Stress

Rajeet Guha

Critical Thinking & Coping with stress in Work

David has a high-school diploma. He is 19 years old. His parents are old and retired. They cannot support him anymore through their meager pecuniary sources. In fact, they barely manage to support themselves through old-age pension. They are infirm and depend on their children for helping them get through their daily chores. He has two younger siblings. Both of them are in high school. They study in subsidized public schools in New York City. The ambience in the school is totally at odds with academic nourishment. Vicious bullies who command grudging respect dominate the innocuous students in the school. After their parents quit the workforce they have to virtually fend for themselves. They have part-time jobs paying a minimum wage. This enables them to scrape and scrounge for basic necessities. However, it is not sufficient to make ends meet. They live in Black Harlem. Their neighborhood is a synonym for rampant crime. They have to constantly use their wits to survive. They depend on their elder brother financially. They also get physical protection from their elder brother. Their elder brother protects them from gangs of hoodlums.

David has five part-time jobs. These jobs pay above the minimum wage but not a decent one though. He understands the heavy responsibilities placed on his shoulders by the financial crunch and the wicked spell of fate and grave circumstances. He knows that he cannot afford to shirk responsibility. He cannot buckle under pressure. He has to be responsible for himself and his loved ones who solely depend on him. He is the breadwinner of his family. His jobs involve primarily manual work. It is an arduous task. He has a small frame quite unsuitable for such type of work. He resents his assortment of jobs, which involve backbreaking labor. His co-workers are rude, downright abusive, bellicose and condescending. His bosses are ruthless slave drivers who demand unblemished perfection from him. He has to work round the clock. His workplaces are far and he has to commute through subways late at night. He is perpetually tired. He can’t get enough sleep. His health is deteriorating. He faces an unenviable dilemma of what recourse to take in this apparent catch-22 situation.

David’s condition is lamentable. He cuts a sorry figure. However, there is no option for him but to doggedly pursue his jobs until he finds a better job. He should try to be amiable and easy-going with his colleagues. He should never react. He should never provoke them. He should be compliant with their demands. He should try to humor them. He should never give his boss a cold shoulder. He should also look out for better paying and more secure jobs. He should try to placate his neighbors and mollify them. He should be a pillar of strength to his family who look up to him. He should abstain from marriage before the gods of fortune take pity on him and shower blessings on him. Meanwhile, he should try to make the best out of a bad bargain and hope lady luck shines on him.