Managing Stress: Tips and Strategies for a Healthier Mind and Body

[radou]

I was just wondering, what do you people do to reduce stress/nervousness? I mean, the stress is a standard part of life, some experience more of it, and some less, but I guess we all tend to get nervous often when we should not. (I know this may sound like an uninspired article from a trash trivia magazine, but I can't help it.)

I use to take walks, which relaxes me and keeps me focued on things I have to do and somehow clears my thoughts.

In general, I believe people who have any kind of routine physical occupation (like sport, primarily) tend to handle stress easier, since our bodies aren't created to sit in front of computers and work all day long.

Anyway, in conclusion, it's great to have some type of 'exhaustion-vent', so I'm interested to hear what yours are.

 

[moose]

Mine changes as what I do changes. Over the summer I didn't have a job and didn't work out all the time or anything. I was pretty active, but nothing extreme. What I did then was go on walks.

I now have a job in which I often do physical activity and stay standing all day. To relax and get rid of stress I either go for a drive or sit down and listen to music in the dark.

Hanging out with certain friends has always worked. This seems to be especially true with friends who are girls...

 

[radou]

Hanging out with certain friends has always worked. This seems to be especially true with friends who are girls...

True, there are people who simply can't make you nervous.

Btw, same here, driving is okay, too.

 

[moose]

True, there are people who simply can't make you nervous.

Yeah, these are the people that when you talk to them, you forget about the rest of the world. Over the span of a few hours you can forget that other people even exist and are going about their day around you.

 

[radou]

Yeah, these are the people that when you talk to them, you forget about the rest of the world. Over the span of a few hours you can forget that other people even exist and are going about their day around you.

Then again, such people are rare. So, the more of them you know, the better. Although, it is, of course, completely relative. To someone else they can be the most annoying people in the world.

 

[Cyrus]

What do you mean by stress?

 

[radou]

What do you mean by stress?

Nervousness, anxiety, etc. The common things.

 

[Evo]

Stress is killing me. I do have someone that listens to me whine every night, so that's a big stress reducer. Comimg here and talking to good people like you reduces stress.

Petting my cat and dog reduces stress.

 

[radou]

Stress is killing me. I do have someone that listens to me whine every night, so that's a big stress reducer.

Well, that's a great thing. I bet there are lots of people who only can whine to themselves, which leads to bad things in the end.

Comimg here and talking to good people like you reduces stress.

Same here, again.

 

[gravenewworld]

I punch the crap out of my heavy bag at my house for about 1 hour. Man is that a good work out. Every other day I also run 5 miles. Everday I usually lift weights for a little bit too. I also like to play video games.

 

[radou]

I punch the crap out of my heavy bag at my house for about 1 hour. Man is that a good work out. Every other day I also run 5 miles. Everday I usually lift weights for a little bit too. I also like to play video games.

I always wanted to have a punching bag, but it's one of those things you want all the time but never actually purchase.

Running/jogging rules. But you have to have the will to keep it up. I used to do some jogging in some time intervals (since my appartment is near the city park), but never made it frequent enough to consider it as a relaxing activity.

 

[Cyrus]

Nervousness, anxiety, etc. The common things.

Oh, I don't get those things.

 

[Moonbear]

Why would you want to get rid of stress?! It's what makes life exciting and keeps people productive. I'd never get anything accomplished if it weren't for the stress of deadlines looming. Without stress, life would be boring.

If you react negatively to stress to the point where it's harmful (feeling sick, high blood pressure, etc), and you can't otherwise convince yourself that things will manage to get done to relax more, then the only way to rid yourself of the stress is to rid yourself of the stressor. Get the job done that's looming, rearrange your schedule to fit things in better or eliminate things that are consuming too much time, ask for help on things that are too much to do on your own, etc. The best way to manage stress is to delegate the tasks that are causing your stress to others. If you are the one everyone is delegating to, then you could look forward to the day when you move up and can delegate to others.

