Love the Button. Hate the Button.
Have you ever abused the snooze button?
I meant figuratively. (Artist’s site.)
It’s the button that demands a love-hate relationship. Hit it once and ease into your day. Abuse it and you’ll waste an hour in nine minute bursts of quasi-sleep.
Our obsession with comfort often precludes rational decision making. Either get a solid hour of sleep or wake up and hop in the shower! The middle ground is the worst option, but we sometimes choose it anyway.
Career Snoozing
Shutting down your brain feels good after a day at a bad job. You have to turn your brain off every once and a while to stay balanced and healthy. If you get stuck checking-out mentally day after day, you can bet that you’ll be stuck in that job too.
Tolerating a bad job is a short-term solution. At some point, you have to solve the problem at the root!
What are you doing to make yourself comfortable? What are you doing to make a lasting change?
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15 responses so far ↓
1 Hannah // Sep 12, 2007 at 12:18 pm
wow. that is an awesome metaphor.
2 Andrew // Sep 12, 2007 at 12:45 pm
i’ve not been in the working world long enough to provide a well-founded opinion, but my experience so far makes me think people in the best of situations are likely to shut down at the end of a long day. what sort of alternatives do you suggest?
3 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 12, 2007 at 1:08 pm
@Hannah– Why thank you.
4 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 12, 2007 at 1:15 pm
@Andrew– For me, an intentional time of decompression has always been important. I take 15-20 minutes to myself without internet, TV, or music, and I usually just lay in silence, read some scripture, and/or spend a little time praying.
It’s about centering yourself and being refreshed–creating a clean break from the day. Many people exercise, some have a drink, and some watch a bit of TV. The aim is to get rejuvenated for the remainder of your day (usually your free time) rather than anesthetized to the part of the day you’ve already been through.
Thanks for the comment!
5 Naomi Dunford // Sep 12, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Since going freelance fulltime, I’ve had huge issues with work/life balance and learning how to turn off. Since I’m madly in love with what I do, it’s easy to mistake it for recreation until I realize I haven’t read a non-career-related book in months. I don’t even know what’s playing in the movie theatre!
Right now it’s incredibly important for me since we’re getting ready to launch online, and it’s so easy to find myself still working at 2 in the morning. What I’ve tried to do is incorporate a minimum of 2 enjoyable and non-work-related tasks each day. I take the baby out to get coffee, I go and buy make-up, I read in the bath. But I absolutely make myself get involved in recreational activities so I don’t go insane.
I think that’s one of the best things I can do to prevent snooze button addiction down the road. It’s horrible to be burnt out in a job you hate. It’s even worse to be burnt out in a job you love.
6 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 12, 2007 at 4:09 pm
@Naomi– I think that’s a fantastic idea. I find myself having to schedule in leisure time as well, and I enjoy what I do.
7 Bush Mackel // Sep 12, 2007 at 8:48 pm
I went for a job this morning for the first time in a long time. Besides making me feel better about putting on 20 lbs since I’ve gotten married, it did wonders for me and my mentality at work.
I think soon I’m going to try and implement other things like stretching or walking constantly at the office too, I think that might do me some good. (#):)
8 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 12, 2007 at 10:18 pm
@Bush– Now did you “go for a job” as in interview for a better job or go for a jog and make a typo ; ) I can see how either would make you happier…
9 Bush Mackel // Sep 13, 2007 at 7:24 pm
DAMMIT! I did the same thing when talking to my friend on IM that day. It’s funny ’cause I’m a computer programmer but I always write “job” instead of “jog”. (As I wrote this I did it again). Ha ha.
10 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 13, 2007 at 7:38 pm
@Bush– You weren’t kidding about work keeping you from exercising. You can’t even type about exercise without it coming out “job”.
I think it works as you wrote it, though. “I went for a job.” Seems British.
11 Gilldaman // Sep 13, 2007 at 11:59 pm
I work to live, I don’t live to work.
When I check out at the end of the day, it’s done, I’ll answer the usual “How was work?” question, but after work it is now my time. Whether its a work-out, music, tv, or hanging with the roommates/friends, that is where I find my relaxation.
12 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 14, 2007 at 10:37 am
@Gilldaman– It’s good that you’re able to do that. Many people who would like to be that way allow for work to creep into their evenings as well.
13 apex who wants keeley hazell // Sep 14, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I sneek in posts on my blog and comments on others to calm me during and after work or I just sleep
14 Chuck Westbrook // Sep 14, 2007 at 3:40 pm
@Apex WWKY– It’s all about shifting gears… or sleeping.
15 The New Horizons Project » Blog Archive » 50 Great Ways to Kickstart Your Day // Jun 19, 2008 at 1:41 am
[…] be getting quality sleep during those last few minutes or hours of the morning. Make a change for a better start to your morning and skip the […]
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