In today’s connected world, the thought of living without the internet seems impossible. At the very least, it feels like a foreign idea. At least in the US, few people live without internet access of any kind; the internet is accessible through cellular networks virtually anywhere and through numerous private and public wi-fi networks on top of that.
However, believe it or not, living without the internet has some benefits, too, and there are specific ways to do it properly. However, if you were alive in the 1990s or earlier, you might remember the days before we had internet access in our homes.
While living without the internet might seem like a distant memory now, it’s something that people did for many years, and people continue to do it today. We’ll teach you a little more about it in the remainder of this guide.
Living Without the Internet
There are many different reasons why one might want to live without the internet. The most obvious reason why is because it’s a non-essential living expense. If you’re really trying to minimize your cost of living, internet service is one of the things that likely needs to go.
However, just because you don’t have internet in your home doesn’t mean you won’t have access to the internet. If you have a smartphone, you can access the internet through your cellular data connection. Additionally, free wi-fi connections are accessible in all sorts of public spaces, especially cafes, fast food restaurants, and libraries.
That being said, it’s still possible to live without the internet, even with plentiful sources located all around you. Some rural individuals choose to live without the internet, for example.
In a country like the USA, it takes a concerted effort to get far away from civilization that you lose access to the internet altogether. It is possible, but it’s difficult.
However, in today’s society, it’s far more common for us to have to deal with short periods of time without the internet instead! When we’re used to using the internet for most of our day, it can feel debilitating to be faced with time without it. Whether we’re moving, on a long car ride, dealing with a power outage, or just stuck with a faulty wireless router, we’re faced with situations like this relatively often.
As long as we’re a little prepared beforehand, it’s easy to weather the internet-less storm. It’s all about downloading things beforehand and keeping them in storage, ready for when you might need them.
Nearly all of the media, games, movies, and television shows we consume today are stored in the cloud, accessible by streaming them through the internet. As such, if you don’t take the time to download some beforehand, you might be out of luck!
Passing the Time
Passing the time without access to the internet is the real trouble when it does go out. There are plenty of things to do, of course, but when all we want to do is be on the internet, it can feel like nothing else is satisfying. However, this list of alternatives might have some options that could inspire you.
Socialize
The best thing to do when you don’t have internet access is to talk to other people! Socialization is a great way to boost your mood, meet new people, and just improve your day overall. While socialization is more difficult for some people than others, it’s generally a great idea for something to do when the internet shuts off for a while.
Socializing with other people can be varying degrees of difficult depending on the situation you’re stuck in, however. If you’re lost internet access at home, then you may or may not have family around to talk to. However, if you live alone, you might be stuck in a lonely apartment or house without anyone handy to talk to!
Of course, if your internet is out and you don’t have anyone around to socialize with, this is a great time to dial a good friend and plan a night out (or a night in, if they have the internet at their place). Alternatively, you could go out on the town and look for something exciting and fun to do.
Visit a Friend’s Place
If you don’t have internet access at your place, the next best thing is to visit a friend to use theirs! While you won’t want to contact just any friend if you’re doing it on short notice, any good friend would realize the trouble of not having internet access. If you had work to do that depended on your connection status, for example, they would likely be more than happy to allow you over.
The best part about visiting a friend’s house when your internet is out is that you have access to both socialization and the internet. If you feel like browsing the ‘net or playing a videogame, you can do that. However, you also have access to your friend, too! Visiting a friend’s place is an excellent compromise between these two outcomes.
Do keep in mind, though, that asking to visit a friend’s house on short notice could easily inconvenience them. It depends on your relationship with the friend and what they happen to be doing at the time that you ask.
Relax
When you can’t access the internet for whatever reason, why not lie back and get some rest? Whether you pass out and get some sleep or not is up to you, but there’s not much else to do while the internet is out anyway. Why not catch up on the rest you may have been neglecting lately?
It turns out that the internet has a nasty habit of distracting us from the sleep we need to begin with, so catching up on that sleep when the internet isn’t working is a great strategy.
There are a lot of different ways to relax that don’t involve taking a nap, too. Some examples you can try include:
- Taking a bath
- Listening to music
- Daydreaming
- Reading a book
Clean the House
When there’s nothing else pressing to do, cleaning up a few messes is a great way to pass the time! Not only will spending some time cleaning make it feel like time is moving faster, but it will leave you with a clean, beautiful house, too.
There are more benefits than you might think to cleaning the house. Not only will it make it more presentable for yourself and guests, but walking around a home that’s sparkling clean will give you your own mood boost, too.
Everyone has a different sized home, and different people tend to keep their homes in varying states of disarray, so you may or may not have cleaning to do when the internet goes out. However, if you do, then you know what to do!
Work Out
While not all of us exercise or work out consistently, exercising is a great activity to dabble in when you have no internet access. Not only does exercise make your body healthier, but it makes your brain happier, too. Exercising releases endorphins into your body, which lift your mood throughout the day.
