If your job demands a lot of travelling around then you might find yourself working on the go a lot. This can come with a series of minor annoyances, such as where to set up your laptop and where to find a stable Wi-Fi connection. There’s also the matter of not being able to plug in your laptop but still needing to work on it. The fact is that your laptop is your most vital workspace solution. When you’re working away from the office you don’t want to see its battery life rapidly decreasing while you’re trying to get a task done. Fortunately, there are various ways in which you can extend your laptop’s battery life.

Adjust your screen’s brightness

You might like your screen to be as bright as it can possibly be in order to see what you’re doing more clearly. Remember, however, that your screen can potentially chew up a significant amount of battery life. In order to maximise your battery life, it’s wise to turn your screen’s brightness down a tad. Don’t make it so dim that you end up straining your eyes of course. 

Switch off your Wi-Fi

Wireless networking is also a common culprit when it comes to sapping battery life. Unless you need to be connected to the internet while working, it’s a good idea to disable your Wi-Fi connection. This shouldn’t disrupt you while you’re working through a certain task. If you’re working in Google Docs, Google Sheets or Google Slides, all you have to do is make those files available offline for you to edit them. Also remember that you can work with Microsoft Word, Powerpoint and Excel, which are programmes that don’t require a Wi-Fi connection at all. In addition, if you know you’re going to be working offline in order to save battery life, make sure you haven’t planned any meetings for that time period. If, however, you do need to be in contact with coworkers, make yourself available on WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams and use mobile data to send messages. 

Disconnect all peripherals

Try not to use USB peripherals when working on the go. Your laptop is what powers them, resulting in a depletion of battery power. You might feel the need to use computing accessories such as USBs and computer mouses, but do without them while your laptop’s disconnected if you can. Before unplugging, transfer whatever documents you might need from your USB over to your laptop. If you prefer to use a mouse but your laptop features a touchpad mouse, then switch to the latter for a short while.

Stop background programmes

You might be unaware that certain programmes are running in the background while you’re doing your work. Make sure you close them before they deplete your battery of its power. You only need to focus on the documents required for your work and nothing else. If you’re working on a Windows laptop then all you need to do is hit CTRL+ALT+DELETE to go to your Task Manager to find out what apps and programmes might still be running. If you’re on a Mac, however, then tap COMMAND+OPTION+ESC and you’ll find your task manager.

Working on the go with an unplugged laptop doesn’t have to be frustrating. You can prepare properly for it by cutting out the need for peripherals like USBs and making sure no unnecessary apps or programmes are running in the background. Also remember to dim your screen and switch off your Wi-Fi connectivity, all the while making important documents available offline and ensuring you can be contacted on your smartphone. If you’ve done all this, then working on the go should be a breeze.