Yesterday our electricity was cut off for a few hours. We’d had plenty of warning from the electricity company and it would only be for around four hours. We knew the times it would be suspended 9.30 am – 1.30 pm so we had plenty of opportunity to make alternative plans. The weather was fantastic so it wasn’t as if we would be cold and as long as we didn’t keep opening the fridge and freezer the food within would be fine. I wasn’t too perturbed. I was having my haircut that morning and we made sure we made Skype calls, answered emails etc well before the cut-off time. And there was always our mobile phones to keep abreast of things if required.
Oh, it was bliss. So quiet. No temptation to procrastinate and load the washing machine, vacuum the house, or tackle the long overdue ironing. We enjoyed lunch out in the garden instead of on the hoof and generally made the most of no interruptions whatsoever. If I had had a deadline I could’ve gone to the local internet cafe and worked there but I didn’t need to so I didn’t go. Simples!
There’s a lot to be said for an unavoidable obstacle – no power. It made me reflect on just how much the pace of life is driven by all things electric. After all, we couldn’t charge our mobile phones or laptops, the internet was down, our walkabout phones were out of commission. We had been prepared but what if we hadn’t?
I didn’t spend all the time writing; it was more that I paced myself better instead of switching from one thing to another. I didn’t have a break and do housework, fit loading and unloading the washing machine in with a trip to the kettle. No pressure to keep up with social media. No worry that I was missing calls. It was all out of my control – and I loved every minute of it.
There have been plenty of articles, even books, written lately about social media detox. It’s worth giving it a try. Ironic really that I’m doing this today, writing in favour of switching off but I’ll do it more often from now on. It’s amazing how productive you can be in four hours. Why not give it a go.