10 ways to keep yourself sane when you’ve got a shitty connection

Last Updated on 2016-05-20 , 10:38 am

Most of us are smartphone addicts in this busy connected world. Basically, we cannot survive without a smartphone and fast connectivity. We drive ourselves insane when the connection gets shitty in the train. It feels like our hearts wither alongside with the connection when we cannot surf Facebook, Instagram or Twitter during our travelling time in the train.

Do you feel the same way? If you do, here are 10 ways to keep yourself sane when you’ve got a shitty connection! Try them out and see if they work for you!

Read newspapers
Free newspapers are given out at some MRT stations and it is easily obtained. Grab a copy the next time you take the train and pass time reading news when your smartphone stops functioning due to the shitty connection.

Bring a book / magazine
The written word is a powerful entertainer. Bring a book with you when you travel to work/school because it will prevail in the face of bad connectivity and yet help you to pass time. It doesn’t have to be a “chim” book; it just has to be something that you enjoy reading so that it will serve as a backup, such as a manga.

Buy a Playstation Vita / Nintendo 3DS
Playing games can be a great way to pass time. Besides, playing games stimulate our brains more than reading what your friends are currently doing (most likely sitting in a train somewhere too) in the morning. It also brings joy and reduces stress. If you do not want to buy a hand-held device, invest in a game or two on your smartphone that can work offline.

Observe the people around you
It is actually an interesting habit to people-watch. It sounds weird but it is an alternative way of keeping yourself sane on the train. You may see really funny behaviours as well as weird actions, and I guarantee you that it is really more entertaining than surfing Facebook. In addition to that, it does give you a sense of connectivity to the people around you, even if you do not know them.

Sleep
This is probably the favourite activity some of us do on the train. The moment they find a seat, they close their eyes and start snoring. Some experts can even sleep while standing. Those are the real champions!

Read the advertisements in the train
This can prove to be the most interesting thing you read the whole day. Some advertisements are entertaining even without meaning to. For example, the campaign to encourage young adults to start a family earlier in their 20s was hilarious and proves to be a great entertainer for some people.

Reflect on yesterday
You can spend the time reflecting on the things you have done yesterday. It gives you some time to think and also provide you with new insights into your life. It doesn’t hurt that it will you plan your new day with more positivity.

Practise meditation
It is an awesome time for you to practise meditation when you have nothing to do. If you get a seat, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. It helps to calm the mind and the heart. It also brings down your stress level and help you start the work day with a spring.

Enjoy some music without distraction
Most of us will listen to music while surfing the internet. The distraction of what we read will usually draw us away from the lyrics of the music. Sometimes, we focus so much on what we are reading that we did not even hear the music. So have some music on your device and just enjoy the music.

Write a to-do list for the week
When I say write a to-do list, I do not mean a list of what you need to do when you reach office. What I mean is, for you to write down a few things that you think you want to do for your personal leisure and relaxation for the week. Work consumes much of our time, and we should make time for our own relaxation and enjoy the time we have out of work with our family and friends.

Here are the 10 things which you can do to keep yourself from going crazy without the connectivity of your smartphone to the outside world. Have fun doing them!

Top Image: DoublePHOTO studio / Shutterstock.com