Survival Guides

50 Things to Do When You're Bored in a Meeting

Some meetings inform. Some meetings decide. And some meetings exist purely so that a calendar invite could be sent. This list is for the third kind. Everything here is designed to be done quietly, professionally, and without ending up in an HR deck.

The subtle stuff (looks productive)

1. Play a round of buzzword bingo — quietly mark squares as people talk.
2. Run the meeting cost calculator and watch the number climb.
3. Write the meeting summary now, before it ends, and be the hero who sends notes first.
4. Clean out your inbox to a glorious zero.
5. Draft your to-do list for the rest of the day.
6. Rename your messy desktop files.
7. Learn three keyboard shortcuts you keep meaning to memorize.
8. Outline that thing you've been procrastinating on.
9. Update your task tracker so you look suspiciously on top of things.
10. Practice your active-listening face in the camera's self-view.

The sneaky games

11. Count how many times someone says "circle back."
12. Predict who will speak next and keep score.
13. Bet yourself the meeting will run over (you'll win).
14. Play buzzword generator roulette and try to slip one into the chat.
15. Tally the "you're on mute" incidents.
16. Guess each person's background object before they explain it.
17. Try to get a specific word into the conversation organically.
18. Doodle a portrait of whoever is presenting.
19. Invent a backstory for the one stock-photo slide.
20. See how long you can go without unmuting.

The genuinely useful

21. Stretch your wrists and neck — your posture will thank you.
22. Drink a full glass of water.
23. Do a quiet box-breathing round (4 in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold).
24. Tidy one drawer within arm's reach.
25. Water the plant that's been quietly dying.
26. Unsubscribe from five newsletters.
27. Back up your phone photos.
28. Plan tonight's dinner (might we suggest breakfast for dinner).
29. Update one password you've reused for too long.
30. Write down one idea you don't want to forget.

The mind wanderers

31. Plan your next vacation, hour by hour.
32. Design your dream home office in your head.
33. Pick the walk-on song for your imaginary boxing career.
34. Decide what you'd cook on a cooking competition show.
35. Rank the best sandwiches you've ever eaten.
36. Mentally rearrange your living room.
37. Compose the perfect out-of-office reply.
38. Think of a band name for every noun you hear.
39. Plan the heist (purely hypothetical).
40. Decide your three desert-island albums.

The gloriously petty

41. Keep a running count of how long the "quick question" actually takes.
42. Time the gap between "let's wrap up" and actually wrapping up.
43. Note every time someone repeats what the last person said.
44. Track who joins late and who leaves early.
45. Count the acronyms nobody defines.
46. Log each "to your point…" that doesn't address the point.
47. Tally the dogs, cats, and doorbells heard in the background.
48. Award a silent MVP to whoever ends it early.
49. Draft the email that says "as discussed" about something not discussed.
50. Forward yourself this list for the next one.

Remember: the goal isn't to check out completely — it's to stay sane until something actually requires you. When it does, unmute, say something sharp, and go right back to your bingo card.