You have probably been through this scenario before. You are in the middle of work and are in the zone. You may have a deadline to meet. Suddenly, the power goes out and the Internet goes down. You feel like your work day is done. You have been told that power could be down for quite some time. But, all is not lost. You have to think outside the box. Here are a few things you can do to remain productive if the power does go out on you when you are in the middle of work.
Get a UPS for Your Computer
This is more preventative, but it is a good idea to have a good UPS connected to your computer. This will actually serve multiple purposes. One, it will act as a surge protector during electrical storms and power surges. This will protect your equipment from damage. If you have a UPS with a good enough battery it may enable you to continue working for quite some time until the power comes back on. At the very least, it will enable you to gracefully shut down your computer and prevent lost files and damage to the disk.
Take Advantage of Free Wi-Fi
There are plenty of places to find free Wi-Fi these days. You can find it in coffee shops and many restaurants. Take advantage of one of these locations if the need arises. Just be sure to buy a cup of coffee to thank them for the hospitality.
Alternatively, you may even be able to tether your laptop to your phone or tablet’s cell service. This may be good for a temporary fix. Just be sure you are aware of your service plan or you could end up paying extra for bandwidth.
Conserve Batteries
When the power does go out be sure to maximize your battery to its fullest potential. You may want to shut down all of your browsing and other unnecessary tasks. You can even turn off your Wi-Fi to conserve battery if you aren’t needing to connect to the Internet. You may also want to disable Bluetooth and dim your screen some to help conserve battery life.
Head Home
If it is ok, then head to the house to finish out the day. These days, it is easy to transfer documents to the cloud and finish work there. Or, you can use your Internet connection at the house to finish up the work day. Telecommuting is a common occurrence these days so there is no reason why it cannot be done in times where power is unavailable. It may not always be ideal, but in a pinch working from home can be a good solution.
The next time the power goes out on you at work don’t fret. Hopefully, these ideas will help you continue your productivity in another location or with other methods.