In regard to my job, I don’t think I have submitted to “hedonic adaptation “ yet. After all, the first thing I blurt out when outsiders ask me the best thing about working in my school is, “Friday afternoons are FREE!” It’s something that I feel grateful for every week. But perhaps I could do more to remember myself of other perks, making use of a technique “concretely observe” as outlined in the chapter on Work and Money.

Okay, I do love that my school is so huge and bestowed with many interesting facilities, especially since I like watching. It helps me “feel a sense of privilege in your own work life”. Believe me, I know what I’m talking about. I have had the chance to work part-time in an underground bomb shelter; I wondered how people could work for years and years in a place without access to sunlight.

Gratitude musing aside, I learnt something new: the ultradian rhythm. “We cycle through ultradian stages every 90 mins (but no longer than 120 mins) during sleep. We contribute to experience these 90-to-120-min cycles while we are awake as well. At the end of that interval, however, we experience a 20-min period of fatigue, lethargy, and difficulty concentrating.”

Okay, teachers have little control over their work time, so I won’t know when my ultradian rhythms begin and stop. But I’m just gonna take it that after a two-hour lesson, it’s normal for me to experience “flagging focus”, so instead of just trying to power through and write an email, I should do something totally different to renew my energies. Perhaps I should schedule decluttering time or reading time into my timetable when term starts!

Having said that, I know I’m being too optimistic. On some days, I use up all my free periods to get that one important task done - because there is simply no way I can do it after dismissal. Sonja Lyimbomirsky has a recommendation that may fit the circumstances: “If we enjoy the struggle along the way, we will derive pleasure by simply pursuing our goal.” This is the second time this year I have come across “enjoy the struggle”. The first time was when I attended this dance workshop and heard accomplished dancers share about their journeys. I take it as a sign from the Universe that I should be less preoccupied with productivity and more focused on the process.

Lastly, I learnt that schlep naches is Yiddish for deriving pleasure from the achievement of others. Previously, I learnt that naches is a special joy derived from being a parent, so it’s cool to come across naches in another context. Reading compounds my knowledge haha.