Of all the journalism specialties, science writing may well be the most challenging. Science writers cover fields undergoing some of the most rapid advances in history, from stunning advances in genetics and biotechnology to exotic discoveries in astrophysics. A science writer’s week may include coverage of new discoveries about viruses, the brain, evolution, artificial intelligence, planets around other suns, and global climate change and its environmental impact, to name only a few topics.

Writing anything that’s any good is hard work, but science writers labor tinder a particular, and rather peculiar, set of constraints. Science is new — only about 400 years old, as a going concern — and prodigious, having transformed our conception of the universe and of our place in it. But precisely because its impact has been so rapid and so monumental, science has not yet been absorbed into our common consciousness. Readers come to the printed page already knowing something about crime and punishment, love and loss, triumph and tragedy — but not, necessarily, about the roles played by theory and observation in identifying a virus or tracing the curvature of intergalactic space. Hence science writers have to keep explaining things, from the significance of scientific facts to the methods by which they are adduced, while simultaneously holding the readers’ attention and moving the story along. It’s as if business reporters had to constantly explain what is meant by “turning a profit”, or sportswriters by “scoring a touchdown”.

Unsurprisingly, we science writers are often misunderstood. People tend to assume that we write computer software manuals or those buckram-bound engineering textbooks assigned to students in technical studies. Fellow authors dismiss us as translators. Editors may think us narrow. A quarter-century ago, when I was struggling to move away from writing about politics and rock music in order to concentrate on astronomy, the editor of a major magazine pressed me to do an article, called “The Bionic Man”, on artificial body parts. When I declined, he became impatient.

“Well, what do you want to write about?” he asked, throwing up his hands, like a motorist cut off in traffic.

“Astronomy,” I replied.

“You’ve already written about astronomy!”

“Yes, but I like it. It was my original interest in life.”

“Aren’t you afraid of becoming some sort of Johnny One Note?”

“Well, not really. You know, what’s out there is something like ninety-nine, then a decimal point, then twenty-eight more nines per cent of everything. Covering nearly everything doesn’t seem all that limiting. And it leads to lots of other things.”

I’ve been on the wrong side of arguments with editors more often than it is comfortable to recall, but on this occasion I turned out to have been right. Astronomy did lead to everything else. It led me into other sciences of course — among them physics, chemistry, and biology — and also, by many winding paths, to poetry, literature, history, philosophy, art, music, and into conversation with some of the smartest and most creative people in the world.

It is recently reported that people’s collective stress has reached alarming levels. 【小题1】. It can have serious consequences. A study found that people experiencing long-lasting burnout have up to a 35 percent greater risk of early death. Don’t panic. Here are some active steps you can take to prevent burnout:

Look for meaning at work

You can tolerate stress longer if you believe you’re doing something purposeful and worthwhile. You are more likely to experience bumout-inducing stress when something seems out of control, against your will, or totally meaningless. 【小题2】 .

Look for meaning outside of work

If you are struggling to make you work meaningful, giving priority to life outside of work might be especially beneficial. A research shows that people more likely to experience a greater sense of engagement when on the job are those with a hobby.

【小题3】

Use separate email accounts for work and personal life, and set up boundaries between work and personal life, then you will be especially more comfortable if you work from home.

Don’t neglect yourself

Physical activity is essential to shaking out stress hormones. 【小题4】 . But movement is the most natural evolutionary response to our body’s stress, even light movement helps “complete” the stress cycle.

Recognize when it has become too much

Talk to your boss when you feel your job should be manageable, rewarding and under your control. It’s common for bosses to increase tasks over time if you don’t communicate our needs or limitations, which may be overlooked. 【小题5】 .

In colleges around the country, most students are also workers.

The reality of college can be pretty different from the images presented in movies and television. Instead of the students who wake up late, party all the time, and study only before exams, many colleges are full of students with pressing schedules of not just classes and activities, but real jobs, too.

This isn't a temporary phenomenon. The share of working students has been on the rise since the 1970s, and one-fifth of students work year round. About one-quarter of those who work while attending school have both a full-course load and a full-time job. Such jobs can also be critical for developing important professional and social skills that make it easier to land a job after graduation. With many employers looking for students with already-developed skill sets, on-the-job training while in college can be the best way to ensure a job later on.

But it's not all upside. Even full-time work may not completely cover the cost of tuition and living expenses. That means that though they're sacrificing time away from the classroom, many working students will still graduate with at least some debt. And working full time can reduce the chance that students will graduate at all, by cutting into the time available for studying and attending classes.

There is little reward for attending but not finishing college. Students who end up leaving school because of difficulty in managing work and class are likely to find themselves stuck in some of the same jobs they might have gotten if they hadn't gone at all. The difficulty of working too much while in school can create a cycle that pushes students further into debt without receiving any of the financial or career benefits.