Unfortunately, goofing off at work makes you look bad and can get you in a lot of trouble.

In fact, you probably already know that taking a bit of slacking off canmake you more productive.

Plus, many of us are in offices that are pretty strict and won’t approve of these breaks.

You don’t necessarily have to be slacking off.

Either way, you need tomaster the art of looking busy.

Get the big important stuff out of the way.

Get ready to update the boss on your work at the drop of a hat.

Always know what you’re working on.

Keep a desk that doesn’t look completely unused.

If you’re going to do it, though, at least do it right.

check that you know your keyboard shortcuts.

Dudley Dawson at the Examiner recommendsturning down the brightness level of your monitor.

When you’re browsing, be aware of your surroundings.

Don’t get caught because you were absorbed in a great article.

It doesn’t hurt to do a little visual angle recon either.

Get Your Game On

Tired of browsing the web?

If you’re feeling daring, you’re free to play some games.

Those kinds of games aren’t very inconspicuous, anyway.

To keep from getting busted, you’re going to need to get creative.

Because they make it look like you’re working.

CantYouSeeImBusyhas a collection of games that look like normal work programs.

Another site that pulls a “looky lou” is1cup1coffee.

That’s not the only game it’s possible for you to play in Excel, either.

Check outExcelTrickto find a huge list of games that can be played within Excel.

check that you have macros enabled, though, or many of them will not work.

Alternatively, play something secretly on your smartphone.

Load up your unit with games and bust it out when things get slow.

In some cases, staring down at your phone might be more obvious than looking at your monitor.

We know that sleep is essential to maintaining productivity, so it’s really to help you work better.

Sleeping on the job looks really bad, so you’ll need to be extra careful.

If that’s not an option, there are still a few things you’re able to do.

If you’re going to sleep, make it a power nap andtime it correctly.

Sleep no more than 20 minutes because oversleeping can mess with you in more ways than one.

you gotta find a good spot too, and sometimes hiding is your only option.

If you’re going to disappear, though, take your phone with you.

It doesn’t have to be game over, though.

Just double-check it’s true.

Honesty is the best policy here.

Bad excuses,as outlined by eFinancialCareers, are things that make you look worse than you already do.

Life, however, is not always black or white.

When the day is dragging you down, it’s okay to find a little “me time.”

Just ensure you actually get your work done too!