Life Phases and Occupation

Brewing kombucha has been going well the past few weeks. This week I bottled my third batch and started the fourth batch. So far, my favorite flavors are peach with green tea and ginger lemon with black tea. The batch I just bottled is going to be peach with black tea and elderberry with black tea. I am excited to see how these ones taste.

In Westgate & Steidel’s (2020) Figure One, brewing kombucha falls mostly into G) Interest (Low Boredom) under the high meaning column and high- level engagement column. I find brewing kombucha to be a fun and interesting activity that I enjoy more the more batches I brew. Although it is something I find interesting and is not a boring activity, I think with the amount of work I currently have with graduate school I am feeling overstimulated, and it sometimes falls into H) Attentional Boredom which lies in the overstimulated column of the figure. Especially weeks like this week when I have an anatomy exam, I am feeling overstimulated even doing occupations I enjoy. I think when I am feeling less stressed it will definitely fall into the interest part of the chart.

I think I feel boredom as overstimulation at this point in my life more than other phases of my life. I have been having a difficult time fitting in my desired occupations with the schoolwork I have to complete so it makes it difficult to implement new occupations such as brewing kombucha. When I took a break in between my undergraduate degree and graduate school and was just working I was able to spend more time on my chosen occupations. I was not under as much stress after I finished work for the day and had a better work life balance. Now with going back to school I am having to adjust and prioritize which occupations I will have time for.

References

Wright J.,  Sadlo G., & Stew G. (2007) Further Explorations into the Conundrum of Flow Process, Journal of Occupational Science, 14:3, 136-144, DOI: 10.1080/14427591.2007.9686594