Being productive when you have nothing to do

[BloodyWonder]

This is a battle that I've been dealing with for years. If I have nothing on my schedule, no errands to run, no nothing to do, how do I be productive? For the past couple of days I've just been hanging out in my apartment just eating, watching TV, and surfing the web because I still have time off from work because of the holidays.

What do you guys do when you have nothing on your plate but feel like you need to do something?

[illuminatus]

I try to write. I'm hoping to be a published author some day so I write as much as I can. But on the off chance I need a break I used to sit around and play video games. i've started cutting that back since last year and have started going on extended walks around my area or beyond it or visting the areas around North Carolina that I want to see. i think the holidays are the worst time when we just kind of feel like doing nothing. All the stress of the holidays can really get to us.

[Gobnait]

Are there any projects you've been putting off, like completely emptying closets and cabinets to reorganize them?

 

Go window shopping or find a cheap musuem.  The right antique stores are great for nostalgic "I used to have one of those" browsing.

[BloodyWonder]

I definitely have a ton of paperwork that I need to sort and file and I live right across the street from a Staples so that's really convenient. Thanks for the awesome suggestions!

[cracked_belle]

I have a master list entitled "Sh*t To Do".  it includes things like changing my car oil, cleaning dishes, coooking, etc.  I use Google Tasks, so I can apply and sort them via dates.  the undated items are ideas for me to be Productive during my down time.   because I'm the same way.  I need to be Productive.  rather than just "CLEAN ALL THE THINGS", I'm more of a "PRODUCTIVE ALL THE TIME" screamer.  lol.

 

anyway, when you're really busy is when you think of crap that needs to be done, I've found.  so I'll update my list then.  and later, when I have free time and can think of nothing, I have a list to go back to.

 

::shrugs:: it works for me.

[PrincessHeather]

I am like jtggodqos, I prefer productivity to idle time. I haven't mastered using Google Tasks or Calendar, but my paper planner is always covered in post its of things I think of at work that need done at home. Every few days I consolidate the items that I haven't managed to be completed into one list. If you thrive on things being scheduled, schedule time to do nagging tasks around the house or office... don't say "I'll get to it" when you have a tendency to opt for netflix or video games when you have "free" time. Grab a calendar and schedule an hour to work on something specific and do it!

 

Another thing I've been trying to implement is, if it can be done in a minute or less, DO IT NOW. This means little things like hanging up my keys and coat when I walk in, and rinsing a dish and putting it in the dishwasher instead of just putting it in the sink. Those little things all add up to a more organized day, and less to do all at once when it's become overwhelming.

[pippitha]

I make a list of things that need to be done for the day, like dishes, general cleaning, laundry, etc.  then I make a special list of things I like to do (games, crocheting, stuff) that I can do when the important list is all checked off.  I find that it's easier to be motivated with a list telling me exactly what needs to be done.

[Nucleus]

I had 2 hours I didn't know what to do with today so I cleaned out my closet. It was 2m long, 1.5ft deep and submerged in a knee high sea of rubbish. It was so grubby that I sneezed through the whole session. I found some weird stuff including a bag full of semi-precious gems, a magnifying glass with pincers attached and some old letters. I've been putting it ff for a while because I didn't really want to face some of it. There're bits of old projects, expired giftcards and old diaries from times I was unhappy, yet surprisingly prolific in terms of appalling poetry, embarrasing collages, ill-informed rants and pretentious drawings.

 

I didn't realise how much all that stuff was weighing me down until I got rid. I can tell you I for one am going to use any spare time I have to prevent that situation happening again.

 

So yeah, topic...I guess just that if you're anything like me, use the time to tackle anything that's been living at the back of your mind and get your affairs in order. Whether that's getting back in touch with someone, starting that project you've always meant to, doing your tax return, whatever.

 

If you're not, get some friends and do a daytrip somewhere. Make memories.

[Raincloak]

If you don't have a to-do list, you won't get stuff done.  (Of course, if you have a list and ignore it all the time, you ALSO won't get stuff done.)

 

I carry a paper planner, and scribble stuff in it all the time.  It works for me.  You might use a smartphone app or write on a wall calendar, whatever works.

