I would like to start by mentioning my observation of a former colleague of mine who seemed immune to stress and boredom. In fact, I never saw him feeling stressed or getting bored for a moment no matter the amount or nature of the work he did, and he always worked more than any of other colleagues. He was ready to take on more assignments even while he was already having high doses of work, and this sometimes made some co-workers uncomfortable. To them he was someone looking for some special favor from the management. He did get some favor as a reward for his extra hard-work, but as a matter of fact, the guy enjoyed doing his work.
What I first noticed about him is his organization and focus at work. It then occurred to me that if one can organize one’s work – strategically plan and arrange or list the tasks to be executed in order of priority – and keep focused on getting the job done, one can organize the mind and make it harmonious. And a harmonious mind is a stress-free mind, as the work becomes a means of enjoyment and happiness. This explains why this man worked harder and faster without experiencing stress or boredom.
Another thing is his readiness to take more assignments even those other workers were unwilling to take complaining they had had enough. And instead of worrying about the enormous work he had to do, he just went ahead with the work. He gave no room for anxiety and worry. This make me understand that if one has got so many accumulated works to do that seem like the Mount Everest, one should not worry about the amount and complexity of the overall work, as this could lead to anxiety and confusion. And anxiety kills the motivation thereby minimizes the performance. It might also cause one to get stressed too early even before starting the work.
Although no one can prevent anxiety from occurring if its conditions are met, it is possible to decide how long it lasts – but it’s just a few that know how or learn to do this. The key is to develop a solution seeking mindset. Instead of letting oneself to be overcome and depressed by anxiety one should focus the mind on seeking a way out it. One should find the causes and analyze them. What are the factors that result to this anxiety? Are they those one can do something about? If yes one should go ahead and do something about them, otherwise one should accept that there is nothing one can do about them. This serves as the evidence that helps to neutralize the effects of these factors any time they resurface. And if no apparent causes could be identified, especially in the case of anxiety disorder, one should not forget not to worry as worry will only aggravate the condition. This serves as first aid – it keeps the condition at a manageable level till the necessary treatment is found.
I could now recall from my own experiences at work, the moment I enjoy most is when I am well organized and focused - not attempting to do everything at the same time however urgent they might seem - and disallow anxiety and worry from taking root in my mind. I just have to assure myself that I can only work within my capacity but I would try to do the first thing first and I would not allow myself to worry about the complexities and difficulties the task may entail. Instead I would gather myself up and channel my energy on carrying out the task and keep focused on it with the determination to give it my best. As a result my mind gets organized and harmonious, and the feeling is both pleasuring and satisfying. This keeps stress and boredom at bay.
The aforementioned method can be applied to all kind of tasks whether in businesses, household chores, learning, sports, or even hobbies. And it can change a boring task to an enjoyable and fulfilling one since there are new ways of doing things which can be discovered when focusing. The method also helps to save time – the time that would have been wasted on worrying and on correcting the inconsistencies that might have occurred due to lack of organization and focus. Therefore, there is enough time to rest and for leisure.
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