Ways to twiddle your thumbs

It’s the weekend and time to kick back. (Well, not for me. I’ve just received three fascinating books that add up to over 1,400 pages of reading.) Anyway, I’m not your weekend camp counselor. Instead, I’m offering analgesics for weekday boredom. The markets aren’t moving, you’ve answered all your e-mail, you’ve updated your trading stats. You could walk away from your computer and do something constructive but, like Dostoevsky’s gambler, you’re attached by invisible chains. You’ve run out of other more productive ways to spend your time.

Here are a few things you can do that aren’t entirely mindless.


First, Ken Ken—“the most addictive puzzle since Sudoku,” according to Will Shortz. While you’re on The New York Times puzzle page, you can try SET!, though I personally find it irritating because I’m not especially good at it.

Second, Lumosity’s Word Bubbles. This is one of those cognitive training exercises.

Third, Web Sudoku, available in different levels of difficulty. I do the “evil” ones.

Fourth, JigZone’s Jigsaw puzzle. You have the option of changing the puzzle cut, making it more or less difficult.

Fifth, if you pride yourself on your vocabulary or simply hope to improve it and want to do a little bit of good, try Free Rice where for each answer you get right the site donates ten grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger.

Sixth, there are the endless online crossword puzzles.

And finally, of course, how about dipping into a good book?

Of course, don’t let these diversions overwhelm your primary passion, trading.