Working out is a versatile and useful way to pass the time because it can be done anywhere, anytime. If you only have a few minutes, you can jog in place, do crunches, or even to some push-ups. However, if you have a few hours, you can even take a trip to the gym to really work on your fitness.
Another side benefit of visiting the gym is the ability to focus on yourself. When you exercise regularly, you end up taking better care of yourself, and this will show through in your demeanor and your confidence levels. While focusing on the internet is good in moderation, focusing on yourself has healthier, more lasting results.
Read
In our age of technology, sitting down with a paper-paged book is becoming a dying hobby. Books are downloadable and accessible anytime, anywhere, but that doesn’t mean that real, physical books don’t exist. It’s always a good idea to have a few books on hand at home for if your internet goes out and you run low on alternatives.
It just so happens that reading is very good for the brain, too. Reading increases your language comprehension skills, and the activity keeps our brains active, also. Working out might be good for your body, but reading a good book is like a workout for your mind.
While lingering on the internet is fun, we would really do our brains a service if we’d take more time to read. Reading makes us more intelligent, keeps our minds healthy longer into old age, and even helps us to wind down and relax. Even if you decide to download your books instead of owning physical copies, this is an excellent hobby to have on hand when your internet goes out.
Write
Writing, like reading, has numerous beneficial effects on our brain. Writing also helps to expand our command of written language, and it keeps our minds happy and engaged, too. While we might not all consider ourselves “good” writers, there’s no reason not to enjoy yourself and write a little bit when you have nothing else to do!
The fantastic thing about writing is that you can write whatever you want, whenever you want. It doesn’t have to be about anything in particular, and you never have to show it to anyone else, either. You can tear up or burn your writing just as quickly as you could send it to someone else or keep it in a safe place.
You can write virtually anything when you decide to set aside some time for it. However, if you’re stumped on where to begin, consider some of the following ideas:
- Start a journal about your day
- Write a letter to someone you have unresolved feelings with
- Send a message to your parents telling them how you’re doing
- Write a letter to someone who’s passed on
- Write an original story
- Write a song or poem
When you’re writing, don’t worry about being judged, sticking to any pattern or rules, or anything like that unless you want to. Writing time is your time to feel free and express your inner feelings in any way you’d like.
Another fun way to write when you have no internet is to write in “stream of consciousness” style (also known as a “brain dump“). In this style, you write whatever comes into your mind, regardless of the format or accuracy. You can write as if you have an internal narrator, or you can just jot down things you observe. Try it – you might end up with something exciting!
Go Shopping
This is an activity that’s starting to fade as online retailers like Amazon grow in popularity. As online shopping grows in dominance, the clothing in physical stores continues to fall in price. It’s a great time to take advantage of this when your internet is down!
Getting into your car and going somewhere is an excellent way to pass the time when you don’t have internet access. If you really need it, you can often get internet access from inside various stores anyway, though.
If you’re really looking to stretch your budget, consider going shopping in thrift stores. Any storefronts going out of business are excellent options, as they may have deep clearance sales available. As long as you keep your eyes open, you should be able to find some superb shopping deals out there, and not just on clothing.
When your internet is out is an excellent chance to stock up on any groceries you might be running low on, too. While a quick trip to the grocery store might not be long enough to restore your internet, it’s an excellent start.
Don’t stop yourself at groceries and clothes, either! There are infinitely more things you could go out and buy while you have a bit of extra time. Consider things like:
- Home improvement supplies
- Pet supplies (or pets)
- Gifts for friends and family
- Sale and clearance items
- Furniture and home decor
Visit the Library
As we talked about earlier, most books available today have been made available online in some capacity. As such, the library doesn’t receive the same number of visitors as it once did. That being said, though, the library is still a wealth of information that people should think to take advantage of more than they do.
Additionally, most libraries have public computers with internet access. While you won’t be able to access all of your usual files on a public computer, it’s an excellent way to get some important tasks done while waiting for your internet to come back. You might think about checking out an interesting-looking book or two to take home with you, too.
A visit to the library is an excellent time to reference an encyclopedia, too. Generally, giant, multi-volume encyclopedias aren’t easily or cheaply obtainable by individuals. Since you can access them for free through a library, there’s not much point in purchasing your own anyway. If you take the time to leaf through one of the volumes while you’re at the library, you might find that you end up learning something new.
Go Outside
Don’t underestimate how valuable going outside can be for your mental and physical health. Not only does fresh, clean outdoor air make you healthier, but it makes you happier, too. Additionally, walking around outside means you’re getting a measure of exercise at the same time.
All too often, we’re tempted to stay indoors and indulge in our electronics all day. However, when the internet isn’t available, this is your chance to do something a little different outdoors. Since the internet isn’t available, you don’t have to worry about missing out on anything, either.
Of course, the kind of benefit you get from going outdoors depends on the season. In the winter (if you live in a region that experiences cold winters), you might experience a brisk walk in the cold. In the summer, you might have an invigorating jog in the sun.
