This past holiday season, a co-worker and I built a rubber-band powered paper airplane. It took us several days of putting our engineering and scientific skills to the test, as we experimented with propeller shapes, materials, and sizes, rubber band dimensions, chassis development, paper folding techniques, and straw selection. In the end, though, we accomplished a very solid template for a reliable self-propelled airplane. I will get a video of the airplanes soon.
We also spent a good deal of time giggling like maniacs, because of course this kind of work is frowned upon at, well, work.
But during the building and designing, both of us got to flex mental and creative muscles we do not normally get to flex, but which are incredibly important to our jobs. He is a sales engineer, and must not only help customers engineer solutions, but must think on his feet and be very flexible. I have to analyze and create for my job as well, although less tangibly, and therefore must keep those skills sharp and well-oiled.
Additionally, my colleague and I had the rare chance to really size one another up, intellectually, analytically, and creatively. We got to see where the other one fell down, and where he or she excelled. It was a spontaneous team-building exercise without all of the corniness and much more efficient and fun.
So why are these types of forays into the absurd still so taboo? If companies like Google can allow their employees time to experiment and expand their minds, why can’t the regular Joe’s of Corporate America?
Frankly, I don’t know. What I do know is that the value of goofing off would be lost on those with their panties in a bind, regardless of the black-and-white numbers in front of their noses. No matter how many white papers and columns of figures I provide, my company will never, ever endorse rubber-band-guitar sing-alongs or paper airplane races.
That’s too bad for them. In the meantime, I’m going to giggle maniacally in my while I work on my next project: a house of cards made entirely of manila folders.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Does Corporate America Cause Mental Disorders?
I want a real, wholesome study on PLoS One to tell me whether living a stressed out, unsatisfied life in Corporate America actually causes mental disorders.
I see studies about stress and mental disorder (1), I see studies of stress and physical ailment (2). I see articles about workplace stress and mental health concerns (which, by the way, completely avoids the question of whether workplace stress could cause mental health concerns by saying that it is possible to have mental health concerns without workplace stress). or there's this one, that just says that a source of stress, which can make existing mental health worse, is work.
But I want to see a study.
I wonder if our rates of depression and anxiety have anything to do with jobs in cubicles. I would like to know what percentage of cubicle-dwellers are depressed. I mean really now.
I'll tell you some of my theories:
Lack of security. Corporate America is all about having a nice secure paycheck, right? Wrong! We all know that any day, regardless of how hard we worked or how well we did our jobs, we could get laid off. Whether it's a merger or a slow year, none of us is safe.
It's not personal--it's business. We spend most of our waking hours with these people, but it's "not personal". What a way to dehumanize anyone!
It's just not fair. We're surrounded by racism, sexism, and (other) unethical behaviors. In fact, at many companies, the people who are best at the Blame Game tend to rise to the top.
In Triplicate Let's say it together: bureaucracy. Nothing is more maddening than not being able to get anything done.
I could go on and on, but these four should be enough to start off a study. If anyone knows of a study, please comment so I can read it. I'd really appreciate it!
Update: What serendipity! It's not PLoS One, but yesterday (the day of the original post) the American Psychological Association released "Stress in America", which (ta-da!) reports that 70% of people are stressed about work. Slightly more are stressed out about money.
Let's look at that number: 70%. 7 in ten people. Let's pick you and the nine people sitting closest to you. Only three of them aren't stressed about work.
And guess how many people are dealing with their stress? By hiding at home watching TV and guzzling soda in between fistfuls of gummy worms (guilty!).
People, what are we doing to ourselves? Let's get this straight: we're choosing this for ourselves. It is totally possible to live off-the-grid or nearly so, and to pull utility expenses WAY down. By not doing these things, by participating in our very unhealthy materialistic culture, we are choosing to make ourselves sick.
Now you and I have a question to answer: what are you (what am I) going to do about it?
I see studies about stress and mental disorder (1), I see studies of stress and physical ailment (2). I see articles about workplace stress and mental health concerns (which, by the way, completely avoids the question of whether workplace stress could cause mental health concerns by saying that it is possible to have mental health concerns without workplace stress). or there's this one, that just says that a source of stress, which can make existing mental health worse, is work.
But I want to see a study.
I wonder if our rates of depression and anxiety have anything to do with jobs in cubicles. I would like to know what percentage of cubicle-dwellers are depressed. I mean really now.
