|
|
| |
BLOG>11/01-12/31/05
The Leisure Guy tried to take some of his own advice this past week, thus the lull in posts. Changed the scenery for a couple of days ate well, rested some, read a little, enjoyed myself thoroughly. It was time I needed to take. Sometimes our own advice is the hardest to take. I
had a physician one time that complained about me being overweight
(about 10 pounds at the time), the problem was that he was about
70 pounds overweight. I used to quote back at him: "Physician,
heal thyself." I finally lost that ten pounds many years
later, but it was not easy and not because of his advice.
I
had a mechanic one time, that recommended about $400 dollars
in repairs to my car that would make it
run smooth and more efficient. The problem was, his car had the same problem, and sounded just like mine. I asked him why he didn't fix his vehicle, and he told me, "If you fixed yours, I might could afford to fix mine." I asked him if our cars would be irreparably damaged if we didn't fix them, and he said: "Naw, they'll just sound bad." He lost his chance to fix that car. So in your field of expertise, do you take your own advice? If you are in computers, do you protect your data and backup every day as you tell us to? If you are in law enforcement, do you keep it under the speed limit? If you are in retail sales, are you patient with those staff who are overworked and underpaid? Thanks to friends and family who continue to ask hard questions of The Leisure Guy. Every once in awhile I actually take my own advice. Hope you do as well. Holiday
Lull?
So you made it through the holidays, you survived the weekend, it is Monday morning and you are back at work (I am taking a couple of days, so I do mean you). I've given you all kinds of tips to survive the holidays, how about the return to work? It has been my experience that these are some of the most difficult days for folks, that week between Christmas and New Year's Day. It is an odd week where things appear to be normal. Businesses are open, the stock market is plugging along, you've got appointments. Something is out of place. There may be resentment because you are at work and others are on vacation. Things are more stressful at the office because work goes on, but half the staff is missing. There may be the feeling of let down after the bright holiday. How do you cope? Keep a holiday attitude. Treat people as if it were still the holidays. We are still in the "12 days of Christmas" for goodness sakes. Continue to celebrate the holidays. Have friends over. Cook special meals. Even though you may be working during the day, make evenings special. Spend time with the kids (if you don't have any, spend time with someone else's). It is a great time for informal play and merry making. If you just can't avoid the lull, find a friend who shares the same feelings, and get together. I will bet that you might just end up laughing about it. Christmas
Eve Thoughts
I write this on Christmas Eve in Japan. This is my fifth and last year of spending the Christmas season here. My job is to be in church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. So that is what I am preparing to do. By
this time in the USA, most everybody is somewhere in the air
or on the road. Here in Japan it was a regular work day (actually
the 23rd was the national holiday--the Emperor's Birthday).
People are saving up their party mood for the New Year holiday
which falls on a very long weekend. People will be taking off
from Friday the 30th until January 3rd since January 1-3 are
the official holidays.(I will of course be working January 1
because it falls on a Sunday).
After serving in the church for some 20 years, Christmas Eve is no longer stressful for me. The stories we read are familiar. The songs and prayers are familiar. The crowd is different in Japan on Christmas Eve, but the message remains similar to the angel who came to a little town in the Middle East some 2000 years's ago: "Behold, I bring you Good News which will bring joy to all the people!" I hope that you will find great joy this holiday season. There are certainly lots of things that could get you down--between the stuff going on across the world, and the stuff in your own hometown, and the stuff in your own life, there are plenty of things that might bring you a touch of pain and sadness. But at least for the weekend, ponder the joy in your life. Here are some tips from The Leisure Guy: What are you thankful for this holiday season? Make a list, keep that list handy and refer to it every time you are down. Add to it when it is appropriate. Joy can last longer than a holiday. Who are the people in your life that make you smile? Thank them, call them, share a laugh with them. What are your favorite things to do? Plan to do them today if you can. If not, get them on the calendar as soon as possible. What is the most fun thing you did all year? Remember it. Duplicate it if you can in the coming year. Come up with a whole new plan for a fun thing to do in 2006. Get in a long walk this weekend. Exercise actually creates endorphins that improve happiness levels. What
are you drinking this holiday?
