How to Slack Off at Work

Take a Walk

Shut your computer. Before you embark on your trip to the bakery down the street or the bathroom on the opposite end of the building, you must disconnect yourself from whatever sense of productivity you previously had.

Decide on a destination. Maybe you are hungry and feel like taking a second lunch at a restaurant within walking distance of your office. Maybe there are places in your office that you haven't yet explored. Maybe you just feel like wandering for a while, and letting your now empty mind take you where it will. Whatever you do, it is important that you keep the end goal in mind: wasting as much time as possible.

Embark. This is the most exciting part! Now that you have shut your computer and chosen your destination (or not), you are ready to depart on the enlightening journey that is freedom. Enjoy your freedom!

Play Computer Games

Master the art of "Alt+Tab". Before even considering the more dangerous option of playing games at your desk, you must teach your mind and your body to quickly switch between computer windows, specifically from games to email, or do anything else that looks like work. Only once you are confident in your ability to switch tabs at a moment's notice can you move on to the next step.

Decide on the game you wish to play. This can be a very hard decision, but is very important in the following steps. If you can't decide on one specific game, perhaps try to settle on a category of game that you wish to play, such as flash games.

Download any necessary materials that you think you may need. If you want to try flash games, make sure you have the correct version of Flash installed on your computer. You can even download a free trial of some games like Roller Coaster Tycoon with ease.

Make sure you are aware of your surroundings. Once you start playing the game you have chosen, you will likely lose your sense of the people around you and who may be watching over your shoulder. It is important that you keep a watchful eye behind you every once in a while to avoid any potential repercussions from your superiors.

Enjoy! You have prepared yourself for what's ahead of you. It was the risky choice, but you have now pulled through. Good luck!

Chat With Coworkers

Scope out your slacking buddies. Every office has a chatty Kathy, but you should make sure you get a full pool of options before you choose. It is a good idea to take a quick walk around the office to see if anyone you know (or don't!) is clearly in the same boat as you, and needs to pass some time.

Compare the personalities of your options to each other and to yourself. The best way to determine who you should chat with is to pick someone who you may already get along with, but don't know a lot about. If no one matches this description, you may try narrowing it down to the person who you feel you could best hold a long, comfortable conversation with.

Approach your potential chat partner. Keep in mind that even while they appeared to not be working, you can't be sure that they will be so willing to participate in time wasting with you. If they seem like they may need some warming up, start by faking some "productive talk" about some work-related things, and slowly change the subject later.

Chat away! Now you and your slacking buddy are on the same page. Just be sure that if anyone with authority walks by, you are ready to quickly change the subject to something more acceptable in your work environment. Try using the words "report" and "memo" or "email" with frequency. Godspeed!