The Best Tools for Working Offline
Unreliable Internet is often the biggest obstacle to remote working. You might be in an area with no connectivity, or perhaps the plane’s WiFi isn’t working as advertised, and you desperately need to remain productive.
Thankfully, with a bit of proactive planning, there are a number of ways to continue working… even when you can’t get online. When the going gets tough and you can’t connect to the Web, here are 6 tools you can use to keep productivity levels elevated.
1. Pen and paper
Let’s kick our list off with the good old-fashioned pen and paper. In a working world of screens and software, it’s easy to forget about this classic standby.
Brainstorm new business ideas, give journaling a go, make a to-do list, write down your biggest goals and priorities… or simply give your brain a break to do some doodling.
2. Gmail Offline
Add this Chrome extension to your browser to read, respond, search, and archive your emails without Internet access.
Once you’re back online, your messages and actions will be automatically synchronized whenever you’re running Chrome.
3. Pocket
This app gets rave reviews, and you can use it to save articles and other content (even videos) for offline viewing. You can even save content from sites like Twitter and Flipboard. Whenever you have time to view read what you’ve saved, just fire the Pocket app up.
4. Take a break
Indulging in some downtime might not sound like a tip or tool, but you may want to start treating it like one.
Even brief breaks have incredible cognitive benefits, like a prolonged and improved ability to focus. They can also increase work speed, decrease stress, improve overall alertness, and make you feel physically better.
5. Photoshop (and other software tools)
Nearly every remote worker could benefit from having some basic Photoshop or other graphic editing skills. But if you have no need for Photoshop, is there another piece of software you can use offline? When you aren’t able to get online, honing your skills with popular and in-demand software tools is always a smart use of your time.
6. Books
Even if you’re a voracious reader there are always more books that you can learn from. You can read about your industry, a new skill or technology, business in general… the possibilities are endless.
You can get even more out of reading by engaging in “deep reading”. According to TIME, “Recent research in cognitive science, psychology and neuroscience has demonstrated that deep reading — slow, immersive, rich in sensory detail and emotional and moral complexity — is a distinctive experience, different in kind from the mere decoding of words.”
Not sure what to read? Try one of the 4 best business books of 2016, or one of these 5 business books that will change the way you think.
