What Can You Do When You Have No Internet Connection?
Dainis Graveris
Sorry for little silence here – I switched my Internet providers and had no Internet connection for several days. It was strange, I was so used to my Internet related daily work flow, I didn’t know at first what to do! It was like I have no business, no blog, no connection with outside world. I called to several of my friends and when I told it to one girl I know, she suggested interesting article idea.
She said: “Well, why you don’t write about that as well? Your site is full of roundups, some tips in such cases could be useful as well!”. Right and so I took paper and actually wrote down my ideas! This is very short article, but I am expecting you to add your ideas as well! What can we do to get out from daily work flow, from struggling, get organized and feel good?
1. Take a rest
Take a walk out to breathe some fresh air and get work a little bit out of your system or even better look at all from aside to rethink your strategy, future goals and things you could change or do to get better what are you working on.
2. Read design related book
I bet you have several books in your bookshelf you always wanted to read but never got time! At least I have a lot of them, now is a great time to remember about them and use your free time to do what you love to do!
3. Watch Video Tutorials
Again if you are obsessed designer like I am, you certainly should have to be 30-40gb video tutorials you downloaded a while ago, but never got time to learn them! Usually in busy work-flow we forget to learn tools first, we just need to get job done, but if you continue to learn and evolve your skills, you will suddenly discover some more different ways and techniques, how to achieve necessary outcome much faster! It’s amazing how much we still don’t know after many years working in design niche!
4. Create a new design, artwork
It really helps if you store your favorite designs, photos, artworks on local hard-drive for later use, so you can get inspiration also when you have no Internet connection. Anyway you can spend hours playing with effects, fonts, textures, artworks – to perfect your skills.
5. Take a pencil, paints and paper
Take your time and enjoy how creative you can be while sketching or drawing – do something different to enjoy your life even more!
6. Go And Meet Friend
Such things happen to everybody – in all rush, sometimes we forget about really great friends, so this time be first to call them out! If you have some good friends in your own design niche, it’s even more useful – you can meet up, exchange opinions and get fresh ideas. I really evaluate such friends, where we both can contribute in some way from each other.
7. Get out and start to do some sport
We spend a lot of our time in front of computer, but we shouldn’t forget about our health – it’s more worth than anything! Start to do yoga, play football, volleyball, swimming, run or find out where is the nearest gym from your home! You will definitely feel better each day, I assure you!
8. Listen relaxing music
Get lazy, relax, watch movie, listen music – you earned it! Whole life doesn’t consist from rush, struggling from lack of time. Take your breathe slowly and enjoy selfhanded free time!
9. Go out to museum, exhibition – any creative and inspiring place!
Find out if there are any interesting exhibitions, design conferences happening in your town and again get out!
10. Organize, clean up your workspace
It may happen to all of us – while we are working hard, we are creating mess around us and slowly it’s affecting our work-flow as well. Our environment changes us as well as people around you. Maybe you need to change also how your furniture, computer, lights are organized?
11. Organize, clean up your desktop
Sounds obvious, but you cannot imagine how much you waste time while searching through numerous folders necessary file or image, when you could easily organize everything! Clean up desktop, create folders, move files to appropriate directories! Very helpful in daily work-flow!
12. Create organized schedule
In all rush you sometimes forget things you must do? Create schedule and get used to it, definitely will help to organize your daily workflow and you will feel much better, it’s about organizing your life! Article I created a while ago could actually help you as well – Plan Your Daily Schedule: Useful Resources.
13. Don’t do anything!
If you are always running and running you should enjoy something different as well – watch movie, sleep a little bit longer – don’t make it as regular habit, but from time to time it’s really relaxing!
I would love to hear your advices how you enjoy and spend your free time, what you do to get out from struggling in your work and where you find inspiration to keep on doing what are you doing!?!
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Haqan
Posted 915 days ago 30It’s both funny and a little sad – the fact that we’re so addicted. I better print this post before the connection breaks!
stooni
Posted 915 days ago 29it’s everywhere the same in usa and in swiss!
Good Write!!!
—Stooni
.-= stooni´s last blog ..BL★GST★RS: Webentwicklung =-.
Adrian
Posted 915 days ago 28A really great article. I’m a web designer as well and we spent over two months without internet due to some strange technical problems of our internet provider.Unfortunately, I forgot to watch my video tutorials :-)
alin
Posted 915 days ago 27when u don’t have internet – connection….
u can not write ore read blogs!
:)
Cheers!