 

[russ_watters]

To me there is a difference between pressure and stress, just as a pat on the head is different from a slap across the face. Pressure (as in a deadline) motivates you to focus, stress reduces productivity because you spend time/energy worrying about the deadline instead of doing the work.

Maybe its just a definition thing - to me, those harmful effects you listed are what stress is.

 

[russ_watters]

...according to the dictionary:

7. Physiology. a specific response by the body to a stimulus, as fear or pain, that disturbs or interferes with the normal physiological equilibrium of an organism.
8. physical, mental, or emotional strain or tension: Worry over his job and his wife's health put him under a great stress.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/stress

It seems to me then that stress is, by definition, a negative thing, though definition #8 is a little vague about it.

Anyway, stress makes me physically and emotionally tired. I sleep when I'm feeling stressed, which while better than drinking or doing drugs, but can be destructive, especially if it is a deadline that is causing the stress.

 

[Moonbear]

To me there is a difference between pressure and stress, just as a pat on the head is different from a slap across the face. Pressure (as in a deadline) motivates you to focus, stress reduces productivity because you spend time/energy worrying about the deadline instead of doing the work.

Maybe its just a definition thing - to me, those harmful effects you listed are what stress is.

I just take that all as different degrees of the same thing. I was almost going to answer Cyrus' question of what stress is by defining it as being under pressure. But, don't worry, even those who study "stress" can't always agree upon their definitions.

What always amazes me is how two people can be given equal responsibilities and pressures, and one will find the challenge invigorating and immediately buckle down to do it, and the other will be overwhelmed and panicking over all the work they have to do. And, of course, there are also people who you want to tell, "If you spent as much time doing the work as you spend complaining about the work, it would be done by now."

 

[Moonbear]

It seems to me then that stress is, by definition, a negative thing, though definition #8 is a little vague about it.

You posted that while I was still working on the other reply.

The bad side of "stress" is really more distress, or to overreact, or fail to adapt after a brief stressful event. It's basically the "flight or fight" physiological response gone haywire. In a physiological context, this reaction is a good thing if you're being attacked and your life is in danger, but if you're having the same reaction to something mild, like a deadline for paperwork, then it's a bad thing.

 

[gravenewworld]

I am actually lucky, since my job really gives me 0 stress. The most stress comes from driving to and from work.

 

[Astronuc]

I was just wondering, what do you people do to reduce stress/nervousness? I mean, the stress is a standard part of life, some experience more of it, and some less, but I guess we all tend to get nervous often when we should not. (I know this may sound like an uninspired article from a trash trivia magazine, but I can't help it.)

I use to take walks, which relaxes me and keeps me focued on things I have to do and somehow clears my thoughts.

In general, I believe people who have any kind of routine physical occupation (like sport, primarily) tend to handle stress easier, since our bodies aren't created to sit in front of computers and work all day long.

Anyway, in conclusion, it's great to have some type of 'exhaustion-vent', so I'm interested to hear what yours are.

I must thrive on stress/pressure because I can't seem to get enough.

A good sense of humor works.

I take walks, and in fact, I need to exercise or 'blow the carbon out of my cylinders' once in a while, or I just don't feel right.

Actually, I have been ordered to take vacation this year since I have maxed out my accrued vacation - a first at the company. Last year was so hectic, I couldn't take time off, and this year I am committed more than 110% according to our group leader. On the other hand, I think there is a good chance we'll be hiring another friend of mine and former coworker, who will be able to help pick up some of the work. As it is, we asking clients to defer some projects and we are almost turning work away.

In the evenings, I read ancient history and particpate in PF. When it's warmer, I look at stars.

During the summer, I garden or do some outdoor activity.

 

[Astronuc]

I do have someone that listens to me whine every night, so that's a big stress reducer.

Then you're practically married.

That is so much better done in person. HINT!

 

[moose]

Oh, I don't get those things.

Do you want me to pull up the five or so threads which would seem to disprove that statement?

