What do you do for a living?

[budo]

I'm a computer programmer, which pays really well and there's always work, however sitting 40 hours in front of a computer is really unhealthy and is starting to affect my health, I am harming my body. I am looking for a healthy job and was wondering what everyone else is doing for a living?

I am thinking of having several small jobs than one large job. For example, I'd like to study Yoga and then teach it. I would like to be a freelance photographer. I enjoy tennis so I would like to teach tennis as well.  If I could make money off art/painting I would do that as well.

What do you do for a living? Are you happy with your career path?

Thanks!
Budo

[rideforever]

Hi

I am also a programmer.  And I feel it is damaging me to be interfacing with a machine all day.  Especially since my biggest pains are my inability to have fun with real people.  I met a guy in India who taught me to paint - he said that this kind of work might actually be damaging me. :-(

But it is easy, well paid, and available.  Which makes me sad.  I don't know how to do anything else.

And also I look at other jobs - people in 'nice' jobs have a rotten time ... I live with a lady who is a therapist in the NHS and she is under massive stress, it's not nice.

Being a programmer can mean a lot of freedom - use it I reckon.  This is a gift ... in a world where many jobs are very nasty.

I have managed to organise some working from home time for the last 3 years and it is good.  But still, I would prefer to be in a village working with my hands and being with people all day long and celebrating under the stars every night with laughter and songs.  Time to go see Osho !

S

[Matthew]

It's really important to get the ergonomics of your desk right if you do this sort of work. Sitting in front of a screen one enters that reality, awareness is focussed there. Bodily pain and tension is often ignored and builds up. If you posture, seating, screen or desk arrangement is not aligned correctly injury will result. Impairment of strength of back muscles is the most common, through using the chair instead of the muscles of the back for support. This directly affects practice and more.

I have a lot of freedom in one sense but the cause of it is also it's greatest curtailment. I'm disabled and in a lot of pain. I receive a good income on state benefits which allows me to live with some dignity and comfort. It gives me freedom, when the pain allows, to do what I want with my time. In general my experience is that time spent helping others gives the greatest reward and time spent in selfish ends leaves me feeling empty.

A lot of my time over the years has gone on helping people on here and in the real "world". Teaching meditation at the university brings the joy of seeing others suffering relieved and I am often approached for advice and help by those in difficulty. Experiencing suffering so directly, manifestly as physical injury and disablement, has made me very aware of how fragile life is and how a helping hand can be a lifesaver.

Matthew

[Vivek]

I am also a computer programmer. But, it isn't easy for me. Lately, the work pressure has been insanely high to the point that I find myself frustrated most of the time when I am at my work place. And it is not possible for me to leave this job any time soon. The only thing that is helping me to stick on to this career in a fruitful way is my meditation practice. I feel that Providence has put me here to deepen my practice. May not be true, but sure helps me go through these tough times.

[Lokuttara]

I'm also a computer programmer! I was lucky that I spent an extended time doing research in my early 20's and also got to do some part-time lecturing and tutoring, which I really enjoyed. We also had the plenty of breaks like mid-terms holidays, and all summer off. Also, working with people and helping them understand computing concepts was really nice and gave good sense of connection to the world, and was rewarding.

But in the last 4 years I've been in a large multinational, at a desk 40 hours a week or more, with only 22 days holidays for the entire year. I could go for days without interacting with any humans. I'm ready to leave it now for good. It was helpful to my practice, and I developed a lot of equanimity and presence in my job, even when fires were starting all around, but I think it's time to move on now and do something more flexible, creative, interesting and rewarding. This year I lost my job in April, and I had the most amazing summer, and the most inspiring time that I'd had in years. So much time, so much freedom, so many interesting people and nice music. And of course more time for meditation and cycling I got the call to go back in August, and I went back, but I'm leaving again after Christmas to do some travelling I'm hoping to get back into teaching, or something more flexible where I can also use and develop my musical talents more, to give something back to the world.

I also have a feeling that working in this kind of job for extended years may make the mind dull, and may indeed be damaging - physically (as Matthew pointed out) and emotionally. If you are a musician or creative person, I think it can zap you a little bit, and you may not have the time and space necessary to create your art and express yourself fully - which could also be damaging long-term. Without judging, but looking around at others who have worked in this environment for long periods, there are apparent manifestations of physical problems, tensions, poor posture, combined with low energy and low levels of emotional engagement due to overwork/stress and high amounts of work politics and bureaucracy. I think this is avoidable to some degree, but you need to be very strong in your practice, and you need to take a year out every few years at least.

[Crystal Palace]

Well I haven't started earning as yet, but I am doing Computer Engineering so chances are I will also end up becoming a computer programmer!

Guess we have a whole bunch of geeks on vipassanaforum.net!

lol

CP

[rideforever]

Eagle River !!

