As a society, we’ve become accustomed to being connected all the time. When the internet is down for whatever reason it can lead to boredom and frustration. With the frequent load shedding, we lose connection now more than ever.
It’s frustrating as hell! But there’s nothing we can do about it.
I spend heaps of time using the Wi-Fi. If I’m not doing schoolwork or job hunting, I’m blogging or watching Netflix among other things. I’m online for most of the day every day, the only time I can truly say I’m not using the internet is when I’m sleeping.
Yes, it’s annoying and a huge inconvenience when there’s no internet but what can I do but adapt?
I have decided that instead of dwelling on not having an internet connection, I am going to stay positive and find other forms of entertainment.
What I Do When I Don’t Have Internet Access
Read
I think I’ve mentioned quite a bit about how much I LOVE to read.
When I wrote this post, I had just finished reading The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari; which is a fascinating book filled with life lessons – that’s if you’re willing to learn and apply them. I finished the book outside in dim light during load shedding. Bad for your eyes I know but I needed something to do besides sleeping.
FYI that same book taught me that there’s plenty of time to get things done but as people, we tend to waste it.
“Great Reading Spots To Enjoy A Good Book“.
Work Out
Working out is a great way to keep fit and healthy and it also helps you to pass the time. While the internet was down, I couldn’t watch Netflix in the afternoon or do any of my usual tasks so I decided to go and chill outside then it just occurred to me that it was the perfect time to do some skipping.
My goal is to do 300 skips every day this month, so I did that! (I’m trying to lose some weight).
Gardening
This is a passion that I discovered more recently and the best thing about it is that it keeps you outside (hello Vitamin D) and it doesn’t require the use of electricity (not necessarily).
I have a vegetable garden that I’ve unfortunately been neglecting. It gives me something productive to do when the power is out. I find it lots of fun and feel proud when I see the fruits of my labour.
Next time load shedding hits when you’re home during the day, go out and tend to your thirsty plants.
Draft blog posts on Word or my phone
Like this one for instance.
Just because I can’t upload my blog posts, doesn’t mean I should stop writing!
I have written plenty of blog posts in my downtime and saved them on my laptop, ready to schedule once I’m connected again.
Study or do schoolwork
The schoolwork that doesn’t require internet access that is…
Without electricity, there are fewer distractions, making it a great time to buckle down and do some schoolwork, provided you have sufficient lighting of course. When load shedding hits during the day, I sit outside to work and study, do some summaries and work on assignments; which I prefer to handwrite before I type them out ( old habit, I guess). When the electricity returns, I can kick back and watch some series knowing that I’ve gotten my work out of the way.
“Study Tips That Actually Helped Me”
Do some house chores
The perfect time to clean your room (especially when you’re not in the mood on that particular day) is when you don’t have much else to do hahaha…
Fold the laundry you’ve been putting off, sort out your untidy cupboard and refold your clothing neatly and stack them up nicely. This will even help you find old items to donate to goodwill.
It’s also a great time to get that feather duster and target those hard-to-reach corners where the spiders are taking over.
Here are a few other things from buzzfeed.com to do when the internet’s down:
- catch up on sleep
- take the time to improve your cooking skills
- play games such as card games or 30 seconds
There’s no need to waste time just because there’s no internet. Use your internet downtime to do something productive or take a break so that you can resume working as soon as you’re reconnected.
If you do these things next time you’re disconnected from the net, then you’ll never cry from boredom again. The secret to staying productive and positive is to alter your plans to fit the situation, in this case, do things you need to do that don’t require internet access.
What are some of the things you get up to when you’re forced offline for whatever reason? Let me know in the comments…
