Found a new blog on productivity called Alexandra Levit’s Water Cooler Wisdom. This post resonated with me, especially the part where she writes:
Did you know that people get physically tired because of emotional factors such as boredom, frustration, and anxiety? True intellectual stimulation, on the other hand, doesn’t exhaust us at all. The first time I heard this, a lightbulb went off. It occurred to me that I could write nonstop for 8 hours and then run a 5K immediately afterwards, yet after spending a few hours at my corporate job I could barely drag myself to the train station.
It’s amazing how I have such a different perspective and energy level on the weekends, when I’m away from the office. Just sitting at a computer for 11+ hours a day can exhaust me, even when I haven’t been as productive or busy as usual. To be honest, I feel exhausted most of the time, which is frustrating because I have such a sedentary job (and no demanding kids, husband, or pets) so I feel like I have no good excuse for feeling this way (and then the resulting frustration can become just as exhausting…such a cycle!). On the flip side, as this blog post promotes, I’ve been trying to be more intentional about my attitude, productivity, to-do items, taking short breaks, etc. Some days I fail, but some days I do better. I’m trying, and that’s the key. Apathy is the enemy. You hear that Apathy? That’s right, you’re the ENEMY. Bam.
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May 13, 2010 at 7:44 am
Billi London-Gray
I have experienced the same exhaustion with desk jobs, and it saddens me (since I have been continuously better-job hunting since, like, 2008) that so many employers expect a human being to be happy and productive in a totally un-human environment, like a desk with a computer on it, for such long hours that you have no time to do anything else during the week. All the more un-human if your work is monotonous or seems trivial, since creativity and curiosity are essential to a fully human existence, in my opinion. I admire your positive attitude, Betsy. We should all milk the best out of our work. Take THAT, Apathy!
May 13, 2010 at 11:11 am
lifelikeblog
When I made a comment to a friend about how I wish I had more hours in my day to pursue my other interests, she looked at me funny and asked, “what other interests do you have?” I found this highly amusing. FRIENDS! CHURCH! RELATIONSHIPS! TRAVEL! EXERCISE! OUTDOOR ADVENTURES! WRITING! EVENTS! CONCERTS! COOKING! VOLUNTEERING! CREATIVITY…LIFE! There is so much more to life than working in an office…
Thanks for your encouragement, and for being one of my only readers/commenters, Billi
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May 24, 2010 at 7:44 am
Billi London-Gray
No prob. Thanks back for the same. And, to be sure, for all the reunion work.
I really hope you get more time. “What other interests do you have?” Wow. I propose a maxim: a healthy person will never, in a state of confusion or surprise, ask that question of another healthy person.