In every job, there are certain periods of time where things slow down. The amount of work that piles up on your desk becomes less, the phone is not ringing as much and you are overall less stressed. These periods are inevitable and they are important to catch your breath for a little bit.
1) Ask for additional work.
2) Find your own tasks.
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Clean up your email account.
This is a task I actually really enjoy because it gives me a feeling of accomplishment to sort away emails about tasks and subjects that I have completed. Catalogue your emails into different project folders, delete unnecessary emails and newsletters that you have already read. And don’t forget to clear out your spam folder – you might even have missed something there.
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Organise your files.
Another rewarding task. It not only clears up my computer when I organize my files, it sort of clears up my mind as well. The first thing I like to do is go through all of my different folders, the desktop and download folder to delete files I no longer need. The satisfying feeling of pushing the “empty trash” button after that gives me so much joy every time. Next, I work on my folder system. I like to determine whether it still makes sense to me the way it is set up. If not, I tackle that task.
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Clear your working space.
Especially in stressful periods at work, my desk looks like a bomb exploded on it. There are papers all over, mixed with notepads, teacups, and sticky notes. On a slow day, it is time to clean that shit up. Get rid of all the paperwork and notes that you no longer need and file away all the rest. You will feel so much better afterward.
