Meetings can be boring, especially if most people are being long-winded. Unless you are the chairman of the meeting, you can do nothing about it but to endure – or do the following instead:

Take down notes. Bring a pen and notebook with you when you go to meetings. Take important notes throughout the session. It will not only give you something to do, but this is also a way to improve on your listening skills.

Look at the speaker. If you find your mind straying from the meeting, give yourself a mental shake and focus on the speaker. Concentrate on what he or she is trying to say. Pick out the points he or she is driving at. This can be difficult at first, but with practice it can easily become a habit- and a good one at that.

Go to the bathroom. This suggestion should not be abused as it may also disrupt the flow of the meeting. It should only be used if a) you do need to go to the bathroom, or b) you feel that you might embarrass yourself by falling into a deep coma during the meeting. If the meeting has gone long enough, you can excuse yourself to go to the bathroom. The walk alone should be enough time to give yourself a pep talk. Or you can splash your face with cold water to help wake you up.

Engage. The best way to endure meetings is to participate in them. Join in the discussion and make relevant and helpful comments and suggestions when asked. After all, you are expected to do exactly that.