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ennio
28 Posts |
 Posted - 07/06/2012 : 18:25:39
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I used to work in an office 40 hours a week. I developed low back pain (which I now realize is TMS), that put me on disability for six months after I couldn't sit down for more than 15 minutes. I was eventually able to go back to work, but the sitting always aggravated my back.
I've been either working from home 20-30 hours a week (or unemployed) during the last 6 years. I've been lucky to have been able to earn an income this way and it has been great for me, physically, mentally.
Now, after being unemployed for a year+, I finally found a job. However, I'm worried because they don't allow working from home. I have to go into the office 5 days a week for 40 hours.
It may be my intermittent TMS doubting voice that is the root here. Or also because I have been sick of my chosen job for years, but haven't been able to find anything else that piques my interest enough to pursue. Big-time job conflicts!
Nonetheless, because of past history, I am nervous about tackling this new job from a physical perspective. My lower back still causes me pain at times, certainly after long periods of sitting and standing. I have made progress, but I have not arrived at a point where I can talk my pain completely away successfully.
I am prepared to tell myself "this is old conditioning", "ignore the pain", "think psychological", the usual TMS way of thinking, but I am still worried.
Anyone ever been in a similar situation? Any advice welcome.
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SteveO
USA
272 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2012 : 18:45:23
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You understand TMS well. Sitting simply provokes a conditioned response.
My personal belief is that it's a proxemic space issue. In other words, you can do the same job at home as you do at work but the job surrounded by people causes the most pain. But why?
I studied proxemic space and Edward Twitchell's work on The Hidden Dimension. Our bodies tighten more the closer we get to other people depending on who those other people are. It's like some survival/perfectionism leftover mechanism.
People can play a musical instrument alone, or sing alone, but when you add outside observers everything changes dramatically as tension rises rapidly.
When you go to the office stay connected to yourself. Breathe, relax, and block out the stimuli from your surroundings as much as possible. It's a zen-like thing.
And remember to be happy that you are working,
Steve |
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ennio
28 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2012 : 10:42:25
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Thanks for the advice, Steve.
The suggestion to "stay connected to yourself" at the office is really something I need to focus on. Being surrounded by new people and chatter, not to mention the self-inflicted pressures of trying to perform at a high level, always cause me to become disconnected from my own thoughts as if I don't have access to the "real" me. |
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Worried about new job (sitting)
