How to procrastinate the right way

It’s the end of the year, we get it. Work is grinding to a halt and the jobs left to do aren’t always particularly inviting. If admin and red tape is overwhelming you to the point that you no longer want to do anything at all, here are our top ways to procrastinate productively.

Using your phone
Keep finding yourself sneakily checking on your social media channels? Don’t waste the day when you could improve it; experiment with a new app or visit a new website that could help improve your overall productivity. Especially this time of year, new and experimental apps are coming out all the time and taking advantage of this could give you the edge on your competitors and make you stand out in the office. If only there was a handy compilation of some of the years’ best apps for you to check out.

Using the internet
If you keep catching your eyes wander online, get creative about it. Engage your mind and develop your ideas by looking up thinkpieces and seminars. An extended essay or article could help you focus the mind and help you set objectives for the future, while also giving you a break from your current workload.

Using headphones
Not everyone is this lucky, but if you have the opportunity to use your headphones in the office, maybe listen to something other than your ordinary playlist. A simple change from your normal music to something you don’t normally listen to may change the way you tackle a problem, with programs and websites like Spotify providing you with hundreds of playlists at your fingertips for free. If that’s not helping, listen to a podcast, audiobook or online seminar – something like a TED talk – to give you something new for your brain to chew over.

Using your desk
There’s more to your desk than you may realise, it’s the space that you end up looking at for hours upon hours every day, so look after it. If you find yourself distracted, rearrange, reorder and tidy your desk. Get new desk decorations or office supplies to fill your space and make it your own. You may find you’ll work harder when everything has a place.

Using your email
How many unread emails currently sit in your inbox? How many read emails are taking up unnecessary space? Delete them or store them in folders. Clear up the mess and all that will remain will be the important emails. Be brutal and take no prisoners. The same applies to the rest of your desktop. If you struggle to find important files, create new folders. In the same way that you might have a house clean before going on holiday, come back in 2018 to a cleaner computer and a clearer mind.

How long do you have left before your holiday? Are you working through Christmas? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.