Feb 26th, 2023 Sunday Sunny
The struggle to achieve “work-life balance” does not necessarily come from long working hours.
There are jobs that technically do not take much longer than forty hours per week to do, but the nature of the job is such that one’s mind may still be constantly occupied by the job even during non-working hours. While this could mean that the job itself is interesting so one keeps thinking about it, it also makes it harder to completely relax and recharge.
So what should I do?!
The solution I have found, is “active resting”.
That is not to say “just exercising more” – I do that on a daily basis. Unfortunately most physical exercises do not require much thinking, so my mind still drifts to work-related things at the same time I am performing an aerobic dance. I need some activity to engage my mind.
Then this game, Tsuro, caught my attention.
Tsuro is a pretty quick board game that allows up to eight people to play. Players take turns to place tiles with pathways on them and move their dragon pawns, meanwhile not to run into any other pawns or get off the board. The last player to stay on the board wins the game.
It is a seemingly simple concept, accessible to gamers and non-gamers alike, yet fast and enjoyable enough that it is often put on the table during game parties. However, when I want to take a break from work (and the sometimes too much interpersonal interactions that come with it), I do not wish to call out a group of friends, so I invented a solo version of the game – I will place tiles for my single pawn, with the ultimate goal of still staying on the board until I reach the last tile – the dragon tile.
I have played this solo Tsuro a few times so far. I placed my pawn on one of the starting points, drew three tiles and placed one, drew another tile to ensure three tiles in hand and place another one, and repeated this process. At the beginning there seemed to be many possibilities and it did not matter which tile I put down. As the game continued, more restrictions appeared, and I had to think two or three steps ahead to avoid being trapped in a spot where my only way out was to fall off the board. The last three or four tiles were particularly tough to place to make sure I managed to survive until the very end. It is like solving a puzzle.
The last time I played the game, I was very drained from work – nothing really went wrong, it was simply exhausting – and I did not even desire to talk to my dear husband (sorry…). I spent twenty? (or thirty? Who knows…I do not set a time limit) minutes in the family room on the lower level, leaning by the wall and submerged myself in this puzzle, until I finally reached the dragon tile, the temple of victory 🙂
At that moment, I realize that the gloom that hovered over my mind have been cleared, and the burden I have been carrying on my shoulder, while still heavy, feels less daunting than before. Being absorbed in a world of pathways worth exploring leads me to enter a state of flow, and eventually being able to solve this difficult puzzle gives me a sense of accomplishment that boosts my confidence to face whatever challenges that may come the next day.
I guess it is truly a pathway to divine wisdom, as the game name suggests. It teaches me to focus on living this moment and letting the next step unfolds itself.