how The Office keeps me from losing it
These past few months we’ve all experienced tremendous anxiety. Social injustices are finally being brought to the forefront, hundreds of thousands of Americans have perished at the hands of the government, politics are more divided than ever before, public heroes like Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Chadwick Boseman were taken from us, and we’re left with despair. Personally, I’ve felt overwhelming anxiety with my job which can at times be incredibly difficult to manage and I’ve felt a sense of inadequacy as I watch my friends go off to college while I stay at home.
All of these feelings are completely natural and deserve to be felt. Sitting and experiencing those feelings is incredibly important; feelings should not be ignored. However, you can’t let yourself become consumed by despair. For someone like myself who wakes up feeling anxious, I’ve turned to familiar things that offer me comfort.
In 6th grade, I watched all 9 seasons of The Office within a matter of a few weeks. Since then, it’s been a constant in my life. It’s something familiar for me. I can recite at least 10 lines from every single episode ever created. No one likes watching it with me because I say almost every line along with the actors on screen. I can depend on the fact that I know what’s coming. In a world that is uncertain and shaky, this could not be more comforting.
Over the last couple weeks this has been my daily routine: wake up, get coffee, grab laptop, go to the basement, turn on The Office, work while it plays in the background, go for a walk, turn The Office back on, continue to work, work out with The Office playing in the background (or take a live-streamed yoga class where I will unfortunately turn the TV off), shower, go to bed. Seems obsessive, right?
NO! Watching these episodes over and over offers me so much comfort. I wake up everyday not knowing what is expected of me with my job. I wake up everyday not knowing what the President of the United States is going to do to anger our allies and divide the American people. I wake up everyday not knowing what will come. That feeling is so overwhelming that I’ve started popping anti-stress gummies like candy. The one thing I can depend on is The Office.
I’m certain that Micheal will do offensive impressions at Chili’s in the first Dundies. I’m certain that Jim will become a co-manager in season 6. I’m certain that Jim and Pam reveal their relationship in the first episode of season 4. I have Micheal’s roast committed to memory. I know Dwight’s perfect crime by heart. I can recite the Schrute rules that every Schrute boy must know. In a world that is so unreliable, I know I can rely on The Office to end the same way every time.
Sadly, not everyone understands the GENIUS of my favorite show ever, but that’s okay. Everyone has their own foundation that allows them to feel the anxiety slip away. Relying on something familiar can be so helpful and gives you the space to breathe. I really encourage you to take moments to indulge in familiarity. There is beauty in the unknown but there is also true bliss in the comfortable.