[Read
AOL
Diet and Fitness for the whole article]
Five
Drinks to Avoid
1. Eggnog 2. Hot Toddies 3. Martinis 4. Margaritas: 5. Mixers Five Smarter Sips 1. Champagne 2. Wine Spritzer 3. Wine 4. Beer 5. Vodka (or Gin) & Soda These are all based on calories and fat grams. Driving while drinking makes them all dangerous. Have a safe holiday! Holiday
Health Tips
You
may think it is too late to be thinking about health now that
you are three weeks into the holiday party season. You would
be wrong. It is never too late to make a step a positive step
forward. I ran across this list of tips from a vitamin company.
I read the list with a healthy dose of skepticism, and felt
like they were on target.
Try these tips: 1. Get organized. 2. Prevent flu. 3. Always designate a driver when party-going or book a hotel room nearby. 4. Go easy on alcohol -- alternate a soda or water between drinks. 5. Get plenty of rest. 6. Get plenty of exercise. 7. Eat smaller portions. 8. Designate a referee for family gatherings. 9. Plan an escape. 10. Go nuts. Fill candy dishes with walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, macadamias and pistachios. [Read California Health Presents Ten Tips For A Healthy Holiday Season (which includes their vitamin recommendations)] The Leisure Guy suggests these related tips: Walk as much as you can, as often as you can, for as long as you can. Eat lots of colored foods (vegetables and root crops, etc.) they have fewer calories and tend to have lots of nutrition--the brown stuff (meat, potatoes, breads) tends to have more calories, fat and starches. It is a holiday ("holy day")- take time to nurture yourself-read a good book, have some quiet time for prayer/meditation, make time for serious rest Thursday, December 15, 2005 Travel Season Tips I could not resist passing this information along from the RealSimple.com newsletter: What to do when you are bumped from a flight, you need to cancel a non refundable ticket, long lines make you miss a flight, you miss a connection, the fare goes down after you bought your tickets, the airline goes belly up, your luggage is lost, your valuables are pilfered, and your plane leaves without you after being delayed. You would not be surprised to discover that in many cases you are just plain out of luck. Spitting Mad? I ran across this gadget just in time for the holidays:The Cocoro Meter. You can measure your stress levels through saliva tests. All of this in a device that ways 4 ounces and costs ~$160 bucks. I say, give the gift that just keeps on giving. Give one to your boss, and they could entertain themselves for hours and it might just get them off your back. Give them to your coworkers and they might just be more sensitive to you and others based on their levels of stress. Use one yourself and you will have scientific support to postpone another stressful decision. It is an interesting gadget, and has a scientific basis, but like many gadgets made available in Japan, it lacks real life application. (After all, living with stress is to be revered; "death by overwork" is a pathologist's explanation for death; and, suicide is a daily occurrence blamed on stress) Unless the data is used effectively, it will prove to be about as entertaining as the magic eight ball or a mood ring. Holiday Stress #3 This time from a Canadian perspective. I ran across this article that outlines ways of coping with stress from the Canadian Mental Health Association. CMHA's
10 Tips for Holiday Peace of Mind: [Read Holiday stress hits everyone; here's how to fight back ] Signs of Stress Got that holiday stress? (Just stressed in general?) Can you recognize it? Found this article on a University of New Hampshire site [Holiday Stress]. Better than the article was this listing of signs of stress-
If you can recognize the stress, you can do something about it. Search
this Site for articles on stress prevention Holiday Stress #2 What can I say? It is the season. There are all kinds of stressors in our lives this time of year. There is the financial stress from buying gifts and the extra expenses of food, travel and the like. There is the stress of time that is being stretched by extra parties, gatherings and activities that are givens during this time of year. There is the end of year workplace stress because there are still year-end reports and projects due before the holidays, and there are just fewer work days to get them done in December. There is the stress of family gatherings and interactions that are inevitable during the Christmas season. All of these stressors are compounded because they are happening together in a compact amount of time. How can a person deal with the stress of the season? [Read Don't Panic! How To Reduce Holiday Stress ] This article addressed how to handle employees in the office to give them some assistance during a stressful season. Summing it up: 1) Take time to listen to employees and make them feel important. 2) Recognize and reward their work personally and creatively. 