending more time on Facebook and taking longer lunches, waiting for the next busy season.
• You’re in Between Projects. You’ve just wrapped up a big project, and now you’re waiting for your next assignment or client.

These are just a few examples of why you may be in a natural ebb. Whatever the reason, the first thing to remember that this is a natural part of the work cycle, and is not a reflection on you or your worth to your company or to yourself.

The next thing to do is recognize this time as an opportunity and make the most of it. Here are four things you can do to maximize your work downtime and keep you productive and happy.

Catch up on the latest trends in your industry.

It’s something we all know we should be doing, but often we are so busy with our day-to-day tasks that it gets pushed to the back burner. So if you come into work and see your to do list is woefully short:

• • • Check in with that LinkedIn group you follow on trends and start reading some articles.
    • Go back to those reports that industry experts have been helpfully sending to your work email that you keep promising yourself you will read later.
    • Maybe see if there is a free webinar available on how ‘the next big thing’ will change the game for your company.

This is also something about which you can be proactive. If you are in an industry that has a predictable down time:

• • • Start thinking ahead and signing up for webinars or lunch-and-learns during those slow weeks.
    • Perhaps mark those industry emails with reminders to open them during a time when you know you won’t be so busy.
    • This way, when the slow days do come, you will already have some activities lined up and reading list ready to go.

Keeping up with industry trends has the added bonus of making you more valuable to your company and clients, which is never a bad thing!

Work on Your Professional Development.

Staying in control of your career means ensuring you are prepared for where you want it to go. Where do you see yourself in five years? Start looking at the requirements for that job and think about what you can do now to make sure you are building the skills and contacts you need to get there.

This is another place where LinkedIn groups, webinars, and readings can be a valuable use of time. You should also use this time to set up lunches or coffee with some of the people in your network to keep those connections fresh — you never know when you might need them!

As an aside, if you aren’t already a member of at least one professional group, I highly recommend you look into it. This is a great way to make connections, stay on top of what is going on, and make yourself known in the industry. Some companies will even pay the membership fees.

Learn a New Skill (or Freshen Up on an Old One)

Let’s face it, the world is a fast-changing place and there are always new things we can be learning to make ourselves more valuable. A slow-down at work is the perfect opportunity to put your attention into learning a new skill that can help you land that next big project or be first in line for a promotion.

Maybe there is an online class in graphic design, Excel, or the newest accounting software that you can sign up for (and if your company will pay for it, even better!). Maybe you used to be a master in HTML, but now you can’t remember the difference between <h1> and &nbsp; now might be a good time to relearn.

Also, don’t limit your thinking just to skills you need to do your day-to-day job. It can be equally valuable to learn something new that will help you converse more fluently with your webmaster or that super-technical guy on your client’s team who always tries to throw a wrench in your ideas. Think about your whole experience at work, from your interactions with finance to the thing that gets your boss “caught in the weeds,” and figure out if there is something you can learn more about that will help you navigate those scenarios.

Take Some Time Off!

This especially applies to all of the workaholics out there who let their vacation days pile up like old newspapers. Again, if you are in an industry where slow downs are predictable, plan to take an extended vacation during that time. Whether you actually leave town, or just have a stay-cation, taking time off from work is good for your mental health and your career!

But if you are just having one of those weeks where there isn’t much to do, ask your supervisor if you can take one or two of your vacation or personal days. There is no point in sitting at your desk watching Twitter scroll by all day because you don’t have enough on your work to-do list. Use that time to give yourself a ‘me’ day. Sleep in. Take a lunchtime yoga class. Get your nails done. Read a book. Maybe, if you leave close to a beach or a mountain, you make a day out of it and do some swimming or hiking.

Whatever you decide, getting out of the office and spending a day or two unplugging is not only a good way to relax, it will make you more productive when you go back to work!