Laugh With Your Mental Fatigue

Many of my co-workers have been suffering from mental fatigue. They’ve been worrying about health issues, relationship problems, and money.

Here’s a list of complaints I’ve heard in the past week:

“I’m bored.”

“My back hurts.”

“Why can’t they (management) just make up their minds?”

“My wife won’t listen to me.”

“I think I have diabetes.”

“I wish I could just go home.”

“Man if I had an extra $10,000 I could pay off my credit card bills.”

“I wish I could catch a break.”

I’ve tried giving them my advice about how they have so many tools at their disposal, but it’s been falling on deaf ears. I believe they want to continue their suffering. All they want is for me to listen and perpetuate their martyrdom.

People at work, home, school and social places all seem to be suffering from one thing or another. They can’t seem to enjoy the moment they are in. They want to look different, feel different or be somewhere else entirely.

My suggestion would be to create a practice that helps you see the joy in the suffering instead of trying to remove it.

This can be done by:

- Writing in a journal (creating art from the pain)

- Seeing a trained counselor (learning to find a new perspective)

- Create Paper clip art (Dance with your suffering)

- Meditation (Learn to relax)

- Laugh (Fake a laugh until it makes you laugh)

- Yoga (Release the tension)

There are so many tools at our disposal. Try one of the above mentioned tools and you can receive just a tiny bit of joy in the simple energy of suffering.

Show some Love:

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 at 10:55 am and is filed under Motivation, enjoy everything.

4 Responses to “Laugh With Your Mental Fatigue”

1. K-L Masina | Are you AWAKE? http://www.klmasina.co.nz

   July 4th, 2007 at 10:10 pm

   Yep, you nailed it there Karl.

   Now that I am getting busier as my yoga teaching, blogging and coaching takes off… I found myself getting somewhat frantic energetically, and telling my husband about how I had so much to do… and feeling… not quite stressed… but on the way.

   Then I reaslied - I’m going to be ‘busy’ for the rest of my life. The only quality of life I have is right NOW. The only time to relax it NOW.

   So today, especially, I have consciously become aware of my *stress* level, my thought patterns, my breathing… and I have made myself just slow down and enjoy doing all these wonderful things I have been wanting to do for so long.

   I feel so much more joyous and content, and can hear my quiet inner guidance again.

2. WadeM http://themiddleway.net

   July 4th, 2007 at 10:37 pm

   Karl,

   No one wants to suffer, you know that. You shouldn’t dismiss them for not listening to you. You need to be skillful in helping people. It’s not about saying too bad if you don’t understand or listen. Where’s the compassion in that?

   Every person is different, and thus requires different approaches to help them out of their suffering. There is no cookie cutter. Why is your level of address better than theirs? Try see things from their point of view, and help them in that area, slowly guiding them back out.

   I didn’t think you were a quitter, which is what you seem to be doing on these people you care enough about to blog on.

   When someone is ready to goto counseling, that comes about as the result/acceptance of coming to terms of what’s going on in their mind. You telling them before they are ready will see them in denial, delusion or rejection. Your task should be to allow them to gain perspective and understanding skillfully about their current situation, pointing and guiding them towards counseling if required. Creating the practice of release/output is the effect/result of working through other causes/situations. You should be helping them through their causes and situations so they can reach your listed effects/results.

   –Wade M
   http://themiddleway.net

3. Karl http://karlstaib.com

   July 7th, 2007 at 9:02 am

   Wade,
   Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I will have a few points that I agree with and a few that I will counter.

   I agree that there is no cookie cutter approach to helping people and you shouldn’t give up on them. It’s always a smart choice to be there if they need help.

   I disagree that I’m quitting on them. I still pray for their well being and hope that they turn the corner toward happiness. My compassion doesn’t have to depend on me trying to help them until they figure out how to be happier. If I helped everyone that needed my help then that’s all I would be doing. I have a job to perform at work. They pay me to get my tasks done, not to be a counselor to everyone that is struggling to enjoy their day.

   Everyone has different goals and an understanding of happiness. I don’t feel like I should be helping through their causes to reach my listed results. If I did then I would be trying to mold them into what I feel is happiness.

   I want to leave this comment with a parable that I know most of you have heard.

   There was an overwhelming flood and a man was stuck on a roof. A boat spotted this man and rushed to help him. The man told them that they should be helping other people because God was going to help him. The man waited as the water rose higher and was almost at his ankles. A helicopter flew over and saw this man about to be swept away, so they sent down their ladder. The man waved them off and yelled that God was going to help him. The water soon over swept the man and he drowned. When he was received in Heaven he asked God why he wasn’t helped. God looked at him and said, “I sent you a boat and a helicopter, what more do you want?”

   The moral of the story is easy to ascertain. I want to say that I love helping people learn to release their suffering and enjoy their life more, but if they don’t want my help I can’t do anything about that. All I can do is be a compassionate listener.

   I know you meant well and I appreciate you showing me a different view of the situation. I do get caught in my own little world and forget that I can do a lot of good with the people in my life. I do pick and choose the ones that seem to have the most potential and who am I to judge, but I guess that I want to optimize the people with the best chance because I know I won’t be wasting my time. If that means that I can’t help everyone then I’m willing to accept that consequence.

   Thanks again Wade. Your comments add a lot of value to my site and I hope that I cleared up my point of view.

   Karl

4. Karl http://karlstaib.com

   July 7th, 2007 at 9:05 am

   Hey K-L,
   Slowing down is so important to enjoying life. I’m glad my post has been able to give you that perspective or at least remind you of it. Living in the NOW is so important. I’m so happy that your life is manifesting the way you want it to.
   Karl

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