Even if you decide against exercising outdoors, something as simple as sitting among the plants and trees can be enough to improve your mood and get you feeling like a new person.
Cook Something
If you’re a fan of tinkering with recipes and creating new meals, then this is a great time to do so. If your internet is down, you may not be able to get on the internet to look up a new recipe, but you can use any saved ones or even create a new one of your own.
Taking the time to cook something has several different benefits. For one, spending the time to cook can be a mood-booster, especially since you know what’s going into your food. The chances are that the food you make will be healthier and lighter than pre-prepared fare, too.
Taking the time to experiment with a recipe can yield all sorts of impressive results, too! You might end up with something unpleasant, but you could just as easily end up with something delicious that you could want to make again!
Watch TV
Watching TV really isn’t that much better than whiling away the hours on the internet, but when you have nothing better to do than make time pass faster, there’s little that’s more satisfying than sitting yourself down in front of the TV.
While the television doesn’t really build skills like exercising and reading can do, it’s undoubtedly one of the best ways to pass the time painlessly. There’s a TV show out there for just about anyone, so no matter your interests, you can probably find something that’ll keep you occupied for a while.
While sitting down on the couch and watching some TV is a good way to pass the time, we should note that, since most home internet packages are also tied to cable, you may not be able to watch tv at all when your internet is down (unless you downloaded a few episodes of your favorite show beforehand, of course).
If the internet issue is on your end – say, a problem with your wireless router or modem – then you might only see the internet aspect having problems. However, if the issue is on your ISP’s end – as in, there’s a cable issue outside your house, or transmissions have been interrupted or halted – then you will likely be blocked from both television and cable.
Visit the Bar
Going out for a quick drink or two is always an excellent way to pass some time. Of course, the best way to do this is with some friends, but if you don’t have anyone to go with you, you can always meet people at the bar, as well. Just make sure to be a safe, responsible driver, and never drive under the influence.
If you’re into sports, you might think about visiting a sports bar to watch the game. There are all sorts of different types of bars (or related places) out there, such as:
- Irish pubs
- Breweries
- Wine tastings
- Lounges
While it’s not a good idea to visit the bar every day, it can be a great change of pace if you’re not a person who visits the bar or pub often. You might end up meeting some new people, and many bars have free internet access that you can use, too!
Make Something
Sometimes, we’re just struck with the sudden urge to create. It can be a bit harder to create when we’re not necessarily in the mood to do so, but any time when your internet is down is an excellent opportunity to try!
The great thing about creating something is that you have virtually no boundaries blocking you from doing so. You can create whatever you want, at whatever pace you want, and in whatever way you want. If you want to draw something abstract, you can. If you’re hit with the sudden urge to paint your kitchen cabinets a new color, you can!
The things you paint, design, or create don’t need to make sense to anyone but you, and they don’t have to look beautiful to anyone but you, either. This is one of the many magical parts of creating something!
If you can’t think of any ideas for something to do or create, here’s a list of a few options:
- Mold something out of clay
- Paint a ceramic figurine
- 3D print something
- Create a painting
- Draw
- Take photos
Migrate Files
In today’s world, paper copies of bills, files, and other documents aren’t as important as they used to be. If you’re like most of us, your stash of paper files could likely use some organization as it is, and migrating them to an organized server is a great way to kill two birds with one stone: organizing them and making more room in your home at the same time.
There are hundreds of different cloud servers you can use for this purpose today, and many of them are free, to boot! A cloud server will keep your important documents safe in case of fire, theft, or even simple misplacement.
If you don’t feel comfortable putting your documents on the cloud, you can always upload them onto a storage drive instead. While this isn’t as fast, easy, or efficient as uploading them to the cloud, it’s an option for those looking for a little more security and privacy.
Play Games
One of the most underrated activities for when the internet’s out, the cable is gone, or even when the power’s out entirely is board games. Board games and card games typically require no energy to play, allow multiple users to have fun together and are very easy to set up and get started. You can’t go wrong with popular, fun games like:
- Monopoly
- Sorry!
- The Game of Life
- Cards Against Humanity
The problem with board games is that most of them require more than one player. If you’re alone, you most likely don’t have any single-player board games that you can entertain yourself with.
Do Something New
No matter how much we experience in life, there are always (and always will be) things that we’ve never experienced before. As great as the internet is, it tends to keep us cooped up at home, away from these new things and new influences. This is fine most of the time, but it can keep us from discovering new things if we indulge in the internet too much.
As such, when your internet is down, it’s always a good time to go out and try one of the new things you haven’t gotten the chance to do yet. Everyone has a bucket list or at least a few things that they’ve always wanted to try. Depending on how accessible your activity is, this might be the time to get a start on it!
Of course, if your idea of something new is to go skydiving, for example, you might need a little more preparation to make that work. However, simple things, such as visiting a new place, seeing an art museum, or trying new foods all work as spur-of-the-moment ideas.