How To Productively Use Your Downtime At Work

Downtime vs Procrastination

I first want to note that downtime in the workplace is entirely different than the practice of procrastination. Downtime describes the situation when an employee is idle during the workday due to circumstances out of their control. You may experience downtime for a variety of reasons, which will depend on your role, company, and cadence of your workflow.

Maybe you’re experiencing technical difficulties one day at work and find yourself incapable of proceeding with your responsibilities. Or maybe due to the nature of your job, a deliverable is undergoing client review, and you’re waiting to receive feedback before doing more work. As another example, many industries slow down a bit during the holidays, as it’s a popular time to take PTO, or during a recession, since business is not as heavy. Whatever the case may be, downtime is a period of quietness in your workday; it is not synonymous with merely avoiding your to-do list.

10 Tips for Productively Using Downtime

No matter the industry, nearly every employer strives to find (and keep) employees with a strong work ethic. In fact, it’s one of the most sought-after characteristics in a job candidate, according to industry research. While it may seem meaningless, using your downtime in a productive manner will show that you have motivation and focus, and it’ll ultimately impress your boss. See below for some guidance on ways to use your downtime in a productive manner.

1. Offer To Help a Colleague 

One of the first things I do when I find myself with extra downtime at work is to reach out to a colleague and offer my help. Chances are if you offer to help someone else, they will return the favor in the future. This gesture establishes stronger workplace relationships and a more collaborative environment.

2. Organize Emails and Files

While it’s not one of the most exciting tasks, organizing emails and files is critical to staying productive. It’s important to ensure that you stay on top of organization throughout the work day or week, so that when you need to access files or emails in an efficient manner, you’re able to. The more organized you are on a day-to-day basis, the easier it is to get a handle on your emails and files – don’t make your job harder than it needs to be. 

The more organized you are on a day-to-day basis, the easier it is to get a handle on your emails and files.

3. Tackle Your Long-Standing To-Do List

I’m not sure if the term “long-standing to-do list” is used by anyone except me, but chances are you’ll have some projects with shorter, more defined deadlines and others with longer, less clear ones. Any task or project that I’m assigned with an unclear deadline is added to my long-standing to-do list. This is helpful for me because when I find myself in between more urgent requests, I can tackle the long-term projects in my free time. 

4. Read Industry-Related News

It’s never a bad idea to stay current on what’s going on in your industry. Whether that’s reading the Wall Street Journal, perusing LinkedIn groups that you belong to, or listening to an informative podcast, all of these things keep your mind in working mode and help you remain knowledgeable and productive.

5. Plan Your Next Day or Week

According to Forbes, “5 minutes of planning can save you 30 minutes of doing.” This goes hand in hand with staying organized – planning ahead will make your job 10x easier if you invest a little bit of time in it each day. Planning can mean sending calendar holds for meetings, answering emails, making to-do lists, delegating tasks to team members, and more. 

6. Cultivate a New Skill

Part of being a professional is constantly collecting new skills to deepen your knowledge and strengthen your capabilities. Through resources like LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, or even YouTube, there are dozens of courses available to learn something new. From mastering Excel, teaching yourself how to code, or refreshing your memory on effective communication strategy, investing in your learning will always be a great use of downtime.

7. Network

When I graduated from college, one of my professors gave me the sound advice to never stop networking. Networking exclusively when you want a new job will come off as self-serving and ignorant, so it’s important to continuously network throughout your career. Make yourself available to potentially interested candidates and reach out to your network to grow your knowledge of the vast job availabilities out there.

5 minutes of planning can save you 30 minutes of doing.

8. Go for a Short Walk

I’m not suggesting that you take an hour-long stroll during the workday, but stepping away from your desk can prove beneficial for both your health and your professional productivity. Taking a short walk around the office or to grab coffee will give your mind its much-needed rest while still remaining in working mode. 

9. Establish Goals

Another productive use of downtime is establishing your goals – either professional, personal, or financial. Forbes even goes as far as to suggest daydreaming in your downtime, as it “excites the mind” and allows you to “visualize the things you want to accomplish at work.” Establishing goals will be an outstanding investment in yourself because you won’t be able to achieve your goals without a plan. Outline how you envision your future and define specifically what you hope to accomplish to remain productive in your downtime.

10. Reflect on Completed Projects

Reflecting and regrouping with team members upon a project’s completion is an important part of professional growth, yet it’s oftentimes overlooked. Use your extra downtime to reflect on the challenges and successes that you and your team experienced throughout a project’s journey. Assess ways in which you can learn from mistakes or repeat your wins to better yourself.  

According to the University of Oxford, happy employees are 13% more productive. If anything, use your downtime to invest in your happiness – you will, by default, be increasing your productivity.

Closing Thoughts

There are dozens of ways to use your downtime in a productive manner, and finding that groove will be specific to each person. A general rule to follow is to avoid sitting idle, staring at your phone, or asking to leave the office early. Try implementing a few of these suggested tips into your work routine and notice how much more productive you feel. 

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