 

[radou]

Oh, I don't get those things.

Then you're not human.

Joke aside, if you're telling the trouth, I envy you.

Why would you want to get rid of stress?! It's what makes life exciting and keeps people productive. I'd never get anything accomplished if it weren't for the stress of deadlines looming. Without stress, life would be boring.

True to some point. But then again, there are people who don't function specially good under pressure & stress (we're streching the terms in all possible directions now, but I'll assume the point is always clear enough). Luckily enough, I don't fit into that group of people, since I often (although I'm trying to get rid of that) tend to do things just before deadlines, etc. And it always works out good. But when I accomplish what I have to, I get headaches (almost always after exams, for example). So, there's always a way our organism reacts, no matter how good the stress influences us in the 'productive' sense.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

The difference between noradrenaline and adrenaline is the difference between how some people relate to stress, my best advice, don't fight it, work with it not against it. Stress exists as a survival mechanism to tell you when to stop and think and to keep you functioning better in fearful situations, but if you spend all your time stressed out, then this is unhealthy. Take a break do some breathing excercises, then resume the rat race.

Remember though.

The trouble with the rat race is even if you win you're still a rat

Meditation is brilliant for stress relief, after an hour of that no one is stressed.

 

[J77]

A nice bottle of red.

Though I never need stress as an excuse

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

A nice bottle of red.

Though I never need stress as an excuse

I had a bottle of Californian Cabernet Stress as an excuse last night

 

[radou]

A nice bottle of red.

Though I never need stress as an excuse

I had a bottle of Californian Cabernet Stress as an excuse last night

Wow, you guys are more sophisticated than I am. My excuse is almost always a can of beer.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

Wow, you guys are more sophisticated than I am. My excuse is almost always a can of beer.

The only difference between wine and beer is that it tastes better, they are both a means to an end , the wine snobbery is a class thing, wine is wine, good and bad just like beer is beer

I am always super stressed at this time of year, I have SAD, but I'm so used to it I don't let it affect me personally, in about 2 months I'll start feeling much better. When you have something that makes you incredidiblly stressed for no reason to the point where your housebound without medication, it kind of puts it in perspective I once was so stressed I couldn't sleep for 72 hours, at which point I started hallucinating because of sleep deprivation

 

[radou]

I am always super stressed at this time of year, I have SAD, but I'm so used to it I don't let it affect me personally, in about 2 months I'll start feeling much better. When you have something that makes you incredidiblly stressed for no reason to the point where your housebound without medication, it kind of puts it in perspective I once was so stressed I couldn't sleep for 72 hours, at which point I started hallucinating because of sleep deprivation

You should hybernate over winter, like bears do.

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

You should hybernate over winter, like bears do.

I used to: one time I couldn't be bothered to get off my bed to get a glass of water as it was too much effort and my voice went all slurred. Apparently there's a new treatment where injections of melatonin are used at certain times of day to reset your body clock, because it's still in bear mode. I get by on a light box and strong medication now

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/sad-melatonin.cfm

Most Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) symptoms stem from daily body rhythms that have gone out-of-sync with the sun, a NIMH-funded study has found. The researchers propose that most patients will respond best to a low dose of the light-sensitive hormone melatonin in the afternoon in addition to bright light in the morning. Rhythms that have lost their bearings due to winter's late dawn and early dusk accounted for 65 percent of SAD symptoms; re-aligning them explained 35 percent of melatonin's antidepressant effect in patients with delayed rhythms, the most common form of SAD, report NIMH grantee Alfred Lewy, M.D., Ph.D., and colleagues at the Oregon Health & Science University, online, April 28, 2006, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

SAD affects many people in northern latitudes in winter, especially young women, and is usually treated with bright light in the morning. The pineal gland, located in the middle of the brain, responds to darkness by secreting melatonin, which re-sets the brain's central clock and helps the light/dark cycle re-set the sleep/wake cycle and other daily rhythms. Lewy and colleagues pinpointed how rhythms go astray in SAD and how they can be re-set by taking melatonin supplements at the right time of day. The findings strengthen the case for daily rhythm mismatches as the cause of SAD.

