Yes, this is exactly how I felt when I began a job working in a warehouse last year! I went from many years working as a medical transcriptionist while my kids were growing (this job made me want to pull my hair out because it was constant sitting in front of a screen, with nothing tangible to show for it), to teaching French for about a decade to middle and high schoolers (lots more physicality to this job, of course, but still lots of time in front of a computer), to starting a temporary job working for Brandon Sanderson in his warehouse last year! It was a unique opportunity and I decided to jump on it, yet had no idea the satisfaction that it would bring, as I began packing pallet after pallet of his books (the secret novels that he wrote during Covid, producing the world's most successful kickstarter campaign). At first, it was a bit tedious and slow for me, but over time, I began to appreciate more and more, the feeling of accomplishment when I looked at how many books I'd packed, ready to be delivered to eager fans. And learning how to use a pallet jack, and wrap pallets of mail, and and break down boxes and hurl them into recycling bins, and keep the warehouse stocked and organized. It was bewildering to me in those first months, the level of satisfaction that came from doing these seemingly menial tasks, but over time, I began to gain a deeper understanding for the mind/body connection, and the understandable reasons for the feel-good work that I was doing. Not to mention the fact that for many of these hours, my thoughts were mine for the exploring, and I was able to think and imagine and dream to my heart's content. Thanks for your thoughts, Katherine, as it's helped me to articulate my own as well! =)
Yes, this is exactly how I felt when I began a job working in a warehouse last year! I went from many years working as a medical transcriptionist while my kids were growing (this job made me want to pull my hair out because it was constant sitting in front of a screen, with nothing tangible to show for it), to teaching French for about a decade to middle and high schoolers (lots more physicality to this job, of course, but still lots of time in front of a computer), to starting a temporary job working for Brandon Sanderson in his warehouse last year! It was a unique opportunity and I decided to jump on it, yet had no idea the satisfaction that it would bring, as I began packing pallet after pallet of his books (the secret novels that he wrote during Covid, producing the world's most successful kickstarter campaign). At first, it was a bit tedious and slow for me, but over time, I began to appreciate more and more, the feeling of accomplishment when I looked at how many books I'd packed, ready to be delivered to eager fans. And learning how to use a pallet jack, and wrap pallets of mail, and and break down boxes and hurl them into recycling bins, and keep the warehouse stocked and organized. It was bewildering to me in those first months, the level of satisfaction that came from doing these seemingly menial tasks, but over time, I began to gain a deeper understanding for the mind/body connection, and the understandable reasons for the feel-good work that I was doing. Not to mention the fact that for many of these hours, my thoughts were mine for the exploring, and I was able to think and imagine and dream to my heart's content. Thanks for your thoughts, Katherine, as it's helped me to articulate my own as well! =)