Most of America depends on the internet for work, staying in touch with distant relatives, or working on school projects. So when the internet suddenly stops working, it sends people into a justified panic. Such an outage can cause work to come to a grinding halt. Instead of standing around, waiting for the internet to come back on, there are several ways you can do to remain productive.

Take a Break: Giving yourself some time for a short break is an excellent use of time. Taking some time to relax, even for a few minutes, can increase your awareness and productivity. Until the internet comes back on, go for a walk, take a short nap, meditate, or chat with the people around you.

Write Down Everything: The internet being down presents a perfect opportunity to put your thoughts on paper. Simply open a word document, or grab a notebook, and start writing down everything that crosses your mind. Try not to look back over what you’ve written or lump ideas together while in the middle of a “brain dump,” that step comes afterward. With no distractions from the internet, you might be surprised by how many ideas you can focus on.

Staff Meeting: Try getting the whole office together to brainstorm, catch up, or launch a discussion on current projects. This can also be a good opportunity to talk about any problems you otherwise don’t have the time to address, such as scheduling issues.

Make a few Phone Calls: While the internet may be dead, it doesn’t mean that the phone lines are shut off. Now is the time to catch up on any phone calls you may have been putting off; finally get that dentist appointment scheduled, set up a time to take your pet to the vet, or get some of the business calls taken care of.

With this idea in mind, you’ll know exactly what to do the next time the internet comes to an abrupt stop.