There are points in your academic career where you wonder whether all of the hours in the library, stress from assignments and loss of sleep are worth it. I know that during some of the more difficult months of my academic education, I’ve had day dreams of leaving it all behind and working a factory job until retirement. These fantasies usually evaporate quickly when I remember the factory job that I had during three of my summers off from university, at everyone’s favourite crayon corporation, Crayola. I started when I was seventeen and worked on the assembly line; folding the little cardboard boxes to put the markers in, and then proceeding to put the markers in little cardboard boxes. I did this, and other monotonous activities, for eight hours a day, five days a week, for three whole summers. To say that it became duller than a polished marble would be an understatement, but it was good work to get me through the summers, and more importantly, it was good manual labour.
Occupying your time with activities that don’t tax your brain can be a beneficial way to clear your head and unwind after a stressful academic year. Even though I dreaded waking up at five every morning, I enjoyed being able to turn off my brain as I listened to the hits of the 80’s while filling boxes with all the colours of the rainbow. Physical labour can also be more than just a good way to give your brain a rest. Performing physically laborious tasks can also provide a good rest for your body, once the work is done, of course. Being stuck in a chair reading all day, or behind a computer screen, can interfere with an individual’s ability to have a proper night sleep. Stepping away from technology and just shovelling some snow outside, or mowing the lawn, can provide that little bit of exertion that will assure a good night’s rest.
Manual labour is not limited to things that you feel you have to do, like housework or a summer job; it can also extend to artistic pursuits or mastering a new skill. The effort that goes into learning how to pick up a new skill, or improve on abilities that you already have, can be just as intense as plowing through that anatomy report the night before it is due. Just because an individual enjoys doing an activity, whether it is a sport or creating a painting or sculpture, it does not eliminate the hard work put in to achieve the skill level that they have reached. It is part of what separates the professionals from the amateurs. Whether the activity takes a lot of focus, or it’s simply mindless busy work, manual labour can be a great way to try something new and recharge your mental batteries.
About
The Ontarion publishes independent, student-produced news, opinion, and commentary for University of Guelph students so that they can make informed decisions in their lives. To do this, The Ontarion provides learning opportunities and training in journalism, media production, leadership, board governance, and other aspects of nonprofit news.
The Ontarion is the University of Guelph’s independent student newspaper. It began in 1951 as part of the Ontario Agricultural College and then began to represent the entire University of Guelph once it amalgamated in 1964. The Ontarion incorporated in May 1970 as The Ontarion, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation registered with the province of Ontario.