Or: How I didn't stop worrying and haven't learned to love stress
My second day of classes following Spring Break has drawn to a close (at least the class part of it) and I'm already on track for a tremendous fiery crash. Student group events I'm supposed to organize all of a sudden, study groups that want outlines, normal class madness and an unhealthy dollop of out-of-town, shoulda been out-of mind drama have all swarmed over the last 48 hours.
But it only gets worse from here on out. Finals are coming.
Therein lies the problem. Young lawyers who bill 2200 hours a year have far, far more work than I do at the moment. They go to more meetings than I do. Some of them even have wives, children and pets. The nature of their work is far more technical and hard to understand than the stuff I have on my plate at the moment. If the sort of pile-on I'm trying to climb out from under right now is enough to make me standoffish and otherwise visibly disturbed, I have no shot at keeping my cool when a bonus is up for grabs.
"Have you tried exercise?" Yes. Seven days a week. I'd probably be dead without it. Still, it's not enough.
"Have you tried improving your diet?" Yes. Every day, from the moment I wake up, all I want is a gigantic Five Guys burger slathered in ketchup and fried onions. Still, I stick to salad, cottage cheese and Lean Cuisine. I take my vitamins.
"Have you tried meditation?" If you know me (and I have the feeling that this blog's readership is about 80% people who know me), you'll understand why that's a stupid idea.
"Have you tried dropping out?" F*ck you.
I have to break something to you. 2,200 hours a year is the equivalent of a 42 hour work week. You're looking at much more of a 4,100 hour year....
Hate to state the obvious...
You need sex.
No, that's 2200 billable hours. You work a lot more than you bill, generally.
Lean Cuisine is so bad for you, no wonder you're cranky! It's low in calories but also in nutrition, and high in preservatives and fake stuff. Limit to two or three a week, maximum! (EasyMac with tuna is a much better alternative)
Don't even get me started on how awful tuna is for you.
My friend's 1L girlfriend just went on anti-anxiety meds.
That's encouraging. I can't wait for the opportunity to turn from a spaz to a zombie.
If you're trying to control calories, might I suggest South Beach's maintenence stage: basically, if it's white, don't eat it (other than cauliflower and perhaps plain cabbage) or eat it very sparingly, realizing that you just ate something that is going to make you hungrier, sooner. Only whole grain bread, loads of green veggies, fruit (not fruit juice), lean meat and stay the hell away from beer (drink wine). Beer is an occasional treat.
I'm on the whole program for Lent and have lost 10 lbs that just wouldn't go away any other way (well, and I gave up alcohol for Lent, too, and that part sucks WAY more). I have about five more pounds I'd love to ditch, so I'm still in the second phase. It's not horrible, but you do have to cook sometimes. I cook a bunch of stuff at once and freeze portions to get me through the week. I know you know how to follow recipes. I feel pretty good, too (probably the result of not being able to eat any of the pre-processed crap available at the American grocery store on post).