Your daily online habits can be hard to break.
This is especially true when it comes to checking in on your Gmail. Gmail’s huge storage space and integration with Google Docs and Spreadsheets have made it one of the most popular email clients online.
Gmail has become such a big part of everyday life that most users can’t imagine life without it anymore. If you have a Gmail account, then you already know that all it takes is one habitual click here, an automatic sign-in there, and one memorized password in a box.
But as all Gmail users know, Google Mail isn’t infallible. There are rare times when the server is down and other times when there is a technical glitch in the system. And when that happens, Gmail withdrawal symptoms can be difficult to endure.
So how can YOU survive the day without checking in on Gmail? Believe it or not, it is possible.
Here are some ways in which you can survive the day without checking in on Gmail.
1. Send Messages via Facebook
Social media sites are a great help in times of dire need (ie. when the Gmail server is down). In all probability, your email buddies on Gmail are on your contact list on Facebook too. Drop them a message if there’s something urgent. If not, then just browse around and find out what your friends are up to.
2. Tweet Your Thoughts on Twitter
If popular celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore find Twitter addictive, then ordinary denizens like you and me should definitely see what all the fuzz is all about. Instead of obsessing over Gmail, think of something funny to tweet or share your Gmail frustration on Twitter.
3. Enter F5 Over and Over Again until the Gmail Page Loads
This is not exactly recommended, but when the Gmail server is down, it’s down until Google’s tech people fix it. For Gmail addicts though, there is no other choice. It’s either they open Gmail or nothing. Relax! If this is the case for you, unglue your finger from the refresh button and busy yourself with other tasks.
4. Enable Gmail’s Email Addict Function
Of course, Google knows how addictive e-mails can be. And if you can’t stop checking into Gmail on your own, leave it to the Gmail developers to help you.
Under the Labs tab in your Gmail settings area, you can find Email Addict, an add-on feature that will block the Gmail screen for 15 minutes. Do yourself a favour and enable it!
5. Watch YouTube Videos
Videos are a great time-waster, and the biggest time-waster today is YouTube. If you’re looking for something to do until Gmail is up again, then watching YouTube videos will help time pass by quickly.
6. Find Your Phone
If you’re expecting a very important email from a friend, a client, or any business associate, get to your phone and call them. You can also send a SMS asking them to send the email to an alternative email address.
7. Digg a couple of edgy articles
If you don’t already know it, Digg.com can be a pretty addictive site itself. From amazing images and hilarious stories to tech developments and interesting news articles, Digg.com might be the solution. Is this trading in one addiction for another? Yes, it is—but at least you won’t be checking in on your Gmail.
8. Go Outside
Since you’re having a hard time surviving without your Gmail account, it only means one thing: you are an email addict, or getting very close to it. Stop the addiction and go outside. It doesn’t matter if you go for a walk in the mall or at the park, just get out of your work space and enjoy the scenery.
So can you survive without Gmail? Give it a shot.
