Tired and out!

The age bar at work places has lowered considerably and office spaces today are filled with ambitious youngsters straight out of college eager to rise up the ladder fast. But,the initial salad days at the job quickly melt into mundane,long hours of work that leaves them drained and exhausted. ‘Once upon a time’ active players in literary circles,sports events,et al,their lives start revolving around their jobs and its entailing fatigue. Even when there is time,there is little motivation to pursue any interest or hobby. Neena George,a recruiter with Global Talent Track says,“I get just a Sunday off in a week and on that day I don’t feel like stepping out of the house. I sit around the house relaxing and watching television. I used to sing,especially as a part of the church choir,but now it has all fizzled out. My reading is too irregular to boast about. All the sedentary work is taking a toll on my body. Even though I have some time in the mornings for a short walk,I don’t feel up to anything.” Akshay Kumar,a software engineer in Patni says,“I used to regularly play football,but now things have changed. I still try to make the most of the time I have,but it is not always possible.”

Similar sentiments are echoed by many other professionals. Debashish Kanikdaley,a senior technical executive with a leading MNC says,”My Saturdays are spent sleeping. Sundays are for catching up with family and friends. Earlier I used to play badminton a lot,but now I have stopped it. My work schedule is too tight to pursue any major hobby.”

A creative famine seems to have hit the world of the corporate go-getters. The unhealthy long-hours spent in the office and the haphazard dietary habits compound the already bad problem. For the ones willing to dig in,the city has a lot of cultural respite to offer in the form of theater plays,nature walks,book clubs and art exhibitions. But these remain under-explored.

Kabir Kulkarni,who is a media professional two months into his job,admits “I used to love playing football with my friends on weekends,and would,from time to time,play the guitar with my friends. Since starting work,though,its increasingly becoming difficult for me now as I have little energy left after I come home. The mental pressure spills over and starts affecting me physically.”

Is this form of slacking off an effective de-stress? City-based career counselor and psychologist,Dr Sheela Vaidya says,“Right from our childhood,we have never been taught how to handle stress. Young people working today are under immense pressure to prove themselves,and in this process their physical and emotional well-being is being given the short shrift. There is very little physical exercise as it is easier to indulge in passive entertainment like going to the cinema.”

The norm now is to ‘hang out’ with friends in crowded restaurants,malls and pubs,which give the mind little breathing space. It then becomes a vicious circle of stress which induces a constant sense of being at sea. All the frustration needs a constructive vent to dissipate.

Dr Vaidya counsels,“There is a lot of loneliness amongst the youth nowadays. Spending time with family and friends and sharing one’s thoughts is an excellent way to even out stress. Even simple games like carom can help one relax. We should confront the problems we are facing instead of spending time and money in escapism. There are many ways in which one can overcome day-to-day frustrations,we just need to explore more.”

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