You managed to get summer work in the middle of an economic recession – props. But unless your boss has you jet-setting to the Bahamas or you have landed your dream job for the summer, chances are you might suffer from occasional lack of interest from time to time. We all know it can be tough when you’re cooped inside and the sun is outside, but there are always things you can do to curb your boredom.



Silly pranks: If NBC’s “The Office” has taught you anything, it’s that hiding someone’s cell phone in the ceiling and faxing faxes to a co-worker from their future self is at the very least, highly entertaining. At your workplace, chances are your boss isn’t a Michael Scott, but a few little, non-disruptive pranks to a co-worker won’t hurt anyone. Right?

Restrict your speech: Tell your fellow co-workers Lent is here early, and this time you each have to give up five common words applicable to your work. For the person who continues to say his or her restricted words the most – pizza is on them.

Pick up an accent: Your knees always weaken for the people who have accents, so why not adopt one yourself. Come on, do you know how many other people fake it, too?

Doodle: Try drawing a squiggly line and have your co-workers add on. By the end you will have a silly masterpiece compliments of a day’s hard work.

Mindless fun: See which co-worker can hold his or her breath the longest, assume a different identity and have people guess who you are, learn to juggle, play dead and see who can eat the most during the day.

Use question form: Have your co-workers put a couple of dollars into a jar and then try and phrase everything in question form. If someone lasts all day – they get the money.

Have bubble-blowing contests: See who can blow the biggest bubbles – unless, of course, you are working with food, in a professional environment of any sort or with little children. Yeah, don’t try this one.

Play tag: Don’t let your customers realize you are playing it, but rather do it incognito. When a co-worker is approaching, try and make a dash for it very skillfully.

Ambidextrous? You never know when teaching yourself to write with both hands will come in handy.

Work on your traffic school or online course credit: If you get caught doing this, chances are you won’t have a summer job to get bored at any longer, but if your boss tells you to go check your e-mail or get lost, make your time productive by getting rid of some online traffic school time or watching some online course lectures.



If your workplace is less relaxed for mindless pranks and other silly time-wasting activities, there are solutions for you, too, and good news: they won’t anger anyone else or make you lose your job.



Get to know your co-worker: Every person has a story, and so do your co-workers. If the day is going by slowly, take the time to get to know someone. You can wind up with a great friend and an ally in the workplace.

Make yourself productive: Ask your boss for more work – you will make your boss happy and benefit yourself as well. If you make your time productive, chances are you will get more out of your experience – or, at the very least, the day will seem to go by much faster.

Ask to play music: Everything is more fun when there is music involved. Try asking if you can turn on the radio or play a CD with classics everyone likes for the day.

Clean your desk: Sure, it’s not the most fun thing to do, but it has to be done someday, so why not make it today.

Ask to work less hours: Chances are if you are really bored, there is a not enough work for you to do. Try asking how your boss how he or she would feel about you working a couple of less hours a day.



So, here you have it. A list of things to do when you’re about to take a nap at your desk but see your boss is looking. Sometimes your boss will say he doesn’t have any more work for you, in which it is totally (or at least partially) appropriate to try some of the wacky suggestions above.

Otherwise, take my advice and make yourself as busy and productive as possible. The time will go by faster and you will learn a whole lot more. And don’t forget, if you have a job over this summer, you are one of the fortunate ones – so make the best of it!