3) Use humor and mirth when at all possible. [Read Holiday stress? Let it go, let it go, let it go ] Rehash of December 1 info. [Read Give yourself the perfect holiday gift: Less stress ] This one deals with financial stress during the season. The summation: Be realistic in your holiday spending. Don't spend what you can't afford to spend. Did you know that the average family spends $738 dollars on gifts, food and the like to survive the season. The average expenditures for a family making over $100,000 is $1318 dollars, and those making under $50,000 will spend $538 on average. Note that those figures are skewed because it is based on what families expected to spend in October, and what is actually spent come December. One experts' suggestion: Keep holiday spending to 1% of your income. May this season be calm and stress-free--and keep that sense of humor. Taking another path I have been running this blog since June, writing on nearly a daily basis, keeping basic themes going on a weekly basis, it is time to do something new. I will keep blogging, but it might be closer to three times a week rather than daily. The reason: I have some other writing I need to do. I am working on some short stories, a Leisure Guy related book, and then I have another project in the works. The Leisure Guy has also renewed interest in an old hobby, photography. My plan is to share some of those photos on a regular basis. So even though the blog may come out less frequently, I am more productive than ever. The past five months have been lots of fun, I have no doubt the next five will be more fun. There are lots of regular readers. Based on the statistics, over 6000 separate visits since the beginning. Averaging about 30 unique visitors each day...the high back in August of 120 and in September of 115. (An interesting statistic: most bloggers get by on less than 20 visitors a day--and so my mother was right, "I am just a little above average." So, the next few months will be different. The Leisure Guy will continue to share with you information that will improve your work, leisure and health, and that will help prevent stress and burnout. All of this while being less stressed myself. Use the response form or email me to give me your feedback. NO STRESS THURSDAY (Holiday Stress #1) 'Tis the season...for serious depression, increases in suicide, alcohol related incidents, drug abuse and all manners of domestic violence. Holiday stress is serious business and is the underlying cause for all kinds of unhealthy behaviors. Here are some coping hints from the American Psychological Association: Set expectations. Make realistic choices about what you can and can't manage to celebrate the season; don't overwhelm yourself with goals that are too much for a busy time. Talk to your kids in advance about gifts and holiday activities; it's a good opportunity to teach them about responsible spending. Make connections. View the holidays as a time to reconnect with family and friends and establish good relationships. Accept help and support from those who care about you. Volunteer at a local charity to help others, and involve your children in this effort. Take care of yourself. Keep mind and body healthy and primed to deal with stressful situations. Pay attention to your own needs and feelings during the busy weeks, and seek out activities that you and your family find fun and relaxing. Get kids away from the TV (and the barrage of advertisements) with family outings. Keep things in perspective. Consider stressful situations in a broader context and avoid blowing disagreements or disappointments out of proportion. If the holiday doesn't go perfectly, it's not the worst thing that ever happened. There's always next year. HUMP DAY HUMOR (Priceless Headlines) I opened my paper in Japan and read a story about butts being to big in the West for needles. I can't remember the last time I read the word "buttocks" in the newspaper, so I ran a news search on Google with the word "buttocks" and these were some of the first headlines that popped up: Obese
Buttocks Leave Drug Therapy Behind Come to think of it, it's not that funny. WORK/LIFE BALANCE (Crunch mode?) All your life you thought crunch mode worked. Cramming before that algebra exam. Writing that paper and turning it in at the very last minute. Taking your taxes to the Post Office at midnight on April 15th. Working 60 hours a week for a month to make up for a year of sloth. The question is, does it really work? You passed that exam, got a decent grade on the paper, and your taxes weren't audited, but was it worth the stress you caused yourself? I know, you think this is some kind of lecture from the guy who always turned in his homework early, wrong. I am one of the worst procrastinators and last minute types. But I also don't think that this is the best way to go about life and work. [Read Why Crunch Mode Doesn't Work: 6 Lessons ] I ran across this article recently and found it interesting reading from The International Game Developer's Association. Seems they figured out that good programming doesn't mean all-nighters with jolts of caffeine like they once thought.