[Kris]

I'm also a programmer  . I guess we´re the kind of people that always have been searching for another kind of other reality than the one we have been learnted to live in. Follow the white rabbit 

I'm very fortunate to work in a small company in the environmental business where I can choose where and when I work. I also have a great view by the water from my office and I also live near the water close to the office. In other words, Its not too difficult to be mindfull about every keystroke..at least as long as I don't have to be involved in meetings involving customers and budget-decisions 

But I have had thoughts of changing career sometime in the future. Instructing yoga is one thing I would like to do. Or maybe some kind of down to earth work like repairing furniture.

[Vivek]

I also have a great view by the water from my office and I also live near the water close to the office.

Ah, you are so fortunate, Kris. I am sitting in my office right now, and apart from staring at the computer monitor, all I kind do is to stare at the wall in front of me!

[Matthew]

You're all a bunch of geeks ....  

* The Irreverent Buddhist admits that he has, in the past, coded in assembly language, machine code, cecil, fortran, cobol, basic, visual basic,html, xhtml, css and sql

[budo]

Am I seeing a trend here? 7 unique members, all computer programmers. This reminds me when I learned about existentialism in high school, how assembly line workers in the industrial world were having an existential crises due to repetitive work and lack of human interaction, and eventually lost touch with reality. I think it's happening all over again, and meditation is our medicine however we're still not curing the source of the problem: our job!

Since I've made this post I've been googling all types of physically active, or non desk jobs, and will compile a list and post it here.  I think we're attached to computer jobs because the money is lucrative, however we must not sacrifice our health. For the mean time, I'm trying to do physical activity as much as I can outside of work, so far it's 3-4 times a week, but I will gradually increase this. Then, when my contract ends with my current employer, I will ask to go part-time. The way I see it, if my employer wants me to care about the company's health, the company should care about mine too.

I believe in a solution to this problem, hopefully we will all reap the rewards.

Budo


ps> a funny image that explains how I feel about my job:

[Matthew]

I'm not a programmer, just that I have programmed. And of course I have to do bits to keep this ol shack hanging together

[dragoneye]

I am a manufacturers representative in the controls and instrumentation industry.
My skills are finding good opportunities for the products application and developing "human" interfaces.
The relationships that I have are my "capitol." It is imperative for me to believe I am providing a positive asset for my customers.
I do a fair amount of automobile travel and that is not so positive for any of us though.
I am conscious of the importance for my work to be "right work." I've contemplated it quite a bit and I've accepted it.
The biggest issue for me is that I don't think my customers (or my employer,) would appreciate who I truly am. That is, a seeker and a yogi. I could be simply projecting and incorrect in that.
DE

[Kris]

The biggest issue for me is that I don't think my customers (or my employer,) would appreciate who I truly am. That is, a seeker and a yogi. I could be simply projecting and incorrect in that.
DE

Remember to not create too much ego and personality around the 'seeker' and 'yogi'. The true You is revealed when you kill the concept of 'you' and instead being immensely present in interactions with other people. And when you are, no one can possible feel any discomfort in your presence.

[kidnovice]

To add a little diversity into the mix, I thought I would mention that I am a high school English teacher. And nope, I don't know the first thing about programming! My job is absolutely exhausting and emotionally demanding (I work with a challenging population, which also makes the job so rewarding), but I do love it.

I find its a great place to integrate practice into my life. I'm constantly interacting with people, and its easy to cultivate the sense that I am acting in the best interest of the people around me. That's a great feeling. And when lessons go well, and my kids are learning, its an awesome rush.

The pay isn't great, but its enough to satisfy my current needs. And having the summers free allows me to travel and do retreats.

The problem is that during the school year, the work hours are long and tiring, and I have to give up a chunk of my weekend. Its quite hard to maintain my meditation practice at the level that I want. Having a social life is tough. It does get easier each year, but still. I sometimes wonder if I've sacrificed too much by being a teacher these last few years.

For various reasons, I actually decided to take a leave of absence this year. I'm substitute teaching part time, drawing on my savings, and hoping to find a new school where might want to really put roots down . So, at the moment, I am LOVING the free time, even though I know it won't last.  I'm writing my first novel, exercising, meditating two hours a day, and dating. I just got dumped by a girl I really liked. It seriously sucked. But at least I'm dating!  

But anyway, I love my free time, and I will be sorry to see it go. But I miss teaching. If only I were rich, and could work part time. Sigh.  

KN

[Matthew]

I am a manufacturers representative in the controls and instrumentation industry.
My skills are finding good opportunities for the products application and developing "human" interfaces.
The relationships that I have are my "capitol." It is imperative for me to believe I am providing a positive asset for my customers.
.....

Absolutely - having worked in sales in the past, both in products I did not believe in and those I did, now it is clear to me that selling anything you do not or cannot believe in is definitely "wrong livelihood" and unwholesome.

Matthew

[ivana]

I work as an accountant assistant.

[dragoneye]

The biggest issue for me is that I don't think my customers (or my employer,) would appreciate who I truly am. That is, a seeker and a yogi. I could be simply projecting and incorrect in that.
DE

Remember to not create too much ego and personality around the 'seeker' and 'yogi'. The true You is revealed when you kill the concept of 'you' and instead being immensely present in interactions with other people. And when you are, no one can possible feel any discomfort in your presence.

Thank you Tapas