I'll tell you some of my theories:
Lack of security. Corporate America is all about having a nice secure paycheck, right? Wrong! We all know that any day, regardless of how hard we worked or how well we did our jobs, we could get laid off. Whether it's a merger or a slow year, none of us is safe.
It's not personal--it's business. We spend most of our waking hours with these people, but it's "not personal". What a way to dehumanize anyone!
It's just not fair. We're surrounded by racism, sexism, and (other) unethical behaviors. In fact, at many companies, the people who are best at the Blame Game tend to rise to the top.
In Triplicate Let's say it together: bureaucracy. Nothing is more maddening than not being able to get anything done.
I could go on and on, but these four should be enough to start off a study. If anyone knows of a study, please comment so I can read it. I'd really appreciate it!
Update: What serendipity! It's not PLoS One, but yesterday (the day of the original post) the American Psychological Association released "Stress in America", which (ta-da!) reports that 70% of people are stressed about work. Slightly more are stressed out about money.
Let's look at that number: 70%. 7 in ten people. Let's pick you and the nine people sitting closest to you. Only three of them aren't stressed about work.
And guess how many people are dealing with their stress? By hiding at home watching TV and guzzling soda in between fistfuls of gummy worms (guilty!).
People, what are we doing to ourselves? Let's get this straight: we're choosing this for ourselves. It is totally possible to live off-the-grid or nearly so, and to pull utility expenses WAY down. By not doing these things, by participating in our very unhealthy materialistic culture, we are choosing to make ourselves sick.
Now you and I have a question to answer: what are you (what am I) going to do about it?
Life in Storage
Among the many gifts bestowed upon me by The Four Day Win by Martha Beck, PhD., my favorite has got to be talking to my inner child/right brain* through a writing exercise. In the exercise, after visualizing yourself as a child, you write down (with your dominant writing hand) a question for her, and with your nondominant hand, you write down her answer. There’s a lot of anger and profanity at first, (reminiscent of “automatic writing”, huh?), but after that dies down, there are some kernels of truth.
For me, the hardest kernel was this accusation: You put your life in storage.
That still drops me. I mean, hit me in the face and call it sunshine, that’s a freaking epiphany.
I really did put my life in storage. We all do. When we have a talent, or a gift, and we say to ourselves, “I’ll just put this away until ____ and then I’ll use it again,” or “I want to _____, but I’ll do it later,” or even “I’ll be happy when _____” what is all that but putting our talents in storage? For me, I always said, “I’ll live like they want me to until the kids are grown, and then I’ll pursue my dreams.” In fact, it started even earlier, when I wanted to be a writer but didn’t think I could support myself that way (circa second grade. Um, Mom and Dad? Not to point fingers or anything, but how does a second-grader get to evaluating her financial solvency in potential careers?).
Even rebellion is, in most cases, just putting our lives in storage. When we consciously rebel, we are often doing the exact opposite of what someone wants us to do, and specifically not doing what we want/need to do (I know there are exceptions, but think teenagers). The person with the expectation is still the one in control, not us. And we’re over there like, “Until they let me do what I want, I’ll show them.” But who’s got the power?
No, the person over there quietly doing what he/she wants to do without the theatrics is the one who is actually living.
So there we have it. Through youthful rebellion, to not-so-youthful “accepting responsibility” via cowing to the expectations of an abusive ex-, well-meaning family and friends, and society at large, and through the second stage of rebellion (from ex-), I put my life in storage.
I don’t know yet how much permanent harm was done. I do know that my life is a little dusty, but still seems to be there. There is hope that a good wash and a few coats of paint will liven it right up again.
There is hope.
*I will not be addressing the whole left brain/right brain debate. New information comes to light back and forth, including a recent (Nov ‘11, Dec ‘11, Jan ‘12?) edition of Scientific American I just read. You know what I mean by “right brain”, so work with me)
For me, the hardest kernel was this accusation: You put your life in storage.
That still drops me. I mean, hit me in the face and call it sunshine, that’s a freaking epiphany.
I really did put my life in storage. We all do. When we have a talent, or a gift, and we say to ourselves, “I’ll just put this away until ____ and then I’ll use it again,” or “I want to _____, but I’ll do it later,” or even “I’ll be happy when _____” what is all that but putting our talents in storage? For me, I always said, “I’ll live like they want me to until the kids are grown, and then I’ll pursue my dreams.” In fact, it started even earlier, when I wanted to be a writer but didn’t think I could support myself that way (circa second grade. Um, Mom and Dad? Not to point fingers or anything, but how does a second-grader get to evaluating her financial solvency in potential careers?).
