“I really miss the hissing and whirring of the old dial-up modem,” said no one ever. However with the improved technology there are still a few activities you’ll have time to squeeze in…
Ever. I mean, honestly, if the fact that you couldn’t use your landline at the same time you were plugged into the internet wasn’t bad enough, the speed of the barely-tolerated contraption certainly was.
Minutes to send your email correspondence, hours until you could watch a video and downloading software was a marathon stretch.
The tasks you would invent to keep yourself occupied were the icing on the cake.
Laundry. Check. Watch the latest episode of your favourite television series. Check. Design and build the Great Wall of China. Check. Read and reread Tolstoy’s War and Peace…
Thankfully, regardless of our government’s decision to cut corners on the NBN roll out, waiting times in the wireless day and age are considerably faster.
Nonetheless, if you’re a keen multi-tasker, here is a list of chores you can complete while waiting for the coloured circle on your Mac to disappear.
1. Blink
Seems a rather obvious one but many of us tend to stare, bleary-eyed at the screen, without shutting our peepers for a mere split second. This is particularly in reference to those that tend to squint.
According to research from the Ohio State University, just a slight amount of squinting reduced blink rates by half, from 15 blinks a minute to 7.5 blinks a minute.
2. Sip
The days of brewing and enjoying a cup of joe while waiting for your software to download are long gone but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy that first sip while you’re waiting for your files to process.
It could also give you a lesson in mindfulness – or the art of just being.
By enjoying that first sip of coffee, while focusing solely on yourself, you could be providing your mind with that split second of relief we all crave during a day ladened with deadlines and chores.
So, go on, take that split second just for you.
3. Hover
We all want to get that little bit of exercise in during the day. Why not use that moment to hover above your chair and let your hamstrings feel the burn.
Hey, beats an hour’s session at the gym but don’t expect the same results, though.
4. Stare
At that darned crack in the wall you haven’t managed to patch up yet.
Apart from the riveting potential of seeing it grow, you are taking lead from some of the world’s greatest writers who prescribed to this and other such procrastination techniques. Trust me, some have even decided to name them. “Cracky” is high on the list.
5. Play
An old school game, like Tetris, on your phone.
However the challenge is to place it on the extra hard level. You’ll be wiped out in seconds but, hey, at least your download will be complete.
6. Give an office high five
Pick your favourite office colleague and give them a high five and to save time go in for the ‘air five’!
7. Dance
Imitating David Brent’s famous dance from The Office will definitely be a hit among your colleagues however if you only have a few seconds to spare why not do the last ‘down-on-one-knee-pirouette’.
Now the sad truth is that, while this cheeky list may make waiting look like a blast, if you’re using Amadeus Selling Platform Connect, amping up your office efficiency and accessibility, you’ll barely have time to scrape through one of the tasks mentioned. Now that’s worth a little office dance or two.
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How do you kill a second or two in the office?
