When you’re productive at work, you may find yourself with some downtime. You may not have any assignments left to complete, and you might have a few minutes or a few hours of scheduled work time remaining. Understanding what you can do with your downtime can help you have an even more productive day. In this article, we define downtime and explore ideas for what to do with it at work.

What is downtime?

Downtime is when employees are idle due to conditions that they can’t control. Downtime can occur due to unexpected circumstances like equipment malfunctions or power outages. Additionally, downtime could also potentially occur because of the low availability of assignments. Planned downtime is especially common in businesses that operate on seasonal cycles. Whether you’re experiencing planned or unplanned downtime, it’s important to know how to handle it to maintain productivity as an employee.

What to do with downtime at work

Here is a list of eight ideas for what you can do with downtime at work:

1. Offer to help a colleague or manager

If your colleague is struggling to meet a deadline, you can offer your assistance. This simple act can help you develop strong relationships with your coworkers. Alternatively, you can also offer to assist your manager or supervisor with a project that you’re not currently assigned to. Your superiors may appreciate the initiative and be more likely to consider you for a promotion in the future.

2. Organize and clean your workspace

If it has been months since you last tidied your workspace, consider cleaning it. Throw away old papers and unused objects, and reduce visual clutter to create a more productive working space that you can use when more assignments become available.You can also use some cleaning supplies to sanitize your space. For example, you can use antibacterial wipes to clean the top of your desk to get rid of germs. You can also use a washcloth and dusting spray to wipe the dust off your computer screen and keyboard.

3. Go for a walk

If you typically sit idly at your desk for most of the day, consider getting up and taking a short walk. You can go outside and walk around the block to get some fresh air, clear your mind and prepare yourself for incoming work. Alternatively, you could stay within the building and visit your coworkers’ cubicles. This might allow you to have conversations with people you normally don’t get the chance to talk to.This short walk can be the perfect opportunity to create connections and bond with your coworkers. You may even encounter your supervisor during your walk and present them with ideas you’ve been accumulating on how to improve your organization. If you need another way to move around and alleviate stress, consider going to your organization’s gym, if it has one. Bring a coworker for some company, or go alone. Even a short workout session can help you relax and refocus.

4. Clean your email inbox

When you have a lot of assignments to complete, it’s easy to let spam emails accumulate in your inbox. If you have downtime, consider going through all your spam emails. Block unwanted senders and unsubscribe to irrelevant newsletters. These actions can prevent the accumulation of unwanted emails in the future. You can also delete other unimportant emails from your main folder and check your spam folder to ensure that no important emails are present there by accident.

5. Read industry news

One of the best ways to spend your downtime at work is to read industry news and any educational materials that can help you progress in your profession. Search for recent news articles and press conferences related to your industry. You can also subscribe to relevant newsletters that interest you.Consuming media like this can be helpful, and you can also summarize your findings in written form. Record the factual details from your research and analyze how they apply to the work your company is currently performing. Then, consider sending your findings to your supervisor or your coworkers. As a result, other employees can use their downtime to make themselves more valuable assets to your organization.

6. Compile a list of contacts

No matter what industry you work in, it can be helpful to have a list of contacts readily available. You may not have time to assemble this list during a normal business day, but you can create it whenever you have downtime. This list can contain your coworkers, supervisors and individuals you’ve met at conferences and conventions.Create your list in a spreadsheet application, adding columns for the contacts’ first and last names, email addresses, job titles, work phone numbers and personal phone numbers. You can organize the information however you’d like to, whether alphabetically or by your professional relationship with them. Creating this list can help you network better and contact individuals more easily.

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