So I just took a job as a dean of a very large department. I’ve been repeatedly recruited to take the position over the last seven years, but avoided it because it’s stressful and the hours/responsibilities require far more commitment than professoring.
Due to some difficult life circumstances and burnout from 16 years of teaching (though I’m still a good teacher), the previous six years have been very stressful and anxiety-producing, though I have felt somewhat better the last eight months.
Here’s the weird thing: I instantly felt great the moment I assumed the job. Sure, there’s stress involved, but my anxiety level and clarity of thought have taken a huge and positive leap. I vowed I would never take another 9-5 job after several decades of slogging through corporate life and the years of professorial freedom, but here I am.
Maybe I’ve needed more structure and new challenges that teaching doesn’t really hold anymore. I know there will be future day(s) where I’ll curse myself for taking this job, but for now I’m just . . . happy
Sounds to me that the type of work is better for throwing up challenges that you can knock down for constant little boosts, as opposed to the sort of stresses teaching throws up that, I dunno, maybe aren’t as easily solved.
Is the reduced stress due to all your (life) stress being focused more at work? (I didn’t phrase that well, but I can’t find a better way to word it).
My wife’s company was bought by Mega-Corp-From-Hell a year ago, and their apparent goal is to wring all productivity out of employees until they collapse or quit. The constant increases in demands were actually causing some to break down in tears during meetings.
Oddly enough, mizPullin has become strangely calm now. When I asked about the new Zen attitude, she explained thusly: “It’s not possible to achieve all their goals, and they refuse to prioritize them. Since I cannot succeed, I no longer need to worry about failing.”
After frantic 60-70 hour weeks attempting to handle the workload, she’s now an “Out at 5:00” employee.
I had a job like that once and when I actually said out loud “The worst thing that can happen is they fire me and I wouldn’t mind that right now” everything else became much easier.
