Hey there everyone!<\/p>\n
It\u2019s May, and I don\u2019t need to tell you what that means.<\/p>\n
Yes, ’tis the season for Golden Week! I\u2019ve heard from a few students this year about Golden Week, and they were actually a bit disappointed. They said their Golden Week this year was more of a Copper Week, or even a Bronze Week! That is to say, it\u2019s worth less than Silver Week, which is later in the year, if I\u2019m not mistaken.<\/p>\n
But, even if your Golden Week isn’t as golden as normal this year, I hope you’re finding something fun to do.<\/p>\n
I wanted to chat just a little bit about pressure this time. I live with my partner, and she\u2019s definitely one of those people that puts a bit too much pressure on herself to \u2018be productive\u2019, or \u2018be the best\u2019.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure where this social pressure comes from exactly, but I\u2019m sure it has its roots in a few areas. First, there are certain pressures on women that are undeniably stronger than on men, like the pressure to \u2018look good\u2019 and be attractive.<\/p>\n
Hence, my partner always struggles with what she eats, despite being perfectly healthy. She feels pressure to eat certain things, and avoid unhealthy, but certainly delicious things. In addition, when she does indulge in something regarded as \u2018unhealthy\u2019, she of course feels guilty about it, and can\u2019t truly enjoy it.<\/p>\n
Secondly, she always feels the pressure to be productive. We\u2019re both studying Japanese and working online, and she feels that, if she doesn’t do it every day, she\u2019s somehow \u2018failure\u2019, or that day was \u2018unproductive\u2019. I definitely know how she feels, and she\u2019s far from alone.<\/p>\n
I think we\u2019re always told that \u2018working is the most important thing\u2019. I certainly learned it from my dad, though not so much my mom. He\u2019s recently retired, and since then, he\u2019s started taking naps in the afternoon. He said it\u2019s probably the first time in his life, since he always viewed sleeping during the day as \u2018a waste of time\u2019. However, I\u2019ve seen firsthand that simply \u2018being at work\u2019 or \u2018seeming to work\u2019 is not the best way.<\/p>\n
When I worked at junior high school in Japan, I saw teachers sleeping all the time at school, because they were overworked. This was deemed as normal and acceptable! However, clearly, the root problem was that teachers had too much to do, and didn’t have enough time to rest. They were forced to rest at school.<\/p>\n
So, what does this have to do with Golden Week? Don\u2019t work too hard, and don\u2019t feel too much pressure to do so!<\/p>\n
Of course, it\u2019s a great time to study during your time off, but also set aside some time for you. It will make your studying more efficient!<\/p>\n
Take care and enjoy the holidays!<\/p>\n
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