There’s nothing worse than being bored at work.
While it may sound like an enviable position, it is one that can definitely be soul-sucking and make the time move even more slowly.
Thankfully, we live in a time where we have the entire knowledge and history of mankind at our fingertips.
Or, you could just opt to check out these funny meme pages.
Whatever you decide, we hope that these 75 things to do online when bored at work will help make the time move just a bit faster.
News Sites
- New York Times – The New York Times is the premiere authority for news and information both domestically and internationally.
Recognized for their excellent journalism and in-depth research, The New York Times is one of the best sites to get lost in.
- The Wall Street Journal – The Wall Street Journal is perhaps the cousin to The New York Times.
With in-depth reporting and coverage, The Wall Street Journal is a highly regarded new institution.
It is also a go-to destination for reporting on financial news and information on markets around the world.
- CNN – CNN is a go-to source for information on both domestic and international news.
They are one of the quickest sources in providing information on breaking news and do an excellent job of discussing large and small topics which may not be found on other sites.
- NPR – Although NPR is a non-profit, public news network, they are one of the best sources for information without any angles or agendas.
NPR has maintained their journalistic integrity and has become a main source of news and information.
- The Washington Post – The Washington Post is one of the foremost publications in the United States.
Known for their in-depth research and coverage, The Washington Post has won over 47 Pulitzer Prizes.
- The Economist – Perhaps not as popular as some of the others, The Economist is a British magazine which provides cutting-edge, factually rigged accounts of happenings around the world.
- Politico – Founded by former reporters who left The Washington Post, Politico has set itself up as a dominant player in domestic political news.
- The New Yorker – Perhaps one of my favorites from the list.
The New Yorker continues to supply the world with comprehensive pieces and exposes on happenings across the world.
Not just news, but also a sense of depth and purpose will be found on its pages.
Learn Something New
Sometimes, work tasks are like buses – you wait hours for one, and then several come along all at once!
When you experience a lull between jobs, and you’re twiddling those thumbs, learning new skills can be a great way to pass the excess time.
If you’re thinking about a change of career or looking to apply for a new corporate role, online training is also an excellent way to brush up on your attributes, and it can help you put together a far more attractive resume too:
- edX – has thousands of courses created and provided by some respected institutions, including Harvard and MIT.
edX has set itself up as a trusted platform for education and learning.
- Coursera – is an online portal with both free and paid courses.
Coursera offers users a chance to build up their skills through lectures, certifications, and degrees from universities worldwide.
- HighBrow – Taking a different approach, HighBrow sends its users short, five-minute lessons via email every morning.
- Curious – has short, curated videos that can help you learn something new in 5, 15, or 30-minute intervals.
- LinkedIn Learning – LinkedIn offers courses across a wide range of topics.
Many can help you learn new skills and advance your career.
What else could be better when you’re bored at work?
- Udemy – Like Coursera, Udemy looks to provide users with specific skills and courses to enhance their knowledge and expertise.
Many of these courses are paid.
- Free Code Camp – is an excellent website that teaches people how to code, build projects, and earn certifications.
- Thinkful – is a training and online learning platform meant for one-on-one mentorship and career services.
- One Month – is a website that promises to teach you how to code and build applications in just one month
- Khan Academy – contains thousands of educational videos on nearly every topic you can imagine, all for free
Forums
When you’ve exhausted all the best news outlets, caught up with your learning requirements, and you’ve even gone as far as to give your desk and work area a deep clean, what else can you do when you’re short of things to do?
Well, next on our list of things to do when you’re bored at work is the wonderful online world of forums.
In a similar sense to journalistic publications, forums can provide some real insights and alternative ways to look at issues and problems we all encounter – so they can help you make a more effective social contribution to the office.
After all, what is corporate America, if not a place to share tips, engage in conversations, and improve your general networking skills?
- Reddit – the fifth most visited site in the world, Reddit is your go-to source for information on practically any topic you can imagine.
