Thursday, 15 October 2015

When you’re Bored, Do these Productive Things

There are a lot of productive things to do when bored. On Quora, user Visakan Veerasamy proposes the use of elimination. I took that theory one step further, expanding  to also include two other types of activity.  Here are fifteen productive things to do when bored based on the principles of  elimination, consumption and work.


1. Eliminate clutter
One of the reasons you’re not as prolific as you want, may be that you have too much clutter. Productive things to do when bored include tidying up your desk, removing  books you’ll never read from your bookshelf and  deleting the smartphone apps you never use.  Not only will you have  done some housecleaning, the task might also give you energy to move on to the next, bigger task.

2. Eliminate distractions
Is there anything in particular that’s distracting you? If you’re looking for productive things to do when bored, zone in on what  specifically is  slowing down your productivity. Social media is a popular detractor, for  example. Sign out of your Social networks so you can focus on things that actually matter.

3. Eliminate concerns 
Are you worried about something? Is that concern getting in the way of your productivity? Deal with the  problems that are keeping you from spending your time as well as you should. Examples include tasks like double -checking your schedule and sending follow-up emails. By removing all of your stress ors, you’ll be a lot more prolific.

4. Eliminate the unnecessary
There are a lot of things in our lives that might be nice, but are distractions to our productivity because they’re not necessary. Find out  what those things are and remove them from your place of work.

5. Eliminate quick tasks
Even if you don’t have enough energy for a big task, you might have enough to do a small one. Check off items on your to -do list that can be done quickly like making a phone call or sending off an email.

6. Consume knowledge
When you’re bored is an opportune time to learn. Productive things to do when bored might be to read how-to books or watch YouTube tutorials.

7. Consume data
Information isn’t the same as knowledge. Are there names, terms, dates, statistics or something similar you need to ingrain in your head? Studying data is one of the most productive things you can do when bored.

8. Consume fiction
You have to be careful with this one; you can’t just watch an episode of your favor-ite TV show and call the time you spent productive. But  time can be well-spent watching or reading or listening to some-thing that inspires you.
9. Consume non-fiction
Non-fiction is less risky for your productivity  than  fiction,  but  it’s  also  a treacherous path. Still, reading a biography about someone in your profession or an account of historical events relevant to your career can be extremely  productive things to do when bored.

10. Consume culture
By consuming culture not only are you enriching yourself; you’re also trying a new experience. Taking part in  activities you haven’t done before can be  very productive things to do when bored.

11. Work on your work 
Work is probably the hardest thing to do when bored, but it’s still possible to muscle through the lethargy and get things done. If you’re unmotivated, remind your-self that your time best spent is doing the work that pays your income. A cash incen-tive goes a long way towards productivity .

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