Sure, everyone likes a little light here and there, but is your love of the bright stuff crossing the threshold into addiction? Here are 6 signs you’re addicted to light.
1. You can’t enjoy nature at night without bringing a flashlight
Are you walking in the dark woods at night because you love it, or only because it’s an excuse to use a flashlight? That’s a question you need to ask yourself when trying to determine if your love affair with light is becoming a serious problem. Next time you head out at night down a remote trail under a moonless sky, try leaving the flashlight behind. If you find yourself thinking more about how you wished you had some form of light that you are enjoying the hike, you might have a light addiction, and you might want to consider getting help.
2. You turn on the lights every time you walk into the bathroom
If you find yourself flipping the light switch on in the bathroom seconds after you lock the door behind you, it might be time to take a break from light for a bit. Sure, it’s nice to be able to see what you’re doing while you’re going to the bathroom, but it’s not worth a potentially debilitating addiction that could cost you friends and family as you go to further and further lengths to seek out light. Ask yourself how you would look if you were watching yourself on a hidden camera walking into a bathroom and immediately slapping that toggle switch up to get some of that big L. If what you’re picturing disturbs you, seek help.
3. You keep your eyes wide open most of the time
Eyelids have plenty of positions in between fully closed and wide open. If you find yourself keeping them open as wide as you can all day, every day, you might want to consider what you’re doing to your body by letting all of that light into your pupils. Try weaning yourself off of having them fully open by gradually shutting them a little more each day until you’re able to go a full day with your eyes completely shut. It’s important to keep your relationship with light healthy and balanced.
4. You turn your headlights on whenever you drive in the dark
Do you find yourself making excuses for turning on your headlights and even your high beams when you’re driving? “I want to be able to see the road.” “It’s safer because other cars can see where I’m driving.” “I’ve driven like this before and I’ve never had a problem.” You might want to write down all of those things your subconscious tells you every time you get behind the wheel past 7 PM and see how they sound when you read them back. Odds are you aren’t going to like how they sound, and it might be time to face the facts that you’re dependence on light has gotten out of hand.
5. One of your top criteria for a house or apartment is that it has windows
A few windows are a nice feature to have, for sure, but if you find yourself passing on houses simply because they’re dark and windowless or don’t have electricity, you might want to get your priorities straight. If you’re looking at houses and saying to your realtor, “I love how much natural light this room has,” or, “This basement feels like a dungeon because there’s no windows,” it’s a pretty big red flag that your relationship with light has become unhealthy. There’s a lot more to a house than having light, so if that’s your main focus, your balance is off here.
6. The first thing you do when you wake up is turn on the lights and the last thing you do before you go to bed is turn them off
If the first thing on your mind when you roll out of bed is hitting that light switch and it’s on basically all day long until you go to bed, that’s a real problem. In fact, turning on the lights on as soon as you wake up is one of the most common symptoms of end-stage light addiction. It’s going to take some serious work to get your life to the point where having the lights on isn’t your main focus, but you can get there. Turning on something besides a light on in the morning, such as a ceiling fan or a faucet, can help scratch the itch while you wean yourself off of 24-7 light abuse.