The researchers tracked sleep, activity levels, melatonin rhythms and depression symptoms of 68 SAD patients who took either low doses of melatonin or a placebo in the morning or afternoon for a winter month when they were most symptomatic. They had determined from healthy subjects that a person's rhythms are synchronized when the interval between the time the pineal gland begins secreting melatonin and the middle of sleep is about 6 hours.

Seventy-one percent of the SAD patients had intervals shorter than 6 hours, indicating that their rhythms were delayed due to the later winter dawn. Taking melatonin capsules in the afternoon lengthened their intervals, bringing their rhythms back toward normal. The closer their intervals approached the ideal 6 hours, the more their mood improved on depression rating scales, supporting the hypothesized link between out-of-sync rhythms and SAD.

"SAD may be the first psychiatric disorder in which a physiological marker correlates with symptom severity before, and in the course of, treatment in the same patients," explained Lewy, referring to patients' rhythm shifts towards the 6 hour interval in response to melatonin.

Taking melatonin at the correct time of day — afternoon for patients with short intervals and morning for the 29 percent of patients with long intervals — more than doubled their improvement in depression scores, compared to taking a placebo or the hormone at the incorrect time. While the study was not designed to test the efficacy of melatonin treatment, the researchers suggest that its clinical benefit "appears to be substantial, although not as robust as light treatment." They propose that the 6-hour interval index may be useful for analyzing the circadian components of non-seasonal depression and other sleep and psychiatric disorders.

Also participating in the study were: Bryan Lefler, Jonathan Emens, Oregon Health and Science University, and Vance Bauer, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research.

The circadian basis of winter depression. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Apr 28.

 

[mush999]

call in sick to work

 

[quantumdude]

Heh. When I first read the thread title, I thought it said, "Your fight against trees". Made me think of Maddox talking about man's constant stuggle of "winning the war against nature".

 

[Moonbear]

call in sick to work

That works too.

 

[Dr Transport]

Stress is killing me. I do have someone that listens to me whine every night, so that's a big stress reducer. Comimg here and talking to good people like you reduces stress.

Petting my cat and dog reduces stress.

Momma (my bestest friend and spouse) is good for me, she listens to me b****, complain and everything else. If I complain to her, then the kids and animals do not get caught in the cross-fire. My puppy-chow brings his leash to me and we run, run, run until we are both tired, then go back to the house.

Of course, two cold ones in a can and PF works to help put everything in perspective.

 

[Moonbear]

Do you want me to pull up the five or so threads which would seem to disprove that statement?

He doesn't get stressed, but he's a carrier.

 

[mathwonk]

as a professor, the stress comes from grading, listening to excuses, sitting in meetings, not making enough money to pay bills, driving to work, noise, air pollution, my wife and i both having cancer, etc...

but the fun of thinking about the math to present in class, learning it, reshaping it, understanding it, and actually presenting it, relieves stress.

so i try to focus on the math as much as possible. I share my buddy's feeling, i.e. math holds my molecules together. and i enjoy posting here.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm sorry to hear about your health problems, mathwonk.

 

[mathwonk]

Thank you. I'd noticed over the years a lot of people have health problems, but I still assumed my family would not have any. Considering the large number of these among my friends, at ages much younger than our parents, I am wondering if our environment, food, water, air, is failing us. Perhaps it is foolish to poison it wholesale after all. Nonetheless our leaders seem still committed to taking bribes to allow the destruction of the earth.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I think the day for change has come. There is a distinct shift in popular thinking that I've been noticing, especially since 911, so I find myself feeling very hopeful; not for me of course, I'm old , but for the kids.

The questions are how much, and how soon?

 

[Schrodinger's Dog]

call in sick to work

I'm not sure who you directed this at but...

