How I wish to be one of those people who never gets frazzled. You would think my years in Asia should have taught me something about inner peace.
Although I have always had great appreciation for those who practise tai chi at dawn in the city, seemingly unaware of passing traffic or bitter cold, yet I didn't pick up anything from my fascinated viewing of their enraptured moves on Shanghai mornings.
I have been to enough temples throughout Asia where I have witnessed monks and followers of Buddhism meditating. So, why didn't some of these observations and appreciations rub off on me?
Like many busy people, I find stress difficult to manage. I know there is no magic bullet and meditation and martial arts, like tai chi, take years to master - and let's face it, time is the enemy.
For as long as I can remember, I have had a challenging relationship with time. One of my main anxiety issues is lack of time and, unfortunately, mastering martial arts or meditation or yoga would take an abundance of it.
There is a yoga studio in my neighbourhood in Chicago but I face this dilemma whenever I attempt to head out to a class: If I attend a yoga class, I will need to take an extra hour away from my work and, therefore, I will be up for an extra hour at night, catching up on the time I spent at yoga.
My sleep time is beyond inadequate and it is a successful night if I get four full hours of shut-eye.
So, the choice is great: Do I trade sleep hours for the possibility of gaining inner peace?
Will the inner peace trump sleep deprivation?
No contest, I need my bed.
I know that I need to gain some tools to handle anxiety and stress. I am just unsure how I can possibly do this given the tasks that I am required to do and the limited hours in the day. I know that I am my own worst enemy and my decision to study at a highly competitive school in the States has contributed to my stress load and anxiety level. I keep thinking that when I get through this year and cross this hurdle, I will have more time to focus on wellness - no more catching my breath in a paper bag for me after this.
But some say that the college years are the best of your life and after you graduate, you really have to get down to the hard work. Oh no, it can't get any more demanding than this, can it?
So what is the solution?
I know that it is a highly charged and debated issue but human cloning would be the perfect answer to my problem. If there were two of me, I could get all my work done and get enough sleep. Hell, if I had a body-double, I could meditate, do yoga and take up tai chi. (If you are going to overachieve at work, you might as well excel at relaxation, too.)
It may be hard to imagine two of me, especially the high-wired me that has been making appearances recently. But two relaxed, accomplished, happy Naomis could be quite all right. My doppelgänger and I could be a force to be reckoned with, we think. Imagine what a team of two could accomplish on any given day.
For starters, before those shoulders get knotted, Naomi 2.0 will have the relaxation massage complete.
Naomi Yorke is a Port Coquitlam student who lived in Shanghai, China for four years, writing about her experiences twice a month for The Tri-City News. She now lives in Chicago, where she's attending art school, and continues her column.
