Blue Sky Dreaming in the Workplace

This week I was on the business road for a full week in three different cities across two states. It was a long-winding road. I was in non-stop meeting sessions where I had to put on a happy face at 8am and keep it on until about 8pm. Twelve hours of wearing a happy face persona is very tiring. Furthermore, oftentimes we were in meeting rooms where there were no windows. I got no vitamin D last week and my face was barely touched by the sun. My happy face was a cold, sun-hungry one.

I missed the sun. I missed the blue skies. I missed the beauty of greenery. Our bodies need to be able to soak in these natural colors. It is interesting that many individuals use the phrase “blue-sky” to refer to things and ideas not grounded in the realities of the present. Blue skies are indeed something that many of us, who are wedded to our desks and work in general, do get to experience much of. How many times have you gone into work at the crack of dawn and left after the sun has set? Such an avoidance of the outdoors and natural light are obviously not good for our bodies and mind. It has gotten to bad that people now use sun lamps to lift their spirits. Of course, there is such a thing as seasonal affective disorders. However, it seems to me that our own work schedules and work/life balance create a situation where we no longer bask in the proverbial sun.

There is Mastercard television ad out there that features kids chastising their parents for letting their vacation days go unused.   Apparently, Americans let over 8 vacation days expire each year.   I understand that when we go on vacation the work piles up and we tend to return to an amount of work that can be overwhelming and makes one wish for not having taking that vacation time to begin with.   It is moment like those that I wonder why it must be that so few of the people do a big bulk of the work.

Did you know that when you ask people what is their favorite color, the top answer is “blue”? It symbolizes beauty, peace and strength. While red can rev up a person, blue can help a person settle down. When we are constantly running to and from work, blue can help provide a moment of zen. Also, as my mom was fond of reminding me blue can help keep away the evil eye. Blue can be protective.

So there I was in what was ostensibly a basement all week.   I had no access to the blue skies thus making me susceptible to the evil eye.  The evil eye of the overworked world, that is. I am now craving the sun and its body-cheering effects. All week, I have been deprived of nature’s color. There is nothing like a blue sky to lift one up. Take that second each day to find that blue color. Today I must seek and find that zen.