Off The Grid, Into Life
The sun was setting, and we were calling it a day. It should always be like this, we thought. And why isn’t it?
I go back to the day of the widespread blackout that affected Portugal and Spain earlier this week, lasting around 12 hours. I recall the end of that day lived in peace: dinner was early, lit by the sunset; and afterwards, there was still time to play with our daughter while my wife and I chatted. When the time came to bid farewell to the light, they both went to the bedroom. I stayed up a bit longer – just enough to witness the return of the electricity. Of course, it was a relief to know everything was okay, but I couldn’t help but feel slightly uneasy that all that calm had come to an end.
Since then, I’ve been reflecting a lot on that period. Especially on the final hours of that day (of course, I do so from the position of someone who was not in any way seriously affected by the event – the discussion of those consequences is not for this context).
Biological rhythms, daily habits, our relationship with work and the balance between it and our personal lives – these are themes we often address. They are essential pillars when we try to improve various aspects of our lives.
Even we, in our team, despite being very familiar with these topics and trying to adopt the best possible practices in our daily routines, sometimes struggle. That’s life. Nothing more. Life gets in the way and creates recurring challenges, and we constantly need to adapt.
This time, life got in the way again, but it forced a different kind of adaptation. One much more in sync with natural rhythms:
Being at home, by the end of last Monday, I could no longer make phone calls; the internet didn’t allow access to news sites, social media, or work-related platforms – the phone was completely silent;
The lack of electricity, as I mentioned earlier, forced us to have dinner earlier – a lighter meal, without any distractions other than the interaction between the three people at the table;
Next, there was no television. “Only” a family spending time together, as the light gradually faded.
None of this would sound strange to anyone who follows us. Adjusting our daily routines in our favor encompasses many of the elements reflected here. When making a list of things we can do to improve our overall health, we often include:
Setting clear boundaries between our professional and personal lives;
Communicating to colleagues and supervisors our availability hours for work matters;
Turning off notifications from all work-related apps/platforms, after work, while also working on the impulse control needed to avoid checking them voluntarily;
Avoiding exposure to news, technical reading, or other potential stress-inducing content, at the end of the day;
Not looking at screens for at least two hours before going to bed;
Being fully present in every moment, avoiding distractions or recurring thoughts about other aspects of our lives;
Finishing our last meal 3 to 4 hours before bed (without heavy meals);
Strengthening family relationships daily through direct interaction not mediated by electronic devices;
Promoting exposure to natural light, both at the beginning and end of the day, so our body adjusts as closely as possible to the circadian rhythm.
All of these behaviors were reflected in the evening I described above.
Many of us struggle daily to incorporate these good practices into our routines, recognizing the great benefits they can bring; yet often, the attempts fall short. But all it took was a 12-hour blackout for everything to fall into place.
And what was the best part?
Nothing fell apart on the professional side of our lives. What we had to do was still there, waiting for us; our relationships with colleagues remained intact.
Everything stayed the same. But it waited for the next day – for the moment to start working. Until then, we used our time for ourselves and our loved ones. We enjoyed it and recharged, as we always should, because there is time for everything.
01/05/2025
