Oh No! The power's gone out!

Remote working is new to many people. Some people are more disciplined & adapt to remote working quite well. Some other's are less organised & struggle to get in a good head space to get done what they have to. But mostly it's been a learning curve that has been producing favourable results for employers & employees.

But what happens when the worst happens?

On many occasions I have seen people lose the plot because they lose power. They sit at their keyboards cursing it while at the same time willing & pushing for connectivity to recommence.

But remote work life doesn't have to be so stressful. There are a few precautions & plans that can make life so much easier when working remote & the power goes out.

1. Invest in an UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply). Even a small one will give you time to power everything down safely, should the power go out.
2. See if you can get a local file server set up for you. This can simulate a live environment so you can sync your work up later. (especially good for web designers)
3. Get, or see if you can do a deal with your boss, in signing up to an unlimited mobile phone plan. When your internet goes down, you can tether to your mobile to continue accessing the web.
4. Make sure all your devices & rechargers are fully charged up. You want to start a black out with everything fully charged.
5. Contact your boss & let them know that you have a power outage, and let them know an approximate re-connection time. It's also good to advise them how long you think you have battery time. If it looks like you are going to be offline & batteries are flat for part of your work day, suggest taking that time off & making it up later.
6. If you are in an area that frequently loses power, invest in a small generator.

Now go make yourself a coffee. You are as prepared as you are going to be. There is nothing else you can do. These things happen. Getting all bent out of shape & stressed over it is not going to help you or other members of your household that are home.

You can always go back to pen & paper, and type/draw it up later.