A lot of my classes run for 2 or 3 hours with breaks every hour. I never used to think twice about hopping up and just popping down the hall to the washroom. Now I sit there wondering:
If I get out of my seat now, how long will it take until I can straighten my hips and stand upright without holding onto something for support?
Is everybody going to see me waddling around like a demented penguin?
Will I be able to walk quickly enough to get back before class starts up again?
Then I either decide that yes, dammit, I WILL go to the bathroom, and then I get up and pretend to fuss around with something in my backpack until I'm reasonably sure I can stand straight and move without my right leg giving out. Or, I just decide it's not going to happen this time, and I spend the rest of class really regretting the enormous mug of tea I polished off in the first half hour.
4 comments:
There's absolutely nothing wrong with looking like a demented penguin! :-) Seriously though, I do sympathise!
I've taken to sitting at the back or close to the door (or both, if possible). My other strategy is to stand. It helps to let the prof or meeting speaker know you'll be doing this, so they don't ask if you need something. I do much better standing for an hour than sitting. If I'm at the back I can sit for 15 minutes, then stand, then sit again and keep from getting stiff that way. I finally got an electric sit-to-stand desk at work and that has helped.
Good luck, and save the tea for home :)
Thanks for the suggestions, Susan!
I can't stand for long periods, but I like the idea of sitting at the back of the room so I can get up every so often and move around a bit. That would definitely help.
Polly - no offense to penguins was intended :)
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