So…..
Finished my night shifts yesterday morning , and still feeling out of synch, trying to kick myself into action, but, it is not happening somehow.
I read a lot on the Internet, searching for inspiration and motivation, and among the various subjects I come across,recurring themes are work, efficiency and various methods for maximising productivity.
Well meaning bloggers and experts are giving invaluable advise to busy professionals, urging us to ” work smarter, not harder” . Most will stress the importance of looking after yourself to be more productive, as we all know, you must take breaks during the day , so you will feel refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of your to do list. Also, rumour has it that to feel heathy and efficient, to achieve that all important work/life balance you must make sure you eat well, and get a good night sleep. As a smart and productive professional, you must also know how to let go of perfectionism and Lear to delegate….
Well: I couldn’t agree more! Yet, I have not put any of these ideas into practice, and I am unlikely to do so in the near future.
How could I?
I work twelve hours shifts in a very busy environment, there are deadlines to complete , tasks to accomplish logistic problems to be solved, all of which I have no choice but to tackle mostly by myself, I have no option to delegate.
In order to perform, I often resort to cutting down on breaks, and rely heavily on high calories snacks and caffeinated energy drinks.
The job pays well, due to the unsociable hours, but there is no denying that is hard ,physically and mentally, I constantly have to dig deep into my own resources to find the energy to perform well . I am often running on adrenaline, only to crash and burn by the end of the day, or by the end of the week.
So, once home, my initial, instinctive reaction is to hole up indoors and shut out the outside world, go into hibernation mode to allow my body, mind, and spirit to recover, the only problem is, doing so does only provide temporary respite , sooner or later, everyday life obligations like basic household maintenance will have to be dealt with, and, the longer these are neglected, the harder they become to face.
My current situation nowadays is : when I’m at home, I’m dreading work, and when I’m at work, I ‘m dreading home, life has become so chaotic and disorganised that I can not seem to get even just a glimpse of a happy ending.
The vicious circle is the face of a ticking clock, but I am trapped in a black hole where time has lost it’s meaning.
But, as the proverb goes: ” keep calm and carry on” (more…)
Notes on a Bohemian tragedy 