In this fast-paced digital world we often forget what life was like before our world was lit up by the internet. This glimmer of light, information and news spread through South Africa; changing our neural pathways to instead seek out the artificial light, forgetting that we have a light of our own.
Many South Africans feel as though Maslow forgot to include electricity and Wi-Fi when creating his iconic Hierarchy of Needs, even though it’s something we have learned to need.
We bring you a spin on load shedding and how it could in fact be saving us from ourselves by “shedding light” on how we as South Africans could be using this time in a positive way.
Let’s be pro-active and turn a negative into a positive. After all we cannot change the situation, but we can change the way in which we see and react to it.
5 Things to do while there is load shedding:
- Take time-out and take a relaxing candlelit bath
- Make a dinner and enjoy some quiet time by candle light (oh, Eskom, you little romantic you)
- Teach your kids the games of your youth that require no electricity and a whole lot of imagination
- Read a good book – to yourself or enjoy a beautiful moment and share your favourite with your kids
- Bask in the beauty that is the sun setting with a cocktail in hand and great company
5 steps to take to prevent you from punching Eskom’s lights out:
- Take note of the schedule for areas that apply to you (work, home and so on) using this handy website: http://loadshedding.news24.com/suburbs
- Unplug your mobile electronic goods when you’re not charging them; decreasing your electricity bills and protecting your hardware
- Grab yourself a solar powered phone charger. Read more about them here: http://solar-phone-charger-review.toptenreviews.com/
- Make an Eskom power-outage kit (candles, lighter, headlamp and torch) and make sure to keep it in an easy-to-find location for those sudden moments when Eskom calls “lights out.”
- Breathe, try 1 of the 5 things mentioned above and enjoy the quiet time.
Load shedding, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing – just ask Typhane.
By: Michelle Minitzer
@Mich_Minitzer