Web Design Kent
Posted 915 days ago 26Its amazing what we get used to and how quick
Bissel
Posted 915 days ago 25Hmmm… I would have suggested to go to the closest coffee shop or place that has wi-fi.
lachlan
Posted 916 days ago 24Fantastic article I have now been without my computer for a week now and its like having part of your body cut off, but i’m starting to get healthier.
Brad
Posted 916 days ago 23Made me laugh out loud.
Pedro M
Posted 916 days ago 2213. Don’t do anything!
“so I turned around, and I smoked this big fat spliff
Now I’m happy as can be I’m in this pothead spell”
Jay Philips
Posted 916 days ago 21Hmmm… I would have suggested to go to the closest coffee shop or place that has wi-fi. Either way, nice list.
May
Posted 916 days ago 20This post was very helpful. Thanks! I am also behind on those video tutorials!
I’ve been into guerrilla art lately when I need a break from designing. Leaving toy soldiers with purple hearts stuck on them, creating food art, and other. It amazingly does wonders for creativity. And it affects everyday people.
.-= May´s last blog ..Footloose Mommy =-.
Brian Jones
Posted 916 days ago 19Thanks for the tips and ideas. Being a novice designer / developer – reads like this from the pro’s is a good reminder to step away and take time to unwind (Internet connection or not)
Dave
Posted 916 days ago 18What are these books in which you speak of? Are they something I can obtain with an RSS feed? Can I sync it to my iPod?
All kidding aside, pretty much everything you have on this list should be done even with the connection to the internet right there. The web is a tool, not a lifestyle (I’m speaking to myself as well as this post).
euphoniouz
Posted 916 days ago 17hi..
you just a bit lucky than me..
yesterday, my workplace got no electricity the whole day…
i feel like……..
maybe is it because i’m too depending on this electrical things…perhaps..hehe
well…you know..
.-= euphoniouz´s last blog ..What will you get with RM80 today? =-.
website laten maken
Posted 916 days ago 1114. find out if one of your neighbours has an unprotected wifi connection!!
.-= website laten maken´s last blog ..Dropdown navigatie in webdesign: Usability Killer =-.
Dainis Graveris
Posted 916 days ago 12haha, yeah that’s the first thing I usually do if I have no Internet :D
mr. tunes
Posted 916 days ago 10i think you can also use google gears to download things like your latest gmails before you go offline. i havent tried it yet though.
VictoriaAnn Design
Posted 917 days ago 9Pencil? Paper? They’re crazy ideas you have there! :)
Vicki
Ward
Posted 917 days ago 8I have this problem mostly when I’m on a train. Horrible… :(
BunnygotBlog
Posted 917 days ago 7I think it is great you had a break. It is funny how all designers think this way.
Great job my friend.
.-= BunnygotBlog´s last blog ..Child Of The Cold War =-.
Dainis Graveris
Posted 916 days ago 16yes, it is :) we have different thinking though :)
Ben l Awesome Wallpapers
Posted 917 days ago 6I’ve had my internet go out a couple times. These tips will come in handy if it ever goes out again:)
.-= Ben l Awesome Wallpapers´s last blog ..Nature Wallpaper Set 17 =-.
Manu
Posted 917 days ago 5Get busy with the girlfriend… oh wait, nerds like me don’t have girlfriends. Well, then I suggest getting some drinks with your friends, always clears my head and I sleep like a baby afterwards and have very inspirational dreams.
Dainis Graveris
Posted 916 days ago 15yeah, we don’t have time for that ;D but we always can get out with friends to find girlfriend if we aren’t shy :)
choen
Posted 917 days ago 4looking for a new girlfriend as his successor :) kidding.
read book, watch DVDs n sleep.
IVAN
Posted 917 days ago 3Oh ! XD .. i was disconnected for 3 days ago .. & i did some of the list automatically :)
so interesting ♥
.-= IVAN´s last blog ..Saturday inspiration #7 [Logos] =-.
Dainis Graveris
Posted 916 days ago 14but interesting to change life a little bit, isn’t it? :)
Janko
Posted 917 days ago 2We’re all so addicted that we really need a reminder like this one. I take some time during the day (mostly in the evening) to read book. Even if there is internet connection :)
.-= Janko´s last blog ..Create YouTube-like adaptable view using CSS and jQuery =-.
Dainis Graveris
Posted 916 days ago 13I cannot agree more, we get so used to Internet and routine we forget about everything else in life! Oh great, that you find time for it regularly, I am now filling my day with gym and salsa dancing to get out a little bit :)
Eric B.
Posted 917 days ago 1Thanks for the tips! I’ll be sure to save this for when I don’t have an internet connection ;)
.-= Eric B.´s last blog ..Creating a WordPress Theme — Part 3 =-.