Isn’t it funny how some things become habits, even when you don’t realize the automatic programming that’s taken place in your brain? for instance, how often do you pick up your phone and check for new notifications? If there are none, do you still open it and check your email inbox? When there’s nothing there, do you open up Instagram and mindlessly scroll through about three times? Afterwards, do you turn off your phone screen like nothing ever happened? Rinse, repeat? Yeah, technology has definitely given us all some interesting new ticks.
Recently, I noticed a new habit of my own when our indoor air temperature system failed.
More specifically, our neighborhood lost power in a storm and my HVAC system was electrocuted by lightning. The central heating and cooling system was definitely fried, and there was no chance that it was going to turn on anytime soon. I knew I needed a professional heating and cooling specialist to come inspect my sad air handling equipment and let me know the prognosis. Honestly, I figured that the air quality equipment was done. I was anxiously pacing around the house, Googling possible solutions for purchasing a new energy efficient heating and cooling equipment for the house, when I realized that I was doing something extremely nonsensical. Even though I knew the central heating and cooling system was done for, I couldn’t stop myself from wandering past the thermostat every minute or two and touching a button so that the screen came on. I would read the high indoor air temperature, press the down button as if the air conditioning was going to work, and wait to hear cool air passing through the vents. Even without power, I couldn’t stop touching this thermostat.