{"id":8657,"date":"2015-05-10T17:50:04","date_gmt":"2015-05-10T15:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/responsive.jozikids.co.za\/zaparents\/?p=8657"},"modified":"2022-06-20T11:41:08","modified_gmt":"2022-06-20T09:41:08","slug":"making-the-most-of-load-shedding-jozikids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jozikids.co.za\/blog\/parenting\/being-present\/making-the-most-of-load-shedding-jozikids\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the most of load shedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

This load shedding can really get one down. I know. I\u2019ve done my fair share of complaining. And we may feel justified in our complaints: we can’t warm our babies\u2019 bottles, we can’t pop onto the Internet to help a kid with a project, we can’t finish the dinner or get the washing done. Not to mention the financial implications of hours where you or your staff are not being productive.<\/span><\/p>\n

We have a right to have a bit of a moan. But thinking negatively can really drain your energy.<\/span><\/p>\n

100 reasons why load shedding can benefit you<\/span><\/h2>\n

I felt I needed a bit of a pick me up on this particular subject so a friend and I made a list of 100 benefits of load shedding. We thought we\u2019d share it with you in the hopes that it will light up your day as much as it did ours.<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Spend less time on devices (We don\u2019t need to plan a \u201cno technology day\u201d anymore)<\/span>
\n2. Spend more time connecting with family and friends<\/span>
\n3. Less noise pollution<\/span>
\n4. Less light pollution<\/span>
\n5. It\u2019s atmospheric (there\u2019s nothing like candlelight to make a scene beautiful)<\/span>
\n6. Play games instead of watching TV (snakes & ladders, Monopoly, charades etc.)<\/span>
\n7. Have more conversations<\/span>
\n8. Go to sleep earlier (a healthier option for most of us)<\/span>
\n9. Wake up earlier and get more out of the day<\/span>
\n10. Take a break from working<\/span>
\n11. Brings people together<\/span>
\n12. Load shedding gives us something to talk about<\/span>
\n13. Compels us to move towards alternative power sources<\/span>
\n14. There is a lot of research being done into sustainable power<\/span>
\n15. We use less electricity \u2013 reserving Earth\u2019s resources<\/span>
\n16. When we have power we get more work done<\/span>
\n17. We learn to plan ahead and have contingency plans<\/span>
\n18. Tell stories \u2013 giving our kids the cultural background of the stories we grew up with<\/span>
\n19. Tell our kids our life stories and family history<\/span>
\n20. Load shedding is like camping!<\/span>
\n21. Teaches us to toughen up a bit<\/span>
\n22. Pulls us back to the simplicity of life<\/span>
\n23. Get back to the \u201colden days\u201d<\/span>
\n24. More family time<\/span>
\n25. More opportunity to talk to and connect with your partner<\/span>
\n26. Read books and give our kids a love of reading<\/span>
\n27. Make shadow puppets<\/span>
\n28. Do crosswords and Sudoku and exercise our brains a bit<\/span>
\n29. Getting back to the REAL stuff of life<\/span>
\n30. Put the focus back on what is important<\/span>
\n31. Teaches us to be creative<\/span>
\n32. Load shedding teaches us to be resourceful<\/span>
\n33. Stop wasting time on social media<\/span>
\n34. Work on areas of your life you don\u2019t take time for due to work & distractions<\/span>
\n35. Time to sort your cupboards etc.<\/span>
\n36. Gratitude for having electricity in the first place (and running water)<\/span>
\n37. Appreciate hot water<\/span>
\n38. Appreciate having a dishwasher, phone, TV, computer, etc.<\/span>
\n39. Back to reality \u2013 all human beings are equal<\/span>
\n40. Breaks down class differences<\/span>
\n41. Listening to good audiobooks \/ music in traffic<\/span>
\n42. Time to chat in the car<\/span>
\n43. Learn patience<\/span>
\n44. Learn something in the car \u2013 take an audio course<\/span>
\n45. Listen to an entire book while sitting in traffic (catch up on reading time)<\/span>
\n46. Improve your career \/ finances \/ etc. in the traffic (via audio programs)<\/span>
\n47. Learn a new language in the car<\/span>
\n48. Learn to accept the present moment as it is \u2018cos there\u2019s nothing you can do about it!<\/span>
\n49. Be prepared \u2013 have your coffee, audiobooks etc. ready to settle in<\/span><\/p>\n

