Stress Reduction
Since the spring semester is about to start at Wesleyan, I figured now would be a good time to write about something I’ve been pondering for a while.
Based on my experience, stress is nothing more than fear. That horrible sting in the pit of your stomach is just worry that you won’t be able to get everything done, or won’t get it done well enough. Sounds simple enough, but how does one deal with this feeling? I always find myself at an impasse whenever my friends are freaking out with stress because my natural reaction is to sit down and talk with them or take their mind off things. Unfortunately, this is like putting a band-aid on a gunshot. While periodic breaks for human contact/aggression release through video games/etc. are absolutely essential, they are still a time drain. This creates a fundamental dilemma.
Where is the balance between getting a paper finished with the highest amount of time/quality efficiency and making the process bearable for oneself? Put another way, is it better to get a paper done as quickly as possible or to making writing it somewhat entertaining (this dilemma is sort of interesting in the context of the broader conception of “work” (i.e. should one focus on reducing work hours or making those hours more enjoyable/less alienating))? I’m of the opinion that “work” is something to be minimized in every way possible, and that if I want to enjoy putting time and effort into something, I’d rather do it when I’m not constrained to do it (in relation to the previous parenthetical aside, I’d rather work a lousy but well-paying job for 25 hours a week and do interesting/creative things with the rest of my time (unfortunately this isn’t really possible (yet))). On the other hand, I can easily see the rationale for the other option. This is actually why a lot of people choose to write papers/do work under the influence of substances. Personally, I’ve found that doing anything high will take roughly 1.5 - 2 times longer (with some exceptions), but will be a much more enjoyable experience (also with some exceptions). Usually, I’ll write all my papers sober, but I’ll spark while editing. This turns out nicely because it forces me to take my time, instead of having every cell in my body wanting me to be done with work in order to start partying. Obviously, your mileage may vary.
Still, the big problem with completely rejecting any comforts while working is that once you work your way towards a successful escape from the highly marked off work-times, you absolutely must enjoy your time off. This leads to some serious problems of expectation as well as potentially reciprocating increases in stress during leisure times as one frantically seeks optimized pleasure. That’s pretty fucked up. So yeah, everyone needs to find a balance that works for them. Some people minimize time expenditures by increasing discomfort, others choose the opposite. There’s a lot of room in the middle between the two extremes. Rock on.
This was sort of a BS entry, but I guess the point is that we should all respect each other’s work ethics/habits. I’m always down for sparking/drinking/talking/gaming/etc whenever someone needs a stress break/celebration (provided, of course, that my current situation isn’t too stressful). More importantly, let’s all hope that the work we have to do this semester (or at least the stuff that sucks) is less than previously.