As many of you experienced around the holiday time to varying degrees, my home also lost power for a couple of days. I was fortunate enough to be with my wife and three kids and have a wood stove for heat and a propane range for cooking and heating water. And my family enjoys playing board games and owns more than you may imagine. So compared to some others I talked to, it was pretty fun and easy for us. It was interesting to experience life without power for just a short amount of time, reminding us a bit of what most of human history was like in this way. Among other lessons, I learned that they probably didn’t keep tropical fish in a glass tank in the home. (No tragedies here, ours made it through with the aid of several large votive candles.)
Lessons from the Power Outage: Follow the Sun
Some of us are more prepared than others for these events, with solar power and generators. Based on where you live and where your power comes from, many had to suddenly adapt to the possibility of not having power for several days. Did you find yourself planning more for when the sun was going down? When three o’clock in the afternoon came, we realized that we only have an hour or two left of sun and we may not want to be cooking in the dark. We happen to be quite stocked with candles, both wax and battery-powered, so they were employed strategically. We found ourselves deciding to go to bed earlier than typical. It made us appreciate how we’ve become so dependent on electrically generated light. It doesn’t seem to matter that much when the sun goes down for most of us, we just flip a switch to do what we need to do. But it struck me as a more natural, and maybe healthier, way to live to base the timing of our daily activities on the presence of the sun.
It has been understood that sunlight and darkness have a direct influence on triggering the release of hormones from the brain. Sunlight causes the brain’s release of serotonin, a hormone known to boost mood and help us feel calm and focused. There are special areas in the back of the eye that the sunlight cues in order for the brain to release serotonin. When the lighting becomes dark, the brain is triggered to release melatonin, a hormone that helps with proper sleep. We have safe shelter from the weather in our homes, but in modern times we’ve created unnatural light to stay awake much longer than when the sun has gone down. For those who struggle falling asleep, you may have to be careful to not be exposed to any light for the hour before bed because of the hormonal impact.
Community Health
I was impressed to hear stories of how neighbors stepped right up to help fellow neighbors in need. Someone who had an extra generator brought it to a neighbor’s home so that the house could be warm. There were people bringing firewood to neighbors who didn’t typically depend on wood for warmth. People were opening their more comfortable homes for others to stay with them. Neighbors brought food to others. I see that we aren’t really made to live in isolation as we depend on others for our various needs. Neighbors who look out for each other, in times of crisis or in every day, create a healthier community for each of us.
Find Joy with Those You Love
Because I’m a practitioner, I get to talk to a variety of people each day and listened to their experiences during this recent power outage. Once they dealt with the essentials, most people said they felt everything to be calmer and more peaceful for the time without power. They enjoyed their holiday time with their loved ones even more so than typical. They were less distracted by the entertaining things that power provides. There was a lot more board game playing in families like mine. People said they were laughing with each other more and were surprised to enjoy the time together more than typical. It seems that strain can often bring us closer together rather than divide. Why not choose this during times without such strain? Let’s spend our time creating joy with our loved ones, however that may look. We don’t have to wait for the holidays or for power outages.