When the power is out in the middle of a work day, you can keep the momentum going to get ahead and retain productivity, because your time is valuable!
No one likes it when loadshedding hits...especially during valuable work hours, but there are ways you can make the most of the power outages or entirely negate the detrimental effects of being entirely without electricity.
With no indication of any relief being anywhere close to implemented any time soon and cable theft resulting in even more degradation of our grid infrastructure, the time to plan for the inevitable loss of productivity is NOW!
If you are discouraged by the current situation affecting us all, we have some valuable tips to help you not only stay productive, but implement solutions that can have remarkable positive results in the long-term!
Tip #1 - Plan ahead
It's one of the worst feelings when you have been working hard all day, almost completely dependent on electronic devices, and suddenly being surprised by a scheduled power outage you did not anticipate. We've all been there...hours of work gone or crucial deadlines forced further down the line when you can't afford to lose that precious time. The effects can be severely detrimental to not only your productivity and momentum, but morale as well.
The key to avoid this potentially infuriating and demoralizing occurrence is to plan ahead. Check your loadshedding schedule here and switch on your Google alerts to get the latest news from your local municipality and Eskom so you always know well before the time when you will be scheduled for a power outage. This will empower you to be one step ahead to anticipate when to save your work and protect your valuable appliances from sudden voltage spikes that could severely harm your business.
Tip #2 - Add Value to Your Downtime
If you are impacted by power outages in a way where you are completely stuck and unable to do anything work related, there is still a way to add a lot of value to your powerless hours. For many who either work solely online, with no other way of getting anything done without electricity, or running a business which can only deliver it's valuable service when the lights are on, adding value to the downtime is crucial.
The first step is planning ahead to anticipate when your outage will hit. After this you can plan your breaks around this time and participate in small healthy habits to maximise your productivity as soon as the power comes back on. This can include many different activities such as meditation, team building exercises, cleaning up your work space or just going for a short exercise session to put the focus on your physical and mental health.
Studies show that interim breaks during the work day to focus on physical and mental health have an enormous impact on productivity and help to make up for the lost time we are all forced to endure under with scheduled power outages during work hours.
Physical exercise can also help improve the effects of poor office ergonomics. It's important to avoid a sedentary lifestyle and taking advantage of the downtime could be the key to your short-term comfort as well as long-term health!
Download this guide to start making the right moves today!
Tip #3 - Batteries Have Your Back
Being mobile is more important than ever. Having stabile mobile devices that operate on battery power such as laptops, tablets and mobile phones is a crucial part of staying productive when the power goes out.
Every professional should have at least one back up device that enables them to efficiently communicate and complete priority tasks. Some devices have less than desirable battery life, but with loadshedding usually lasting only a few hours, most should be able to get you through one outage. If you are one of the unlucky few stuck with a device that can't carry you through the outage, recent innovations in portable charging devices have made off grid recharging a breeze!
We have a few great value solutions that will surely alleviate the majority of your device charging needs...click here to browse our excellent devices that could save you from losing crucial productive time.
Tip #4 - Prevention is Better Than Cure
Prevent loadshedding from impacting your work in the first place with a robust power solution that can keep you going through the interruptions as if it never happened!
There are many on-grid inverter & battery box solutions that last for hours and can help you get ahead of the competition by keeping you powered on. Navigating these solutions can be quite hard as most of them do not really offer the longevity that most desire, resulting in it only acting as short-term relief.
The main thing prospective buyers should focus on is the type of power storage the device offers; liquid crystal batteries are notoriously prone to short life-spans and should be avoided if you require a robust solution to last a long time without losing crucial battery life. If LC batteries are continuously drained past a certain point they tend to discharge power passively at an extremely wasteful rate, causing users to basically charge the device only to lose stored energy without even using the devices as well as reducing the overall capacity of the device.
Some quality products, however, do enable controllers that avoid the batteries being drained past a certain point to ensure longevity. Good thing we at MH Office Machines offer some of these quality solutions that don't break the bank!
If you prefer a more robust long term solution, look into Lithium-ion based storage solutions. They are often substantially more expensive, but should be worth the investment in the long term.
Tip #5 - The Dream Solution
Going completely off-grid should be in the front of all South Africans' minds and on top of your energy solution wish-list!
Off-grid solutions mean you never rely on the fragile infrastructure which is our energy grid. This means you are completely reliant on the most sustainable and readily available source of energy that exists...THE SUN!
We have made major strides in innovation & efficiency of solar panels so if you are willing to invest to minimize the effect of power outages and maximizing productivity for your business, there is only one option: going off grid for all your work related operations!
The biggest impact of off grid solutions is relief for our fragile infrastructure that required frequent maintenance. The unfortunate irony of loadshedding is that most solutions that store energy for use when the power is out, are remarkably inefficient, meaning a substantial percentage of energy taken from the grid to recharge devices is lost to the air...further putting pressure on our fragile grid. With off-grid solutions, you contribute to the overall solution while solving all your own power related problems.
This is why we advocate installing off-grid solutions and is also why we are making massive strides toward installing these solutions at more than reasonable prices for all our customers!
In Conclusion
There is always a way to negate the effects of these detrimental outages. If you ever require any advice for a solution of your own, do not hesitate to reach out to our energy experts at MH Office! We are personally and professionally dedicated to contributing our small part to help solve the loadshedding problem!
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