Many workplace roles have cyclical workloads, with extended slow periods and occasional high-pressure demands. Slow times create boredom and pressure to 'look busy' despite limited role responsibilities and hesitant coworkers. Use slow periods for legitimate professional development such as attending conferences, workshops, or online courses, reading field-specific books and articles, and planning for upcoming busy seasons. Treat maintenance tasks like training, cross-training, equipment upkeep, process documentation, and visible projects as productive work. Proactively propose helpful tasks to managers, prepare for peak workloads, and cultivate skills that increase value during both slow and busy times.
It sounds like you're the office version of a firefighter-someone who isn't needed most of the time, but when you are needed, you are needed desperately. You're not alone. Most jobs have too-busy times and so-bored times. We all need to figure out how to fill the slow days with tasks akin to washing the fire trucks, maintaining equipment, exercising, and playing cards. Just call them "professional development."
Legitimate professional development can take many forms. You could attend conferences or workshops that are relevant to your current job. Take online, self-directed courses to learn skills that will position you for a promotion. Read books or articles about your professional field, whether they're related to your current role or not. Think about and plan for what you'll need to do when the busy season starts
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