Even the most dedicated employees can occasionally find themselves bored out of their skull at work and desperate for a brief distraction. Discreetly scrolling through Facebook is one way to pass the time, but what if you’re itching to finish reading a novel? While we don’t recommend doing this too often, here are some of the ways you can catch up on your leisure reading while on the clock.
1. Keep various tabs open on your computer.
If you’re reading a book online, simply keep some work-related content open so you can quickly switch between tabs if your boss or nosy coworker walks past you. Along with this strategy, you may find it helpful to have a trusted colleague to warn you when somebody’s coming (and you can do the same for them occasionally!). If you are reading a book on Kindle, you can read directly in your browser tab using Kindle Cloud Reader. See more on Kindle Cloud Reader here.
2. Take “bathroom breaks.”
The restroom at work is a private, quiet place to get some reading done without having to worry about anyone intruding on you. Just make sure you don’t make too many trips to the bathroom. If your coworkers notice you heading to the bathroom for the 10th time in one morning, you might have to field some awkward personal questions about your digestive health. If you choose the toilet strategy, here’s more reading: Why Men Like to Read on the Toilet.
3. Have a purposely cluttered desk.
If you bring a book with you to work, you can make it blend in with your work documents easily when your desk is littered with paper. Simply keep your book open on your cluttered desk and if somebody happens to walk by your desk, you can pick up one of the papers on your desk and pretend to read that or nonchalantly cover your book with a stack of boring paperwork. The messier your desk is, the easier it is to hide your reading material!
4. Listen to your book instead.
For those lucky enough to have the privilege of using their headphones to listen to music in the workplace, simply download audio books and listen to those instead. If your job doesn’t allow employees to listen to music, you can try to hide your earbuds or use wireless earbuds if you can’t wait to hear what happens next in a novel.
5. Create a secret workplace alliance.
This covert operation, originally suggested by author Jeff Somers, is absolutely genius. Round up other trustworthy book-lovers at your workplace and reserve a conference room together for a “project meeting.” Your other coworkers will assume you’re stuck in a boring meeting when you and your fellow conspirators are secretly reading on the job!
Reading on the Job? Make Sure It’s a Good Book!
Want to get in on this rebellious workplace reading kick but not sure what to read first? Be sure to visit BookSliced.com for thousands of free Kindle books available for download. Also be sure to sign up for the newsletter.