eS

Opinions.
Whistle while you work

Happy on the job, or
happy in life?

By Sophie Isbister,
Staff Writer

f there’s anything that

we can all agree on,
it’s that life is hard. Jobs
don’t pay enough, rent’s
too high, and grocéries
are getting more
expensive every year. The
experience of Canadians
definitely seems to be
reflecting this trend. In a
recent Ipsos-Reid poll, it
was discovered that one
in five Canadian workers
experience depression.
In a similar vein, a
September 10 Macleans
article titled “Campus
crisis: the broken
generation” profiles
depression and suicide
at US and Canadian
campuses.

Both the Macleans
article and the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC)’s coverage of the
depression poll focus
on ways that campuses
and workplaces can
support people living
with mental illnesses like
depression and anxiety.
Sure, employers can offer
comprehensive mental
health benefits such as

Hey Editor,

Long-time reader, first time inquirer! I’m in a relatively fresh relationship
(few months) and things have been great so far. However, the last few
weeks have been pretty stressful for her academically (papers, midterms).
It's cool that she wants to be an A-student, but it sucks only seeing her
once a week for a few hours at a time. Should | just tough it out and hope
that things get better, or do | voice my concerns at the risk of sounding
like just some douche that wants her to sacrifice her grades for me?

-Grade-A Boyfriend

access to counselling and
good extended benefits,
but does that really

solve the root issue of
our culture’s malaise
epidemic? And what's

so bad about being
depressed anyway? I can
see a lot of other things
that there is to be upset
about.

Take, for example,
the pressure to be happy
itself. A quick perusal
of the Craigslist jobs
section tells me that
employers are looking for
a “positive attitude and
enthusiastic outlook,” a
“fun-loving” employee
who can “work well
under pressure while
keeping a smile.” This
is all fine and good in
service and hospitality
(if you hate people, it’s
probably in your best
interest to steer clear of
these industries anyway),
but you’re expecting me
to have a “get-up-and-
go attitude” in my job
scraping barnacles off
the underside of Rosie
O’Donnell?

“Happiness,” that
nebulous, hard-to-grasp
concept, seems to be the
number one requirement
to find employment these
days. But I think all our
problems could be solved

wo GLY

if we focused on attaining
happiness through
avenues that aren’t tied
to our livelihood. Think
about what you'd do if
you didn’t have to work
40 hours a week. I like
to think if I had an extra
day off I would read
more, or spend more time
with friends and family,
maybe devote more time
to my personal writing.
If | worked a six-hour
day instead of an eight-
hour day, I might use
that extra two hours to
prepare a wholesome
lunch for the next day or
divide my time between
domestic duties and
social engagements. I

 

 

 

 

know I'd sleep more, feel
less rushed, and apply a

clearer head to the work

that I do.

When your identity
is wrapped up in your
employment, and
that employment is
underpaid and loaded
with this awful I’ll-
take-all-your-bullshit-
and-thank-you-for-it
expectation, it’s no
wonder Canadians,
workers, and students
alike are depressed.
Perhaps instead of
pushing people to work
50 hour weeks, instead
of overtime being the
norm, instead of subtly
penalizing women in

EDITOR

Dear Boyfriend,

 

 

the workplace for taking
maternity leave, society
should evolve to work
less. Why else have we
created all this wealth in
the Western world if not
to reap the benefits of
prosperity? What would
be a better benefit than
the freedom to develop
an identity separate from
your work, to have the
time to foster a strong
community? Maybe I’m
an idealist, but I hope
that the next iteration

of Canadian society can
open their minds to the
idea that the 40-hour
workweek is damaging
our health, both mental
and physical.

It's a really good sign that you want to spend more time with your girlfriend—this
means that you actually like her! Let her know your concerns, because if you
don't it could fester and turn into resentment that could taint your relationship.
However, be sure to approach the discussion thoughtfully: explain that you
respect that she’s so dedicated to her studies, but that you love spending time
with her and want to find away to do so that won't make her fail her classes.
Perhaps an old-school sleepover could fit the bill? She has to sleep at some
point anyways, So maybe you could invite her over to have some focused study
time, then close the books and snuggle the night away? This should satisfy both

of your needs and keep everyone feeling happy and valued. Good luck!

-xoxo Editor