Finding Your Way: Stressed out in the Library

Sometimes the path just disappears

Sometimes when you are trying to figure out how to get things done, it seems like everything will be too challenging, or the effort will be too hard - your path is gone and even if there is another way it's going to be hard. 

I like to talk about stress in libraries, not because we are bad places - we are not! - but because it seems important to point out that this is a real problem. Every time I've given a conference presentation about stress in libraries, I always have people who whisper (it's always a whisper) how happy they are that someone is talking about it, because they thought they were the only ones.

I plan to spend a lot of time here talking about making the library workplace happier, because I think it is something we can all improve! I've broken library workplace happiness into three categories we can change: individual, organization, and profession. Too many pieces of advice stop at the individual level: smile more! take a deep breath! And sure, those are good. But to really make the whole library workplace a better and less stressful place to work, we need to work on issues that span the library, and issues that cross the entire profession.

For today, I only have small, individual suggestions for busting stress - because we have to start somewhere and starting small is useful. When we can be happier with ourselves and our lives, it can spread around to others; contagious emotions are real. So yes: smile more! Take a deep breath! These things will be small benefits, and small benefits can be good.

I have been a big fan of Gretchen Rubin's ideas on increasing happiness since her first book, and I have recently started listening to her podcast "Happier with Gretchen Rubin." Yesterday I listened to an episode that resonated with me, as a librarian and prolific book reader:  May 20, 2015 Podcast 13: Stop Reading a Book, a Know-Yourself-Better Quiz, and the Trap of Free Stuff If you don't like a book, stop reading it! It feels like something we would tell our patrons; but I've seen librarians grimly persevere through books because they "have" to finish. More than anyone else, we should really know that life is short and books are unlimited - so just quit the ones you don't enjoy! I have been guilty of this in the past, but I do feel free now when I realize I'm hating a book, waiting for the main character to get hit by a car, or find myself grading papers in an effort to avoid finishing it - that I can just quit. I delete it from my Goodreads account, and I'm free! Yes, it's a small step. Her podcast has a lot of other small steps to take - a new one each episode - so feel free to check it out for yourself. 

Find some other small things that make you happier as a librarian: read books, use the Overdrive app to hear books by great readers, listen to podcasts, go to conferences, join listserves and chat with other librarians who like things you like, organize something, gamify something. We are a fantastic profession, filled with interesting and nice people! I think we can start to combat the stress we all feel at work, and taking some small steps will get us there. 

Today we are not solving all our problems; but we are still moving along the path to workplace satisfaction!