I'm on a final warning for time off sick due to asthma, your immune system tends to go to pot too, so I get asthma, luckily only in the winter and only when it's cold, and what do you know it's very warm this year.

Not a good idea

EDIT: you are not going to believe this but...I can't work today as all the trains are canceled from my station and in the direction I need to go. ironic or what.

 

[mathwonk]

school was canceled at uga today too for weather but i am never sure why.

when i was a grad student at brandeis one winter it snowed heavily and i bundled up and walked and hitch hiked the 14 miles to brandeis from cambridge only to find school was closed so the stduents would not have to walk to class from their dorms?

or maybe i drove my old vw bug - they are really good snow cars.

 

[Moonbear]

Hmm...I never considered things like grading to be stressful. Boring, yeah, but not stressful. Meetings aren't stressful either...they're a nice break when I can sit down and not be bugged. The excuses are annoying, but they're only stressful if you listen to them...or at least the whiney, baseless ones. Actually, in general, teaching is my stress relief. It's something that's just fun to do. It's writing the grant proposals and trying to jump the hoops through the university administration to get all the signatures required by the artificial internal deadlines to get them in by the real deadline knowing full well what a slim chance there is of getting funding after all that effort that's stressful to me. Fortunately, I have a dept chair who understands reality and assumes no grant will get funded on the first try (so it's a treat if it does), which takes off some of that pressure. And, then I enjoy the part of sitting down and focusing on very little else other than coming up with new experiments. So, it all balances out. I think, overall, it's hard to get stressed when you love your job.

Sorry to hear about your health troubles, though, mathwonk. Dealing with cancer, especially when it's both you and your wife at the same time, is definitely stressful...and downright scary.

 

[mathwonk]

im not scared of dying, only of not being able to fulfill my responsibilities. but my kids are raised, and my house is almost paid for.

still going through the "cure" process is stressful. my wifes chemo is over and if I am lucky ill avoid chemo myself. that will be nice.

ive noticed that i much prefer a life threatening disease that does not hurt, to a debilitating disability. when i was in a wheelchair a few years back, i felt very depressed, but having cancer and being able to walk is ok. i feel more productive, but it does weigh on my mind.

its kind of weird to think of leaving here before learning all the beautiful math that's out there, and solving few more problems, and writing up the rest of my notes. and learning classical guitar, and learning to speak a few more languages, and watch my kids grow up.

it gives you a certain freedom from procrastination though. like we are definitely going back to hawaii this summer. no reason to wait. i am also trying to be less impatient with people here and elsewhere, i.e. what's the point?.

 

[Monique]

I think, overall, it's hard to get stressed when you love your job.

Not when the work becomes very demanding, like getting primary cellines that are the most important thing in the world and having anxiety/stress that something will go wrong and you can't get them back. Added stress is having a million other things that need to be done first. So, actually, loving your job creates the stress: otherwise you just wouldn't care

I recently saw a show by Ray Meares on Discovery Channel about survival in the wild and what make a person a surviver (everyone is a potential victim, not everyone is a potential surviver). It struck me what he said: a surviver tackles his survival with little tasks and doesn't see survival as a single large task. A victim sees survival as a single large task, is overwhelmed by it and just gives up.

That helped me with my everyday work, I just take a deep breath and look what needs to be done first and make a list of tasks that still need to be done. Going through the list and crossing everything out that has been done really is a stress reliever

 

[radou]

Considering the large number of these among my friends, at ages much younger than our parents, I am wondering if our environment, food, water, air, is failing us. Perhaps it is foolish to poison it wholesale after all. Nonetheless our leaders seem still committed to taking bribes to allow the destruction of the earth.

Mathwonk, as anyone else here, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your and your wife's health. Speaking of the quoted thought above, I agree, and, as a matter of fact, I'm even scared to think about it.

