The Calming Power of Flames

Things with flames have been hot lately. Dragons in Games of Thrones, for instance. Or the latest grilling and BBQ TV shows. You can can burn your enemies to a crisp or cook dinner. Flames also have an often overlooked benefit.

During one of my survival trainings, we were told after finding shelter, start a fire (unless you are trying to hide). There were three reasons. First was warmth. Second was for signaling (for rescuers). Lastly (but no less important) was to calm people down. This is true even if you are by yourself. It can be the key to making it if you are in a group that has hysterical people in it.

The sight and sound of a fire tends to calm down humans. And we are better problem solvers when we are not panicking. I have had one problem I am trying to solve which had become quite frustrating. When this happens, I like to sit in front of my fire. And before long I am thinking more clearly and creatively. And I came up with an answer to my problem.

Individual fires in offices and cubes are generally a bad idea. But maybe one in an meeting room?

If you don’t have a fireplace or for other reasons don’t have access to one, there are screen savers, DVDs and smartphone apps that show fireplaces. Give it a try. You productivity might go from stuck to smoking!