When this year started, I realized how much I rely on the Internet for my personal and work matters. Our Wi-Fi at home died for around two weeks and it was difficult. This is such a “first world problem,” but not when you either need to be online because of work, or just don’t want to be preoccupied all day.
It doesn’t have to be all bad, though. You can see this as an opportunity to disconnect and do more things. At the same time, you can find other ways to connect online when it’s urgent. Here are tips for those who are experiencing Wi-Fi problems of their own.
Always have backup
As someone who has to be online for her job, I use two other Wi-Fi sources aside from the ones at home and at our office: My broadband stick that has 8 gb of Internet (certain social media apps are free of charge too when you use this); and my phone’s hotspot. These are good when I need to work satellite, especially in places with no Wi-Fi.
Of course, it’s also important to use these sparingly. Else, you’ll have to wait for them to reset, and even end up paying extra on your next bill.
Find a trusty café
When we didn’t have Internet at home, I’d either stay extra hours in the office or at a café with decent Wi-Fi connection. You can go here after work hours and the weekends. It also helps if it’s open ’til late in case you need to work all day. That way, you get to research, finish deliverables, and also stay online long enough for your co-workers to contact you on WhatsApp. (Bonus: You get to play music Spotify and/or watch Netflix while working, too.)
Start working on offline stuff
Remember that you don’t need the Internet all the time to accomplish your job. You can work on reports and decks, and start drafting articles using MS Word/Pages (tip: create an outline so you’ll know what to look up when you’re online again). You just have to stop yourself from using your backup Wi-Fi to distract yourself.
Actually read something
If you’re someone who needs to catch up on their to-read list, having no Internet is the perfect time to do so. Personally, I’m trying to read again to help my productivity. But there are times when I end up scrolling through social media before sleeping. Since that wasn’t possible at the time, I managed to finish one comic book and started The Handmaid’s Tale.
Check your download file for series and movies
Did you download movies and TV shows via streaming sites before? If you haven’t deleted them, you can re-watch them to pass the time. But don’t watch all of them in one go, especially if you’re unsure when your Internet would come back.
Me-time
Get a mani-pedi, a facial, watch a movie, or just grab milk tea. You don’t have to stay at home without doing anything. You also need a break from work, so have fun on your free time.
Art by Marian Hukom
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