 

[Moonbear]

Not when the work becomes very demanding, like getting primary cellines that are the most important thing in the world and having anxiety/stress that something will go wrong and you can't get them back. Added stress is having a million other things that need to be done first. So, actually, loving your job creates the stress: otherwise you just wouldn't care

I appreciate that point, that you have to care about something to get stressed over it. Though, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of keeping the stress from getting overwhelming. There are things you worry about, and things that go wrong, but there are also enough rewarding parts of the job that compensate for it and keep the anxiety from crippling you. Part of it is also learning to let go and accepting that things WILL go wrong, and you'll just deal with it as it happens rather than worry about it before it happens. Be as careful as you can be, but if you're at home and should be relaxing/sleeping, there is nothing you can do about those cells in the lab, and if something goes wrong overnight, worrying about it all night won't make it any easier to deal with it when you arrive in the morning. You just

Incidentally, it's interesting you mention the anxiety part of it. We were discussing a paper on stress in journal club yesterday, and the point was raised about both anxiety and depression being related to "stress." Apparently, there's an RFA currently out for proposals to study the relationship between anxiety and depression with stress. The issue also was raised about food intake and stress...the idea that some people will eat when stressed and others become anorexic during stress.

And something really interesting I learned during the journal club is that a number of groups are now proposing that habituation to stressors (after you see the same stressor many times, no longer reacting to it as a stress once you realize no real harm comes of it...something that people with PTSD can't do) may be related to learning/memory. In other words, you have to learn that the experience isn't life threatening, and that each time it happens it will go away again too, in order to adapt and not be stressed every time that happens. Sort of the difference between grad students getting stressed out by their experiment not working, and their faculty mentor remaining calm and saying, "That's research; go get some rest and try again tomorrow." However, there are a lot of unresolved questions related to that. First, is it really that an impairment of learning impairs habituation to stress, or is it that a strong stressor (or an overreaction to stressors) impairs learning (i.e., which is the cause and which is the effect). And, if there is an impairment in learning, is it a specific type of learning?

We used to say to each other when I was in grad school, "Stress makes you stupid." We were pretty aware that it was really hard to remember stuff and commit it to long-term memory if you were trying to learn it while stressed (you might be able to cram enough to remember short term for an exam, but you wouldn't retain it long).

 

[Monique]

I appreciate that point, that you have to care about something to get stressed over it. Though, I guess I was thinking more along the lines of keeping the stress from getting overwhelming.

I guess that is true in terms of depression, when you like the job you are not in an endless situation and are more likely to look at the bright side.

Part of it is also learning to let go and accepting that things WILL go wrong, and you'll just deal with it as it happens rather than worry about it before it happens. Be as careful as you can be, but if you're at home and should be relaxing/sleeping, there is nothing you can do about those cells in the lab, and if something goes wrong overnight, worrying about it all night won't make it any easier to deal with it when you arrive in the morning.

You can worry about a lot of things that will loom over you, which goes beyond a single experiment. I don't know anyone who has received special primary celllines, but I'd like to know what kind of stress they feel over it. Actually losing the line would be a disaster.

Incidentally, it's interesting you mention the anxiety part of it. We were discussing a paper on stress in journal club yesterday, and the point was raised about both anxiety and depression being related to "stress." Apparently, there's an RFA currently out for proposals to study the relationship between anxiety and depression with stress. The issue also was raised about food intake and stress...the idea that some people will eat when stressed and others become anorexic during stress.

That seems very straight-forward to me. The stress-anxiety-depression connection and eating/not-eating connection. I know I eat less under stress.

Sort of the difference between grad students getting stressed out by their experiment not working, and their faculty mentor remaining calm and saying, "That's research; go get some rest and try again tomorrow."

That also works the other way around though, that the professor knows that you need to get stressed and relays that to the student

 

[mathwonk]

thanks for the good wishes radou and everyone else. i was hoping for a good biopsy result next week, and thinking of invoking a modified tinkerbelle cure from the disney site, like maybe everyone would put one hand under the opposite armpit and flap real hard, but now I am beginnig to feel calm about any result. I'll deal with chemo if that's the verdict. now I am cool. thanks.
best regards.

