Tag Archives: printers

Mindfulness 101

Stress is a natural reaction to changes in our environment — it’s our mind’s way of saying, “Whoa! I’m not ready to adapt to this.”  The start of a new school term brings stress for students, educators, staff, and communities (all that extra traffic!), so it seems like the perfect time to consider a very effective method of dealing with stress: mindfulness.

Mindfulness is intentional awareness and acceptance of what is happening. It can be combined with other practices, such as meditation or prayer, but can also just be a part of everyday activities. While it’s simple, it’s also challenging – our brains are trained from a young age to multi-task and to split our attention among competing stimuli. We are also used to reacting to that stimuli without really thinking about why or how we are responding. Mindfulness requires practice.

Noticing, (“This printer is not working,”) refraining from judging (hating the printer, fretting over the missing document or lost time), and accepting (I’ll just have to troubleshoot) can shift our attention and deter stress reactions (raised voice, elevated heart rate, feelings of anger, worry, frustration). There’s no denial involved; mindfulness isn’t about ignoring or glossing over difficult situations; we observe the challenge, notice our feelings, and let it all pass with our equilibrium likely intact. Mindfulness increases our own well being and improves our interactions with others.

Science shows that it also literally changes our minds. Dr. Richard Davidson is famous for studying Tibetan monks’ brains, as well as pre-schoolers and veterans (a Danish documentary about his work will be out soon).  Davidson’s research indicates mindfulness “re-wires” our brains.  Jon Kabat-Zinn has written extensively on the health benefits of mindfulness, particularly in managing stress, pain, and depression.

So if you’re sitting in morning traffic or starting a new semester, juggling schedules or sending a child to college, balancing your budget or looking for work, answering reference questions or troubleshooting network issues, try a little mindfulness.

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Evil printers?

According to OED, evil (adj.) is defined as ” The antithesis of good (adj., adv., and n.) in all its principal senses” and good, when used in reference to things, means “Having in adequate degree those properties which a thing of the kind ought to have.”

So far The Nocturnal Librarian has answered zero actual reference questions in the new semester, and at least a couple dozen questions regarding printers that don’t seem to have “in adequate degree” the properties of a fuctioning printer. Hence, I am prepared to declare printers evil, at least in that sense of the word.  Along with Blackboard links that won’t open, PDF’s that freeze, and online tutorials that won’t run.

This is my second late shift at the reference desk.  I am enjoying the nocturnal life, so far.  The difference in traffic between my commute here at 7:45 pm and home again at midnight is discernable: no one veers into my lane while texting after midnight, at least not so far. And NHPR broadcasts The World Today from the BBC World Service at midnight, so I can hear what my son might sound like when he comes home from his gap year in England. 

It’s also interesting to see how many lights are on in my neighborhood at 12:40 am when I pull in (more than you’d think). And it feels a little decadent to read in the late afternoon, when I used to be working, but I think I could get used to that. I don’t fall asleep in my book at that hour, which I always did at bedtime.

I do hope students will begin to ask reference questions soon, because technical troubleshooting isn’t nearly as gratifying. Maybe I should just consider it stamping out evil instead. In which case, my colleagues in the IT department should perhaps wear superhero capes.

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