Depending on the set-up, you could do some light exercise? I used to hide in the toilets a couple times a day and do stretches at one job, that was pretty good. If i weren't in a massive open plan hellscape, id have done stuff at my desk too.
At one job I researched / wrote quite a lot of my dissertation and did a blog.
If in doubt go for a walk, I walk quite fast so people always assumed that I am doing something useful. A piece of paper and a pen always gives the impression that you are doing something too.
– watch documentaries or lectures and listen to podcasts
– translate/subtitle videos
– do translation work, lightweight web- or graphic design if you're so inclined
– start a blog about your boring office job
– print out or scan stuff for comrades (if possible), smuggle out office supplies
– help comrades who are writing articles with doing research on the internet
– become a wikipedia editor and add new libcom-related entries
– do other paid work (data entry, translation, that sort of stuff) and get paid twice for the same time!
If you use outlook or similar as a work e-mail client, copying and pasting a text into your draft e-mails (or e-mailing it to yourself) allows you to read it while looking like you're checking/writing an e-mail, and easy to click out of that pane to a different e-mail.
Have to decide what your risk tolerance is for work reading your e-mails of course.
Similar possibilities with word documents - won't show up in an e-mail scan, but more obvious on screen.
Both of these, once you've got the text in the first place, don't involve trackable internet activity if that's an issue.
Apologies to those who've heard this one before, but my first "proper" job was in a print shop, mostly working in the warehouse, but a bit of cleaning and general labouring. The best advice I ever got for this or any other job was from a more experienced workmate, who said, "Always have a pocketful of dust." The idea being that if you saw the boss coming, you sprinkled your pocketful of dust on the floor and then swept it up.
Audiobooks. I've got through so many books looking at spreadsheets, making jobs look like they take more time to do than they actually do and generally slacking off (the old wandering purposely around with a piece of paper is a timeless classic.)
Fwiw, new and pretty decent recordings of Capital Vols 1 and 2 were published this year, if you want to tackle the old bearded one at work. Personally the best thing about my last job were all the classics which were on my to read list that I listened to.
I would recommend daydreaming, it really helps the time at work to go by more easily. Just don't get so caught up in your daydreams while at work that you begin drooling like I occasionally do or your co-workers will think that your weird.
Writing your own stuff? Other
Writing your own stuff? Other than that, there is a lot of stuff to read.
Organise Depending on the
Organise ;)
Depending on the set-up, you could do some light exercise? I used to hide in the toilets a couple times a day and do stretches at one job, that was pretty good. If i weren't in a massive open plan hellscape, id have done stuff at my desk too.
Masturbation is strongly
Masturbation is strongly recommend on another legendary Libcom thread so you could give that a go?
At one job I researched /
At one job I researched / wrote quite a lot of my dissertation and did a blog.
If in doubt go for a walk, I walk quite fast so people always assumed that I am doing something useful. A piece of paper and a pen always gives the impression that you are doing something too.
bubble wrap
bubble wrap
The possibilities are
The possibilities are endless!
– watch documentaries or lectures and listen to podcasts
– translate/subtitle videos
– do translation work, lightweight web- or graphic design if you're so inclined
– start a blog about your boring office job
– print out or scan stuff for comrades (if possible), smuggle out office supplies
– help comrades who are writing articles with doing research on the internet
– become a wikipedia editor and add new libcom-related entries
– do other paid work (data entry, translation, that sort of stuff) and get paid twice for the same time!
Make yourself a nice
Make yourself a nice lunch.
But we need parameters. How obvious can you be in this dead time?
Although I usually work
Although I usually work harder after lunch so be careful you don't accidentally do some work.
It's the best job I've ever
It's the best job I've ever had in terms of pay and autonomy so don't wanna mess about.
Duplicate post
Duplicate post
You could practice drawing,
You could practice drawing, sketching, etc, if you're interested in that sort of thing?
If you use outlook or similar
If you use outlook or similar as a work e-mail client, copying and pasting a text into your draft e-mails (or e-mailing it to yourself) allows you to read it while looking like you're checking/writing an e-mail, and easy to click out of that pane to a different e-mail.
Have to decide what your risk tolerance is for work reading your e-mails of course.
Similar possibilities with word documents - won't show up in an e-mail scan, but more obvious on screen.
Both of these, once you've got the text in the first place, don't involve trackable internet activity if that's an issue.
Apologies to those who've
Apologies to those who've heard this one before, but my first "proper" job was in a print shop, mostly working in the warehouse, but a bit of cleaning and general labouring. The best advice I ever got for this or any other job was from a more experienced workmate, who said, "Always have a pocketful of dust." The idea being that if you saw the boss coming, you sprinkled your pocketful of dust on the floor and then swept it up.
Words to live by.
For me it's "Always have a
For me it's "Always have a spreadsheet open" (and make sure you can Alt-Tab to it quickly). People think spreadsheets are serious business.
Listen to Chumbawamba's "I
Listen to Chumbawamba's "I wish that they'd sack me" for 8 hours straight.
Write to a prison pen pal
Write to a prison pen pal http://www.abcf.net
Make some extra cash https://www.reddit.com/r/beermoney/
Audiobooks. I've got through
Audiobooks. I've got through so many books looking at spreadsheets, making jobs look like they take more time to do than they actually do and generally slacking off (the old wandering purposely around with a piece of paper is a timeless classic.)
Fwiw, new and pretty decent recordings of Capital Vols 1 and 2 were published this year, if you want to tackle the old bearded one at work. Personally the best thing about my last job were all the classics which were on my to read list that I listened to.
I would recommend
I would recommend daydreaming, it really helps the time at work to go by more easily. Just don't get so caught up in your daydreams while at work that you begin drooling like I occasionally do or your co-workers will think that your weird.