We've made it. It's Friday. Which means it's almost time to kickoff those boots and stick your toes in the ocean or your nose in a book-- whatever suits your weekend fancy will do.
It's time to slack.
But what about the work week slack? Is it possible to kick your feet up at your desk and STILL be incredibly productive. Perhaps they aren't as at odds as your might think. Here are the 7 magical ways to slack at work and still get shit done. Most employees are only productive four hours a day.
Call it failing upwards.
1. TAKE AN EXTENDED BREAK
Or really, take any break. Chances are that 15 minutes you’re legally allowed twice a day goes unused. You get busy, you get buried. It’s common. But when you’re working that hard your brain stops functioning at optimum output. So take a walk and grab a coffee. (Or bring water along for the jaunt, since dehydration during the workday can also lead to an kaput of creativity.)
Whatever you do, use it. Especially when you’re feeling stuck.
2. SHUT YOUR COMPUTER OFF AND READ
Word to the wise: always bring a book to your office. Sure, powering down your computer and taking a break from responding to emails may feel out of the question, but here’s an important one to ask yourself: when you’ve hit a slump is it better to stay stuck or read yourself out of it? Stand up. Give your spine a stretch and then crack the spine on a book. Seeing words come together in unexpected ways might be the jumpstart your brain needs. It’s not work, but it will work for you.
3. MEDITATE
We’ve all read about the benefits of meditating in the morning or before bed, but meditating in the office can bring clarity, calm your nerves before presentations, and de-stress high impact situations. Stress brings on emotions. Some of which are not beneficial to us in the work environment. Meditating at your desk (or in the storage closet) can help bring clarity and the right kind of emotions to your decision making. For instance, if you’re about to blow your top at a co-worker, take a beat. Meditate. And come into the situation with a clear head. It might look like you’re not doing a thing, but you’re being incredibly productive for you and the company’s well-being.
4. PLAY GAMES ON YOUR PHONE
While we don’t suggest scrolling through the IG during the work day, there are word games and brain games you can play to whip that brain into shape. You could opt for memory, attention, and problem solving apps like Luminosity, or try an app like Happify, that helps you build skills for lasting happiness. And being happy at work directly affects your productivity. So come on, get happy. Play a game or two.
5. DON’T MULTI-TASK
Sometimes it feels like the busier you are, the better you’re working. Untrue! You don’t have to do multiple things at once in order to get things done. Slow down and work on one thing at a time. It might feel like you’re slacking at first, but once you see how quickly you start ticking things off your list, you just might abandon the multi-tasking addiction.
We want to know… how do you do work slack? Share below!
