Shouldn't You Be Baking?

It’s a question I’ve asked myself a few times over the past week or so.  Almost completely unrelated to me actually making chocolate chip cookies from a refrigerated tube of cookie dough.  Rather it’s in response to the completion of a stressful project, and the sudden lull afterwards.

I used to experience a similar feeling at university, particularly following the completion of end of semester exams.  After such an intense period of study and stress, in which I was scrambling to get things done, having them always at the back of my mind, there followed a sudden influx of free time.  But instead of enjoying this newfound opportunity to engage in frivolous pastimes, my brain would react differently.  Shouldn’t you be baking?  I.e. shouldn’t you be studying?

The question comes from what some refer to as the ‘golden age’ of The Simpsons (around seasons 5 and 6), in an episode called ‘Fear of Flying’.  It’s probably one of my favourite episodes because really, who can’t relate to a fear of flying? (Even if it is only a little, healthy amount of fear) Marge is having a bit of a breakdown caused by anxiety over her fear of flying.  As a result, she starts behaving in a number of unusual, uncharacteristic ways, including baking at all hours of the night.  One night, Homer is awoken by the sound of banging and leans out the window to see Marge on the roof in her night gown and slippers, fixing tiles on the roof.  To this he responds by calling up to her:

It’s that feeling that’s almost like guilt, that I should be working, that the things I am doing to relax are inherently wrong because my brain has become used to that intense pace.  A kind of inverse version of procrastination.  

I suppose in a day or so I’m sure it’ll go away once the growing fear of my next deadline kicks in.