Any of you in the Johannesburg area are smack bang in the middle of another wave of load shedding. And along with the blackouts comes it’s constantly companion – complaining. It’s everywhere you go and from everyone you listen to. And sure, of course it’s far from great and yes, I know there has been an abundance of corruption, incompetence and mismanagements and etc, etc, blah, blah, blah. All of that is true and still all of that doesn’t change a single thing. The cumulative cacophony of complaining from the South African populace isn’t going to coalesce into some magic concoction that will keep the lights on. Furthermore, perhaps load shedding presents a potential opportunity rather than another whoa is me, doom and gloom situation.
But what does this have to do with your health and wellbeing? Well, complaining isn’t going to make you any healthier or happier. Given the undeniable connection between one’s state of mind and one’s overall state of wellness those feelings of anger, annoyance, disgust, despondency, vengeance and whatever else are only going to suppress your endocrine system thereby suppressing your mood and weakening your immune system. And it’s entirely out of your control. Whinging and whining doesn’t bring the power back one second faster. It only drenches those hours in heavy, negative emotions and energy, making them feel longer and heavier. The scales of comparison are literally infinite orders of magnitude apart, but the famed Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankel passed onto us one of the sagest and most poignant wisdoms in life – that the one true human freedom remaining is our ability “to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances“.
“When we are no longer able to change a situation,
we are challenged to change ourselves.“
So, let me propose that this electric disconnection is a wonderful opportunity for connection. Unshackled from the grips of technology, voluntarily or not, why not use this time away from television and computers to connect with another human being. Give someone you’ve been meaning to a call, better yet, organize a visit. Use the undistracted time to catch up with loved ones. Why not go for a walk? Maybe with a partner or a spouse and a pet. You don’t need electricity for that. Or spark up the candles, get close to someone you love and get in the “mood”. What about seeing this as a moment to bring the household together? Bust out a few of these very affordable battery powered lanterns and commune around a table and play a board game together. No light aka perfect time to meditate. And for the many of you who are over working and sleep deprived, pretend your laptop battery is dead and seize the moment to get an early night of sleep and give your body the rest it desperately needs. Even if the traffic is unbearable and horrific, steaming and cursing in the car doesn’t make it move and faster, so why not look at the extra time as more time to listen to that podcast you’ve bene meaning to?
Those are merely some suggestions but there are undoubtedly many more things to do without electricity, something that has only been ubiquitous in households for less than a century. Get creative! Use your imagination. Whilst you are disconnected from technology, connect with the present moment and the possibilities it holds.
Disconnect to connect.
Look, of course I know the situation isn’t ideal. That’s obvious. Well, you know what else isn’t ideal? Life. Life is an experience of relentless push and pull, change and adapt. We have the choice to accept our reality as it is or we can resist it, fight it, curse it, wish it different. One leads to peace the other is literally the definition of suffering. Don’t let things you cannot control get you down and if they do, don’t kid yourself – you are allowing them to. So next time the lights go out instead of moaning why not make memories?
You’re already disconnected, so why not connect?
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Disclaimer:
Remember dear reader, I am neither a doctor nor any sort of medical physician in any capacity. None of the information presented above can be construed as any sort of medical advice in any sort of manner. You as the reader is solely responsible for creating and implementing your own physical, mental and emotional well-being, decisions, choices and actions. As such, the reader agrees that the author is not and will not be liable or responsible for any actions or inaction taken by the reader or for any direct or indirect results. This information is simply presented and whatever you decide to do with it is your choice and your responsibility.
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