50. Learn to prepare your mind for delays<\/span>
\n51. Get over the \u201cin a hurry\u201d mindset<\/span>
\n52. Slow down<\/span>
\n53. Learn to leave early and take it easy<\/span>
\n54. Teaches kids to be ok with the dark<\/span>
\n55. Learn to budget (making less money due to blackouts)<\/span>
\n56. Simplify financially<\/span>
\n57. Making a plan BEFORE the coal all runs out<\/span>
\n58. Creating new industries<\/span>
\n59. Cash to be made in generators, solar power etc.<\/span>
\n60. Learn to handle financial ups and downs<\/span>
\n61. Switching to energy efficient bulbs etc.<\/span>
\n62. Makes us very conscious of energy consumption<\/span>
\n63. Save electricity \u2013 only use washing machines, dishwashers etc. when full<\/span>
\n64. Fulfills our human psychological needs:<\/span>
\n65. Provides us with certainty (we KNOW the lights will be out at some point!<\/span>
\n66. Provides us with variety (more creative in how we spend our time)<\/span>
\n67. Provides us with significance (looking after our kids in the dark)<\/span>
\n68. Provides us with love and connection (spending more quality time together)<\/span>
\n69. Growth (reading, learning, talking to each other)<\/span>
\n70. Contribution (becoming more aware of what people with no electricity permanently have to go through); teaching us empathy.<\/span>
\n71. Gives us more of a Spiritual connection \u2013 time to pray, meditate, connect with source<\/span>
\n72. Mentally \u2013 it removes the problem of too many options that deaden the mind \u2013 like too many TV channels making us spoiled for choice<\/span>
\n73. Financially it makes us more creative and focused on budgeting, saving and investing<\/span>
\n74. Shops closed means we spend less<\/span>
\n75. Less time spent on shopping<\/span>
\n76. Helps us to be more family oriented<\/span>
\n77. Socially we may go out more and so connect with people we love more, or, we may go out less, therefore saving on petrol, take-out bills, etc.<\/span>
\n78. Physically, we are given a break from the constant electromagnetic field around us<\/span>
\n79. In our careers \u2013 it gives us the opportunity to step back from the chaos and rethink strategy and the bigger picture<\/span>
\n80. We can see the stars more clearly at night<\/span>
\n81. We can get creative with glow-in-the-dark paints and toys<\/span>
\n82. We can have fun decorating with solar lanterns<\/span>
\n83. We can play with sparklers<\/span>
\n84. We have the opportunity to become more inward focused<\/span>
\n85. There are less distractions<\/span>
\n86. We can connect with ourselves and our feelings<\/span>
\n87. We have the opportunity to face our fears<\/span>
\n88. Play music, sing<\/span>
\n89. Connect with your neighbours \u2013 sharing information and checking up on each other<\/span>
\n90. Eating take-out \u2013 having a break from cooking<\/span>
\n91. Eating more raw foods and all the health benefits of that<\/span>
\n92. Not bathing \/ showering \/ washing dishes \u2013 save on water<\/span>
\n93. More emphasis on breast feeding (can\u2019t warm up bottles) \u2013 healthier for our babies<\/span>
\n94. Kids learn to sleep without their night lights \u2013 better for overall sleep and health<\/span>
\n95. Less noise when the kids go to bed<\/span>
\n96. Kids less stimulated by TV \/ computer games before bed<\/span>
\n97. Kids and teens learning real communication skills (not just text-based interactions)<\/span>
\n98. We\u2019re forced to become more solution-based than problem-based<\/span>
\n99. We\u2019re having to find ways to deal with the additional stresses and frustrations \u2013 tools that will help us in other areas of life<\/span>
\n100. We\u2019re learning to find benefit in adverse situations which gives us a better overall approach to life<\/span><\/p>\n

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