It is a forum that is constantly updated, providing you with news, information, and memes to get you through the day.
- Quora – have a question?
Quora probably has the answer.
Founded in 2009, Quora is a site where users can ask questions on just about any topic and get answers from qualified people across the globe.
- Stack Overflow – Stack Overflow is a question and answer site aimed at programmers, both professionals, and hobbyists.
Created in 2008, Stack Overflow features questions and answers on a wide range of topics and issues related to programming.
- GameSpot – GameSpot is the destination for casual and professional gamers.
It features reviews, tips, and tricks on nearly every game on almost every platform.
- Medium – is perhaps not exactly a forum, but Medium has grown into a formidable resource for reading blog posts and articles from varying people worldwide.
Money and Finance
Making the best use of your hard-earned cash is always beneficial, and the fact is, the internet is full of opportunities to brush up on your financial knowledge.
Take some time to browse the following sites and see which one best fits your finances and goals:
- Mint – a tool to check on your finances, Mint has secured itself as a destination for anyone looking to manage and keep up with their money.
- Seeking Alpha – Seeking Alpha is a website that collates news and information on financial markets, stocks, asset classes, ETFs, and investment strategies.
- CNN Business – CNN Business brings you a wealth of financial and market information from a trusted, reputable news source.
- Kiplinger – Kiplinger is a trusted site that provides users with personal finance advice and tips.
- Bloomberg Markets – one of the biggest hitters on the web, Bloomberg Markets focuses on market trends and information in a sleek, modern format
- My Money – My Money is a United States government website that is meant to help beginners learn the basics of finance and investing
Shopping and Deals
Who doesn’t love finding a bargain?
And fortunately, the web is an excellent place to find deals, coupons, sales, and special offers for all sorts of products, services, and trips.
If you’re bored in the office, why not do some shopping and get some much-needed retail therapy!
- Clark Deals – Find deals on everything from homewares to toys, electronics, and computers to sports and outdoors-related gear to grocery and household items.
- Deal News – assembles all the best sales on the web and presents them in an easy to navigate format.
- Gotta Deal – has message boards and features listings of thousands of online bargains and discount deals.
- Groupon – One of the most popular discount sites on the net, Groupon offers thousands of products and experiences.
- Slickdeals – has thousands of opportunities to pick yourself up a great deal.
Almost every category of product is covered here, so there’s something for everyone.
- RetailMeNot – concentrates on products that are trending right now worldwide and then identifies the cheapest offers.
- Woot!– is the website with everything!
There are excellent deals for almost any item you can think of, and you’ll find yourself addicted to surfing this place!
Medical and Health Information
Looking after your body is just as crucial as that next pay rise or purchase, so make sure to check out these excellent online health resources next time you’re bored at work.
While it’s always important to get registered, licensed medical advice if you’ve got an ailment or feel unwell, the internet can be a fantastic place to do some initial research:
- National Institute of Health – The NIH is the largest source of medical research and funding in the world.
Their website features information in a wide range of categories, including facts and figures segmented by gender and age.
- WebMD – is perhaps the most popular health site online.
WebMD has established itself as the go-to source for information and news on all things health-related.
- Mayo Clinic – The Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit organization based in Rochester, Minnesota.
It focuses on education and research, providing high quality, in-depth reporting, and information on health issues.
- Everyday Health – Everyday Health takes an interesting angle, looking to provide health information to patients and caregivers of diseases that affect people’s lives daily.
- Healthline – is another excellent resource for facts and figures surrounding health and ailments that affect the population
Technology and Electronics
Even though we use more and more tech for entertainment, we also employ it in an increasing range of tasks within the workplace.
The internet is a wonderful resource for information, reviews, and advice about technology.
Before you make your next purchase or even decide on software for that next work project, give a few of these tech-related sites a read:
- TechCrunch – mixes technology, news, and the startup scene in order to provide insights and information for the innovation community.
- The Next Web – News, events, science, and business combine on The Next Web.
It’s a future-looking platform and full of information.
