Snowy days are here! Between two slides and snow ball (kind and consented) fights with colleagues, let’s see what’s in my mailbox…
Well, this one is pretty topical, let’s go!
Dear Sassy scientist,
I think I lost all motivation for research but I need to work! What do I do? Please help me!
My sweet cute pie,
Let me ask you a quick question, when was the last time you took vacations?
Not a couple days, between a holiday and a weekend, no. I mean real vacations. Like two, three weeks without —let’s be crazy— looking at your mailbox and even forgetting about the existence of this box (no worries: the 500 emails at your return will still be there for you).
You know it’s like parents who have babies —bless them— who sometimes says “we’re not sure we love each other anymore”. I would tell them “Wait a minute superhero, when was your last real uninterrupted night of sleep?”
Yes, tiredness causes an erosion of ourselves. And, at some point, we lose track of the things we actually vibrate for, what motivate truly us, and we end up working like machines from one goal to another.
Also, you don’t NEED to work. You need to eat, you need to sleep, you need to take care of your mental and physical health. Work is important but not a basic need, and did you really fulfill your basic needs recently? I bet not that much.
So here is your homework: plan your next vacation soon. Post an automatic response in your mailbox to not disturb you unless it’s the 5th extinction, wait no a very urgent matter. Leave your work laptop at the office. And take time for yourself. Sleep without an alarm, eat good and fresh food (dry pasta doesn’t count), spend time with people you love, explore somewhere if that’s your thing (yes, you can collect some rocks if allowed; that’s not considered work for geologists), dance, enjoy bathing in the ocean/sea/river. Take an appointment for those medical checkups that you’ve been postponing since far too long, even though that ankle really needs to be fixed. Try a sport that you like, maybe start again that creative activity you used to like so much.
And maybe try keeping some of these habits after the vacation, finding a balance with your other obligations in life. But please remember: it’s not about control or constrain, it’s a balance exercise on a moving rope, it’s about adaptation and self-love.
After that time off, let’s see how is your level of motivation. I bet that, after some time, new ideas will come to you at random moments (cleaning for example. if you know, you know)
If the motivation doesn’t come back, even if you are well rested, you can start to think about it, and maybe ask yourself other more existential questions, but not before!
Then have a good night my knight,
Until then, take care!
Yours truly,
The Sassy scientist
