Okay, I admit it. I'm blogging when I should be transcribing tapes for my dissertation. One problem with the dissertation process is the "loneliness" of doing research on your own. I feel totally disconnected from the discussions I have with my students, colleagues, etc... So I find myself clicking on my RSS feeds rather than doing the mindless transcription (was that a or two phrases they just said).
As usual when I don't want to do something, my mind took over and I began to think of the workplace. In a traditional office, there are various ways to recharge your brain for the more tedious tasks. One thing I am aware of with my students is that they are not prepared for the boredom that are part of many jobs. In most cases, workers will do the tedious tasks that are required for their job (i.e. my husband is a programmer and 80% of his job is just in revising current programs rather than creating new ones; my niece is a pharmacist that requires her to fill prescriptions most of the day with occasional interesting problems to solve; my other niece is a recruiter for faculty in a college which requires helping them fill out the necessary paperwork).
It is during this time that I take a break from tedious work and search the RSS feeds, write up a blog posting, etc... I feel it allows my brain and muscles to relax from the repetitive work and stretch (sort of like mental calisthenics). I then find I am more prepared to do the necessary work with an attention to detail that I would not normally have without the "thinking break".
Oh well, enough of the exercise and back to transcribing!
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