 

You can have categories of the list: stuff to do for work, stuff to do around the house ... when you don't have anything to do, pull out the list and pick an activity.  Cross things off when they're done, or when you've decided you aren't going to do them.  Include a category of things that will make you a more awesome person (whatever that means to you), and don't forget to practice some of those once in a while.  Party tricks, new languages, musical instrument, that classic book you always meant to read, etc.  For instance, if you always wanted to learn to juggle, get some balls or scarves and practice whenever you have a minute.

 

My to-do list includes a number of personal enrichment activities: go to (insert museum here), visit this list of parks, watch that movie I always meant to watch.  Your weekends could become as busy as you like.

 

If you're looking for something more mundane, do a household chore such as decluttering, vacuuming out the car, checking your smoke detector batteries (which should be done quarterly), or fetching lightbulbs and changing that damn bulb which has been burned out for six months.

 

When I have nothing better to do, I practice my juggling, or cook/bake, or learn some new words in Spanish, or meditate, or work on one of those half-done creative projects which I have laying around.  (My goal for 2013 will be to complete some of these and hang them up, publish them, or otherwise put them to their intended use.)  If I have more time, I clean house or go to a museum or park.

 

Of course, Steve et al. would suggest that you fill at least 15 to 30 minutes of your empty day with a WORKOUT.

[Lowenna]

I have completely the opposite problem. I always feel the continual pressure to be doing stuff even when I have nothing that pressing to do and I find it paralysingly anxiety inducing. My to do list ends up so long I hide from it because it frightens me.

 

But if you need stuff to do I can come up with a few things:

Read, clean, meet someone for coffee, re-write you resume (even if your not job hunting it's good to keep it up-to-date), go to a gallery or museum, go for a swim, go for a walk in the park, organise your closet, alphabetize your books, go online and thoroughly research something which interests you, organise you paperwork, organise your music collection, organise your sock drawer, there are always things which can be organised, learn a new skill, batch cook something to freeze for later, go on a trip, 'catch up with correspondence' aka keep in touch with all your friends, make something, draw something, write, do an at home body weight workout, join an exercise class, watch a movie (not just because it's there, pick one you really want to see), write a list of things you want to do along the lines of steve's epic quest and get started on ticking things off, visit a friend or relative, just go for drive and see where you end up, if you love your job do a project for work at home, give you self a foot massage, take a long hot bath, learn to meditate, go to a restaurant on your own (it's not depressing it's fun), do a handstand, stretch, move your furniture to see if it works better in a different configuration, check you're on the right tax code, go to a library and browse, see if last.fm can turn up any bands you haven't heard of before, go to a gig, go to a poetry slam, go to a comedy night, go to the quiz night at your local pub, read a newspaper, read the archives of a blog that actually interests you rather than aimlessly surfing, buy someone care about a random gift just because you love them (doesn't have to be a big thing, just a thoughtful thing), people watch make up stories about them, get a pet, make a model of something, go on a price comparison site and see if you can get any of your bills cheaper with a different provider, wash the dishes, sort your recycling, clear out your garage, redecorate, get a kid's chemistry set and mess about with it, learn a programming language, change your OS, back up your files, find something you have a strong political opinion about and find every argument you can against you opinion to test out your opinion and/or practice you rhetorical skills by thinking up counter-arguments, read some philosophy, if all your passwords are the same change them so that they aren't, cook yourself the most amazing three course dinner (you could even invite some friends round to share it if you want), ask a friend if they need help with anything help them out if they do,

 

I think if I go on any longer I will have turned procrastinating by thinking of things for other people to do into an art form.

[This is Seth]

I made a space ship this weekend out of all the left over boxes from the holidays. 

 

Other than that, I share a house with one other guy and his gf... so there's always cleaning to be done. 

 

Or I go explore. Grab one of those cheap free community newspapers and pick a random thing to do. Adventures!

[rybo]

This was me last night. I ended up reading the few magazines that had stacked up from the last few months & now I can pitch them & be less cluttered.

Otherwise I usually try to clean and organize random things. I always have cleaning and organizing that can be done.

[OrangeJorwell]

I have the same issue.  I think I'm going to download a star map and learn some astronomy the next time I find myself in that situation.  It's something that I would like to know, but never really had the motivation to learn.

[nightlight]

I made a space ship this weekend out of all the left over boxes from the holidays. 

of course you did.

[Raincloak]

I made a space ship this weekend out of all the left over boxes from the holidays.

I was seriously tempted to do that with a gigantic box at my office last month.  I actually spent about 10 minutes sitting in the box when no one was looking.  Too bad I couldn't take it home...