Thursday, November 19, 2015

Exericising Mental Work

I think that part of my problem with work is how long it takes and how tired it makes me. I spend so much time and energy working that I get fed up with the whole idea of work.

It's strange that I get tired of school work, but I don't similarly tired of physical work. When I run, climb, clean, or even shovel dirt or rocks, sure I get tired, but I don't get tired of the idea of doing those things. I have to stop to rest sometimes, but I never feel like quitting.

Perhaps that's because I've had enough physical exercise that I can do physical work without getting as tired as social or mental work makes me. I'm strong enough, physically, to do physical work efficiently, which means that it takes me less time and energy to do physical work, so I don't get tired of it as quickly.

It may be that all I need to do to make mental work less taxing for me is to practice it, to exercise it. If I approach mental work the same way I might approach physical exercise, maybe I'll become mentally stronger and faster, so I can do mental work faster and with less effort, giving me more time, and less need, to rest from it.

While I had thought I had been over-working myself, or that I had bitten off more than I could chew, it's possible that I had just burned myself out from a strong mental workout and needed time to let my mental muscles rest. If that's the case, then I don't really need to look forward to a time when I can rest forever. As I grow stronger, mentally, my school work will become less taxing for me, and I'll be able to do it without burning myself out or taking all night and feeling like I want to quit.

1 comment:

motherof8 said...

I come home exhausted from my job which is not at all physical. Mental work is tiring. Taking a brief mental vacation helps. Sometimes playing games, but even better, doing a bit of meditation or imaging. Mixing mental work with physical work/activity can help.

It still remains that mental work can be hard work.

I think you are right that we can strengthen our mental muscles, but I think we will perhaps always need mental rest and recreation. Remember the 7th day.