 

[mathwonk]

Having a health problem i can't cure by just exercising or eating right also helps me reflect less stressfully on things, oddly enough. Niow when grading I am more likely to say, oh well, if they didn't get it this time, they'll get it next time.

I always wanted all my students to get everything, and the reality was very stressful. If I explained something several times over, and still the test answers were all over the map, I wanted to jump out the window. Now I am beginning to realize it is a long process, you jiust keep plugging away, and you always get only partial results.

And when I look over while lecturing and someone who emailed me about how hard it was to do the problems is actually sleeping, I just laugh and maybe whistle to wake him up and smile, instead of freaking out.

Or I close the door loudly and say hopefully the sight of a closed door is more boring than this lecture!

AS the Hindu yogis might say, stress is caused by "attachment", i.e. caring too much about the outcome, as remarked above, perhaps by Monique. They recommend in spiritual terms, doing your best, and devoting the outcome to God.

 

[verty]

I always wanted all my students to get everything, and the reality was very stressful. If I explained something several times over, and still the test answers were all over the map, I wanted to jump out the window. Now I am beginning to realize it is a long process, you jiust keep plugging away, and you always get only partial results.

This is quite a general principle. It is the proverbial "slow and steady wins the race" but it actually seems to apply to many things. To effect change, consistency is worth far more than gusto, as I discovered when I decided to start swimming and developed a strong freestyle kick after only 2 months of swimming 3 times a week. Many body builders also contend that quality beats quantity, that one needn't do hundreds of repetitions to effect massive change but should rather follow a consistent plan.

One of the most poignant examples that I have seen occurred when I was quite young and at a camping resort. This coastal caravan park is at the mouth of a river but the river is separated from the sea by about 100-200m of sand-bank. As a result, the water-level in the river is higher than sea-level. Well on this occasion, someone decided to make a furrow with their foot in the sand from the river to the sea. This furrow was about 3 inches deep and 3 inches wide, very little water trickled through.

To my great surprise, that trickle of water which at its start would have taken nearly a minute to fill a glass became over a few hours a steady stream, getting bigger and bigger until eventually water was rapidly evacuating the river in a stream about 1 metre deep by about 5 metres wide. Unfortunately, it made a mess of the weekend because an almost drained river is hardly any fun.

Since I started by current job I've been reading books on philosophy and having done that I realize that the same is true about learning. Especially when reading books, a consistent approach to reading seems to be very important. It doesn't really happen that one reads a critical book and gains a chunk of knowledge, or can suddenly lecture on the subject, but rather it seems that even if one doesn't understand the content at the time, over time change seems to happen, and upon looking back one can see how far one has come.

I think it's only when we look back that we can appreciate that we have moved on, but of course one can't look forwards if one is looking backwards, so it should only be occasionally done.

Perhaps the best thing an educator can do for a student is to effect this unnoticed and potentially unappreciated change, so that they might look back in the future and see that they have moved on. I think this is just how these things go.

 

[Moonbear]

I always wanted all my students to get everything, and the reality was very stressful. If I explained something several times over, and still the test answers were all over the map, I wanted to jump out the window. Now I am beginning to realize it is a long process, you jiust keep plugging away, and you always get only partial results.

Not every student will do well in every class. I've learned to focus my efforts on those who desire to improve...not all students do, and are just trying to get through the class to get a requirement out of the way, or biding their time until they get kicked out and their parents can't force them to go to college anymore. The A students make you feel good when you're grading papers, but the B and C students are the ones who really need you to help them. Once in a while, you can get a light to turn on for a D or F student too, but many times they just need more time to mature before they're ready to focus on learning, or just lack sufficient interest in the subject to want to learn it. You'll just frustrate yourself if you expect every student will do well in the class. Help those who you can and celebrate the successes rather than focus on the failures.