Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Another Tuesday

...finds me paying for a weekend of sloth. Not the kind where you think, "Well, I needed a day (or two) to just decompress." No, this was the kind of deep and prolonged sloth that has you feeling just sick about yourself, yet seems impossible to break out of.

I've tagged this post "procrastination," but even that is too dignified to describe my weekend. Procrastination implies that you did something. Saturday, I did go out for some recreation. But my couch caught hold of me sometime Sunday afternoon. And the only reason that I got off the couch and put on shoes yesterday was for a brief social engagement with friends at 8 p.m. Seriously: I spent from 8 to 8 on the couch. About an hour of that was spent working. Torpor soaked into my brain like black sludge.

Then, because of guilt, I got home from the social engagement at 11 and worked until 2. and then got 5 1/2 hours of sleep. And got up. And I'm trying to focus on what I can get done this day, rather than what I didn't get done over the past four.

((deep breath))

Here goes...

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've been undertaking a lot of lie-on-the-couch time lately - not for health reasons or tiredness but just because I can. It's the weekend, if I'm going to do nothing I can do nothing with a *vengance*.

After a few weekends of that I discovered that I started wanting to do things again! Here's hoping this works out for you?

Comrade PhysioProf said...

Torpor is totally an activity!

Anonymous said...

It must be something in the air because I've had the same problem. Not good timing considering the grading, revising, and job applying that I must do before the 31st.

Dame Eleanor Hull said...

You needed the rest.

As for guilt, it's a waste of time. When you get back to work, just remember the wisdom of some of your blogfriends: Suck Less; and Don't Make It Worse.

Good Enough Woman said...

Sorry for the guilt, but I have to say that a 12-hour stint on the couch sounds absolutely divine. Therefore, I am happy for you.

a stitch in time said...

It's the weekend. That is supposed to be free time to unwind and relax and do nothing if you feel like it. So even though there might be other ways to spend a weekend, I think lounging on the couch for a full day is a perfectly valid thing to do in your free time. Couches and weekends were made for this. And the crazier and fuller your work-weeks are, the more natural it is that sometimes you just need a total time-out. Don't feel guilty about that - instead, try to feel proud that you took the time for unwinding that you needed!

Notorious Ph.D. said...

I think you guys are seriously underestimating the depth and scope of this sloth.

Dame Eleanor, I love that advice.

Dr. S said...

This sounds like my autumn.

I have just ordered a light therapy box, hoping that at least some fraction of my torpor is being caused by the fact that the sun sets here 4 minutes earlier every single day now...

Anonymous said...

Dr N., I recognise that sloth--for me, a guilt-driven and active procrastinator, it usually takes webcomics to hold me there--and wish you a quick exit from it but, it does sound as if you were just run down flat and needed to recharge. I think the best advice I can give is get a good night's sleep.

Notorious Ph.D. said...

Hi Everyone,

This was way beyond "just needed to recharge." What happened was I downloaded an entire season of a TV show and then went on a two-day binge. By the end, I felt filthy, as if I'd eaten three gallons of normally delicious ice cream.

And last night, the urge came to download the next season. I resisted, and told myself that this would be my reward over Thanksgiving weekend, if I managed to get (and stay) caught up. And that is what has me moving forward.

Dr. S said...

Like I said the other day, this sounds like my autumn. I don't think I've ever watched this much television in my life. I want to blame England, somehow, but I doubt that's exactly fair.

Superironically, my code word is MISTERED. Har. If only?