This is an old revision of the document!
A little of what you fancy does you good
Imagine Creator: yangzai | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
It was said that Albert Einstein once got promoted at Swiss patent office owing to his academic publications wrapped up from non-office hours. As a PhD in physics, his patent work barely could make ends meet with Mary, but he still chose to dive into his elusive research, and his longstanding research interest boosted the world a new look in a long run.
Although doing research does not have to be as smart as Einstein, even if so, without brilliant ideas, capable collaborators, and rare opportunities, ones hardly can succeed in certain research area. But there is something can be acquired as easy as Einstein- the joyful feeling of embracing himself in the universe theory after work. I am not meaning everybody should touch the beauty of theoretical physics but the beauty from the real life.
We could always hear something like balance your work and life, get some fresh air after work, or do what you want when you are still young. I don’t want to get off the point too far. But I have summarized four points which might help you experience the similar joy as Einstein during non-office hours.
- Time control. Try not let your work trivia distract your attention too much after work. But surely, maintain regular living habit and biological clock are necessary to ensure the efficiency at working hours.
- Flexible schedule. Everybody is struggling to maintain the life balance. There is always something unexpected, do get yourself prepared with flexible schedule.
- Anxiety is a good but not too much. Anxiety comes from the depressed feeling when we rethink of the world, which encourage people to challenge things unseen. But it does not have to be everything as you wish, otherwise the world is no tricky and no fun.
- Thinking in a long run. Exercising in a nearest gym, reading a best-seller novel from the bookshelf, hiking in an unexplored region etc., there are a lot of things enriching life and waiting you to explore after work.
Do make use of your after-work hours, there are always something more than you can expect: your body and your mind are also slightly accumulating and changing when one day can surprise yourself.
<Xi Zhang, PhD Postdoctoral Fellow, Archibald Lab, Dalhousie University>
<Last updated by Xi Zhang on Mar 27th,2022>