What is a good way to pass time(mentally) in an office environment?

Honor your contract and produce what you are paid for?

Work on a new project. Document your processes. If there’s something that needs to be done, do it.
If there’s nothing to be done, ask your boss for something to do.

N.B.: I have plenty of stuff to do—that’s not the problem. It’s more of occupying my mind that I’m concerned with.

If you have work to do, but your mind is unoccupied, you might want to have QC check your work a bit closer.

I’ve had success in the past with listening to comedy CD’s or the news. Music is good for me when my mind is busy, but when I had a mind-numbing job, I could actually listen to the humor or information.

Get a song stuck in your head. By the time it’s out, a week will have passed.

I’m usually pretty good at zoning out my surroundings and getting lost in my thoughts. It makes classtimes pass faster for me.

I usually cover up the clocks for one. That helps me personally.

I also like to either make up stories in my head (i know weird) or moreso I work on “problems” in my head. Like planning an event whether I end up doing it or not. It’s fun to get into those type of things mentally.

This is a difficult question, i look forward to seeing what others say.

@jfos: I don’t know what you do… I know my job requires ABSOLUTELY no thought whatsoever. I dispatch. I have one list of stops, and one list of driver routes, and I drag the stop and drop it in the route. I could do it in my sleep. So I understand the mind occupation while you’re working need. I bring my Zune in, dock it next to my monitor (the dock stays on my desk, as do a nice set of small speakers and a subwoofer in the corner of my desk), and I keep my mind pretty well occupied that way.

Fluther keeps me distracted.

Too distracted!

Keep focused and get more done instead: I recommend the Pomodoro technique. http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/resources/cirillo/ThePomodoroTechnique_v1-3.pdf

Get inspired with your work, i dont know who said it but “If you have a job you always have too much time, if you have a career you never have enough time”.

Oh I also put in a vote for playing work games. Not the kind that distract you from work, the kind that are about your work.

For example I would challenge myself to see how much I could get done in 5 minutes. Or if I could organize the work in a certain way etc… Just challenges that keep me busy and entertained.

@ChazMaz I know that feeling!

work

try picturing your boss and co-workers naked and doing circus routines. That should get you back on track to doing what they pay you for. =)