During your busy schedule at work, sometimes you can have a slow day. Almost every person faces a downtime or a slowdown at the office. This situation is uncomfortable for every worker, but you can convert this downtime into a productive period of your professional life. Now that you have finished a major project and enjoying a short break make sure you enjoy this downtime and pay attention to some long pending tasks. If you can utilize this slow down in a way that makes your downtime productive, you can get back to a new project with confidence and added vigor.
Organize your desk
Now you have some relaxing time to organize your desk. Organizing the desk does not need a full day. De-clutter the drawers. You can discard all the junk files, sticky notes, etc. Discard unused stationery. A clean desk brings in some new energy.
Develop a new skill
Learning and developing a new skill is important for your professional career. In recent times, there are endless online resources to help make your downtime productive. You can enroll yourself in an online course and enrich your resume. You can learn a new language or a new program language.
Plan
Spend your free time to plan your workflow for the coming week to make your downtime productive. If you can organize your meetings and appointments now, you can save a lot of time when you struggle to manage many things together.
Network
Networking with influential people from your industry keeps you updated about the latest trends and advancements. Build your own network and reputation for your future professional needs.
Build a rapport with your team
In normal working days, it is difficult to take out time to go out for lunch with your teammates or boss. If your team is having some down time, take the opportunity to build a rapport with your team. Listen to your team members and provide valuable input.
Meditate and Exercise
In your busy work schedule, you hardly get time to improve your physical abilities. Dedicate some extra hours in the gym or in the pool to make your downtime productive. Try yoga and meditation to improve your concentration level. Regular exercise can put your mind at rest and improve your vitality.
Volunteer
If you have some spare time, reach out to your team or co-workers. Help them in their work. You will not feel bored during your down time. The management will appreciate your helpful approach.
Review your performance
Use the slow time to test your performance. Identify your weaknesses and try to improve them.
Review your goals
You must have some professional and personal goals in your mind for the future. Try to review how much you have accomplished in reaching your goal.
Improve a process
You can try to install a new process to improve the work process in your team. Discuss with your teammates about its efficiency and advantages. Get vital inputs from the internet for the advancement.
Check your finances
Your slow time is the ideal period to make some important decisions about your finances and secure your future. Review your personal budget and update your bank passbooks.
Follow up
Do the follow-up calls or write the emails that have been pending. It is the perfect time to catch up with your important personal and professional contacts.
Read
Read more when you get some time. Read anything that you find interesting. Improving your knowledge base is essential to survive in the breakneck competition.
Check in with your boss
Share your thoughts and performance updates with your boss. Try to build a rapport with him. Occasional verbal communication with the boss is necessary.
Clear your mailbox
When you have some spare time, clear the unnecessary emails from the inbox. If the inbox is filled with junks, you may overlook many important emails.
