Monday
A few years ago my grandfather told me, "No job should ever cost you your health. It's not worth it."
Clearly, work has not been beneficial to my health, so today I actively tried to prevent my work from overwhelming me. I gave myself a little time to chat with some folks in my office before the day started, periodically checked the shipping status of my jersey, and kept a watch on myself to ensure that the current work was not making me feel crushed/unduly responsible/anxious/at a fault. I was determined to remain emotionally comfortable, in spite of (and in light of) the projects piled up near at hand. It went well enough till about 3 pm, when I started getting tired and antsy. 5 pm rolled around soon enough, though, and I happily powered down the workstation for the day. Sign out.
In grad school, when I caught myself panicking under pressure, I sometimes found that the best cure was taking on a new and even bigger task. Usually that put the other things in perspective and helped me to let go of some excessive stress. I suppose the same thing is in the back of my mind, as I prepare for an evening class this coming May-June. Maybe that will help me to put my work in perspective and realize that it isn't as earth-shattering as it seems to me everyday. After all, if nobody did my work, the world would not implode.
Tonight I'm taking it easy and resting. My head is a little worn out from data processing, my eyes a bit tired from glowing monitors, and my body still recovering from sickness. Prayer, snacks, and the avoidance of tasks requiring mental concentration and emotional exertion are on the agenda for this evening. If I could, I'd kick back in a rocking chair on a porch with a tall glass of iced tea, watching the sun set. Instead, I'm cozy on the couch posting here on livejournal.
Ecclesiastes 2:11
"Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun."
Ecclesiastes 12:13
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all."
"Remember your Creator in the days when you are young,
and He will be your hope under the sun." -Under the Sun by Michael Card
Matthew 25:22-23
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
Clearly, work has not been beneficial to my health, so today I actively tried to prevent my work from overwhelming me. I gave myself a little time to chat with some folks in my office before the day started, periodically checked the shipping status of my jersey, and kept a watch on myself to ensure that the current work was not making me feel crushed/unduly responsible/anxious/at a fault. I was determined to remain emotionally comfortable, in spite of (and in light of) the projects piled up near at hand. It went well enough till about 3 pm, when I started getting tired and antsy. 5 pm rolled around soon enough, though, and I happily powered down the workstation for the day. Sign out.
In grad school, when I caught myself panicking under pressure, I sometimes found that the best cure was taking on a new and even bigger task. Usually that put the other things in perspective and helped me to let go of some excessive stress. I suppose the same thing is in the back of my mind, as I prepare for an evening class this coming May-June. Maybe that will help me to put my work in perspective and realize that it isn't as earth-shattering as it seems to me everyday. After all, if nobody did my work, the world would not implode.
Tonight I'm taking it easy and resting. My head is a little worn out from data processing, my eyes a bit tired from glowing monitors, and my body still recovering from sickness. Prayer, snacks, and the avoidance of tasks requiring mental concentration and emotional exertion are on the agenda for this evening. If I could, I'd kick back in a rocking chair on a porch with a tall glass of iced tea, watching the sun set. Instead, I'm cozy on the couch posting here on livejournal.
Ecclesiastes 2:11
"Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun."
Ecclesiastes 12:13
"Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
For this is man's all."
"Remember your Creator in the days when you are young,
and He will be your hope under the sun." -Under the Sun by Michael Card
Matthew 25:22-23
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'