You’ll quickly get lost down a mine of surprising and sometimes shocking information.
- Wired – is mixes tech and popular culture to provide an excellent source of interesting and thought-provoking facts and reporting.
- Gizmodo – You can think of Gizmodo as a center for news and advice about everything technology-related.
It’s full of exciting articles and well worth a visit.
- The Verge – contains reviews, podcasts, and features on many things entertainment and technology-related – with a little bit of science thrown in.
- Tech Radar – has reviews for laptops, TVs, audio equipment, and everything else electronic.
Lose yourself in the wonderful world of tech!
- 9to5mac – has product guides and reviews for everything Mac-related, like iPhones and laptops.
Browse the site to find deals and information if you’re an Apple enthusiast.
- Engadget – contains buying guides, deals, and product reviews for gaming, entertainment, and general technology-related kit.
- Droidlife – Assembles everything from product reviews and recommendations for tech-related podcasts and websites all in one place.
Cooking and Recipes
The next item on our bored at work: 75 things to do online list is cooking and recipes.
After all, when you’re stuck for things to do in the office, it helps to plan something nice to do when you get home – and food certainly fits that bill in a big way:
- Deliciously Ella – describes itself as a plant-based lifestyle website that shares delicious ways to feel better.
There’s a blog, an app, a deli, and a collection of recipe books available – as well as podcasts and a range of plant-based food products.
Join the community and learn!
- Fit Men Cook – combines men’s health and recipes to great effect.
Browse the site for all sorts of ideas and products designed to make staying fit and healthier easier and tastier.
- Gimme Some Oven – is a website that enthusiastically “celebrates life around the table” and presents a range of the author’s favorite recipes.
While away the hours and minutes and discover some pretty delicious ideas too!
- Minimalist Baker – says it “celebrates simple cooking by sharing recipes that require ten ingredients or less, one bowl, or thirty minutes or less to prepare.”
All eaters are welcome, whether they’re new to the site or not.
- Pinch of Yum – is run by Lindsay, a former 4th-grade teacher and now a full-time blogger.
She and her husband live in Minnesota, and their favorite things include cameras, lake days, and dark chocolate.
Miscellaneous Websites
When you’ve exhausted all other sources of information, entertainment, and inspiration – try a few wildcard websites to alleviate the office boredom.
This section contains everything from cultural content to TED Talks to improving your vocabulary:
- Open Culture – the best educational and cultural media online, Open Culture has a ton of free courses, audiobooks, and movies.
- Duolingo – a great website to utilize to learn a new language or practice a previously learned one.
- TED – looking to learn something new or to enhance your perspective of the world?
Then TED is where you need to be.
- Vocabulary – looking to increase your comprehension, grammar, or vocabulary?
Check out this site to help you get better with your vocabulary
- Free Rice – answer a question correctly, feed someone in need!
- GoodReads – connect with like-minded readers across the globe and share your passion for the written word
- Classic Shorts – a site that gives you free access to a list of classic literary works
- Music Theory – a site that teaches you everything you ever wanted to know about music and music theory
- Heavens Above – a site that lets you see which stars are above you
- Typing Speed Test – Ever wanted to see how fast you can type?
This site will let you!
- PTable – a fully interactive periodic table online
- Rhymer – ever wanted to rhyme a word or sentence?
This website will let you find rhymes for any word you can think of
- Ripe Track – love fruits and vegetables?
Want an easy way to see if those fruits and vegetables are fresh and ripe?
Check out Ripe Track
- Get Rich Slowly – financial information, tips, and tricks that will help you get rich, slowly
- MentalFloss – random bits of information every day
- Wikipedia – all of the information, all at your fingertips, all for free!
- The Simple Dollar – an easy to use site that helps you take charge of your finances and manage your money
- Art of Manliness – want to be a better man?
- Zen Habits – Improve your life by decluttering the unnecessary
- Exposure Guide – want to be a better photographer?
Exposure Guide will help you with that!
