Work/Play balance

If there are two people who have the exact same jobs, one works 7 days a week and the other works 5 days and spends the other two days in recreational activities away from the job location, who do you think is more effective and better at his job?  The second one, because he has better balance between work and play.  He can do his job better because he is rested and fully charged.

I went back to the States on vacation in March.  It was the best trip ever; I visited and stayed with friends, I spent time with family; I played with my dog; I went with friends on vacation to Yosemite and Mendocino area; I got to see many people that I missed so much, plus eating lots of good food.  It was tons of fun.  When I came back to Taiwan, I noticed something different.  My battery was so fully charged that nothing bothered me for a while.  Things that used to annoy me and drive me up the wall I just shrugged it off.  I was not in a good state before I left for the trip, I was kind of an emotional mess and I came back to the same problems, but I had a new perspective and I can deal with them better though nothing has changed, I have. I have new eyes to see my problems and I am more refreshed and balanced.  That's what play does.  It allows me to gain new perspectives.

Even though not many people can take long vacations like I just did in March, regular time away from work is so necessary.  I don't know why but people here in Taiwan are expected to work 7 days a week.  Stores here are open long hours, some 24/7. When a person is resting or doing something fun, it's often seen as "being lazy", and is frowned upon. I remembered that when I was little, my parents both worked all the time.  They barely had time to talk or sit with us unless they had to.  That's why I had such fond memories of typhoon days because everything is shut down, so we had time to relax in the storm.  My other good memory with my family is when my dad caught crabs, we took time to sit together as a family because crabs took a long time to eat.  Their other waking hours were mostly busy working when we were little.

I once read that meaningful work has to meet three criteria:

1) You are fit to do the work. it's something you are interested or good at. 

2) You derive a sense of success and meaning from the work.

3) There is not too much of it.

I was surprised by the third criteria.  No matter how meaningful and great the work is, we cannot do too much of it, or it stops being enjoyable.  It becomes a huge burden and pressure, and we are stressed out.  When too many responsibilities crowd around you, they become burdens.  when there are more demands on your time than you have hours in the day, the pressure weighs heavier and heavier.  You are weary, not only from all your labors, but from the weight of all that there is still left to do.  In order for work to not be "too much", we need to take time away from it.  Change the scenery, do something else, not think about it, take breaks from it.....etc.  

God set an example for us when He rested on the 7th day of the week.  He is God.  He doesn't need rest.  but He wants us to learn this pattern of taking one day off from work to rest, worship, and do recreational stuff.  He was the first one to rest.  And He wants you and me to rest, and to rest regularly.  The human body was made to work, then to rest.  the body was designed in such a way that it cannot properly rebuild itself unless it gets proper rest.  One of the best ways to eliminate fatigue and pressure is to stop work and take it easy.  The man or woman who doesn't rest sufficiently and regularly is not only punishing himself,  he is also going against the clear teaching of God.  

There are many ways to handle the pressure of work.  Some find some activities that they enjoy doing, whether it's making crafts or creating videos, as long as it's out of their normal work routine, and they have fun doing it.  I actually need a change of scenery.  Getting away even for a few hours does me a world of good.  I always needed to see some nature.  When I break the monotony of the normal routines, I feel differently, and tenseness begins to disappear.  I regularly go out to the river or ocean because I like water.  I found a new route to go to the church that I volunteer quite a bit.  Instead of the most direct way, I ride subway to the river and rode bike along the river to church.  It is so enjoyable, and I look forward to that.  I also like going to the beach early before the crowd appears, and I pick up some trash there.  It made me feel productive while enjoying the change of scenery.  And I get exercise.  

Once I get back, my mind is flooded with new thoughts, and I gain a better perspective.  Threatening things seem to shrink to their actual sizes.  You feel more compassion on the annoying people that tick you off.   You see new ways to handle situations.  In a sense, you are a new You minus pressure, a better YOU.  So, go ahead, add some fun and unproductive things on your schedule!  It will do you much good.