Let Off Some Steam
Work is where I find the most comfort, the most pleasure, and the most joy. It’s numbing, almost, to think that I’m typing this. But it’s truly where I am the happiest – finding a task that has a deadline, remotely connected to something I enjoy, and working away at it while putting in my best.
I figured this out late, but I was always a busy bee at school. If there PODs to do, House Meetings to organize, or something to participate in, I enrolled without a care. I’d check if my friends were participating only much later. Social prejudices rarely affected me. What also helped was that my parents were responsible for signing me up for things, so a lot of stuff was “do as directed” – including piano classes, UCMAS, and karate.
In comparison to several others, I woke up on weekends the same time that I used to wake up for school, and play “sports” for 4 hours. Then I’d go home and study. I think my parents just found it easier to deal with me when I was continuously occupied, because maybe I slept better when I was tired every single day.
That continued on to college, and I just kept grabbing at every opportunity that interested me, without a lot of care for how much time I got for myself. While it helped that I found time to do things I wanted to do, I still considered that “working on myself” for the longest time.
In March though, I slept for a week. Didn’t do anything post classes. That was blissful.
And that’s been a huge takeaway this year. That sometimes, beyond all else, it’s important to let off the steam & sleep a little. Prioritizing sleep is the greatest thing you can teach yourself.
Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
(I say this at 3AM, when it is work that is keeping me up.)
Tejas Rao 