Even rebellion is, in most cases, just putting our lives in storage. When we consciously rebel, we are often doing the exact opposite of what someone wants us to do, and specifically not doing what we want/need to do (I know there are exceptions, but think teenagers). The person with the expectation is still the one in control, not us. And we’re over there like, “Until they let me do what I want, I’ll show them.” But who’s got the power?
No, the person over there quietly doing what he/she wants to do without the theatrics is the one who is actually living.
So there we have it. Through youthful rebellion, to not-so-youthful “accepting responsibility” via cowing to the expectations of an abusive ex-, well-meaning family and friends, and society at large, and through the second stage of rebellion (from ex-), I put my life in storage.
I don’t know yet how much permanent harm was done. I do know that my life is a little dusty, but still seems to be there. There is hope that a good wash and a few coats of paint will liven it right up again.
There is hope.
*I will not be addressing the whole left brain/right brain debate. New information comes to light back and forth, including a recent (Nov ‘11, Dec ‘11, Jan ‘12?) edition of Scientific American I just read. You know what I mean by “right brain”, so work with me)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Polyvalent Mind Redux
Welcome to 2012!
Yes, another year, finding me still in my gray padded cell.
You know what (as a little aside here)? I like to use the British spelling of gray, "grey", and I'm going to, because it's my blog.
So There.
:-P
Anyway, another year, and I'm still in my gray padded cell called a corporate cubicle (thanks to Harry Potter movies for getting us Americans used to the idea that "cubicle" also means a bathroom stall). But I have made some progress, just not on my poor forlorn site.
So far, this past year, I managed to disentangle myself mostly from the soon-to-be-ex. I feel less pressure from him. I feel less like he is running my life. He's annoying me, to be sure, and in some cases still screwing with me, but he can't touch me. He can mess with my plans, but I'm in a safer place in my head. There are still physical concerns, and there always will be, but it's so much better.
I was re-reading some of my previous posts, and I think it's only fitting to mention how, looking back, I can see me doing so many things just because the Ogre wanted them done that way. I'm glad I make parenting decisions on my own now. I may get advice, but the decision is mine. I like that my kids don't have to be insecure or anxious around me, and that quiet moments of empathy and love just flow around us, just like loud racous moments of laughter. Life is so much brighter and free.
A note on the future (if I can find the "f" key on my keyboard. I don't know what a guture is, but I really want to type it): I am going to work on my writing. I always wanted to be a writer, but thought I could not make a living that way. It is long past me to at least try it. There is no point being beaten down before you even try. That makes them win.
Last year I was breaking free. This year I'm moving forward with my life.
It's going to be great.
Yes, another year, finding me still in my gray padded cell.
You know what (as a little aside here)? I like to use the British spelling of gray, "grey", and I'm going to, because it's my blog.
So There.
:-P
Anyway, another year, and I'm still in my gray padded cell called a corporate cubicle (thanks to Harry Potter movies for getting us Americans used to the idea that "cubicle" also means a bathroom stall). But I have made some progress, just not on my poor forlorn site.
So far, this past year, I managed to disentangle myself mostly from the soon-to-be-ex. I feel less pressure from him. I feel less like he is running my life. He's annoying me, to be sure, and in some cases still screwing with me, but he can't touch me. He can mess with my plans, but I'm in a safer place in my head. There are still physical concerns, and there always will be, but it's so much better.
I was re-reading some of my previous posts, and I think it's only fitting to mention how, looking back, I can see me doing so many things just because the Ogre wanted them done that way. I'm glad I make parenting decisions on my own now. I may get advice, but the decision is mine. I like that my kids don't have to be insecure or anxious around me, and that quiet moments of empathy and love just flow around us, just like loud racous moments of laughter. Life is so much brighter and free.
A note on the future (if I can find the "f" key on my keyboard. I don't know what a guture is, but I really want to type it): I am going to work on my writing. I always wanted to be a writer, but thought I could not make a living that way. It is long past me to at least try it. There is no point being beaten down before you even try. That makes them win.
Last year I was breaking free. This year I'm moving forward with my life.
It's going to be great.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)