BURNOUT (Lunch breaks?) [Read Experts warn short lunch breaks can lead to burnout ] It is Monday morning, and just a few hours after you arrive at the office, you will be thinking about lunch. You may head to a restaurant, or you may have brought it with you, or you may not choose to eat at all,the question is: how long will your lunch break be? Fact: lunch hours are being used less for lunch and more for errands. Fact: lunch time fare is less healthy than ever. More fast food, and less whole foods. Fact: those who still take a traditional lunch break are finding them shorter than ever (42 minutes for the traditional lunch "hour" folks) Career experts say that taking short breaks can lead to burnout and can lead others to think that you are always on the job.This situation is compounded by business that is done across many time zones and the work day never seems to end. It is important to get away from your desk during the day, for your health and for nurturing the independence of your clients/colleagues. It's Monday, do something good for yourself:
Sunday Feature (Sabbath Practices) Here's one from my own playbook: Spend time with a creative project on your sabbath. One of my favorite authors is Wendell Berry. Nearly every Sunday of his adult life, he has walked in the woods of his farm and has written poetry. I had a friend who had an apple farm, and every Sunday after church he would pull out water colors and canvas and paint landscapes. Today I pulled out my camera and photographed fall leaves and the like around my home, and also took time to write some fiction. It was a truly joyous afternoon. How about your creative side? What hobby or artistic project would you do to bring rest and relaxation to your life? Take a break, be creative. For Your Health Friday (Mediterranean Diet) The day after you just consumed more saturated fat and salt than a human should have, there is good news...Mediterranean. Based on a French study, eating a Mediterranean diet for three months will reduce your risk for heart disease by 15%. That diet's description: rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish and olive oil and light on red meat. There has been lots written about the diet, but there are only two studies that actually look at what happens when healthy people keep that diet. The study looked at 212 persons who were at moderate risk for heart disease and placed them on a diet that instructed them to eat fish four times a week and red meat only once a week. Men were allowed two glasses of red wine daily, while women were limited to one. Those on the Mediterranean diet,saw their total cholesterol drop by 7.5 percent, and overall cardiovascular risk fell 15 percent. [Read Mediterranean diet good for the heart ] See The Mediterranean Food Pyramid for examples of the diet at work. STRESS FREE THANKSGIVING... It is a holiday across the USA, so I know you won't be reading The Leisure Guy; but if you do, you might need this advice (or could have used it before you turned on your computer). *It's a holiday. Take your time. I realize that some of you have already scheduled two or three meals for the day and a whole schedule of activities making it even more fast paced than a work-day. Unfortunately, that is a recipe for stress. *Watch what you eat. It's probably already too late, but you don't have to consume 6000 calories on Thanksgiving to make it a celebration. You may be stressed next week when those new pants don't fit. *Watch those calories you drink. They are not only empty of nutritional value, they can make you do some mighty odd things. Remember the holiday. *Have a sense of humor.It is your family getting together. You already know how they stress you out, might as well laugh about it and take it lighter. *Take a nap for goodness sake. Don't fight the chemicals that are already present in the turkey, dressing and wine. Kick the feet up, close your eyes, they will show reruns of the football game. HUMP DAY HUMOR (A really bad day...) It is a short article. Here's the whole thing from Yahoo News:
Next time you have a bad day, just remember, it could be worse. Work/Life Balance (Prison vs. Work) I was thinking about saving this one for hump day humor, but there are too many issues involved to relegate it to just humor. This was passed on through the Shorter Work Time email list: Just in case you ever got the two mixed up. This should make things a bit clearer. IN
PRISON... you spend the majority of your time in an 8x10 cell. IN
PRISON...you get three meals a day. IN
PRISON...you get time off for good behavior. IN
PRISON...the guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you. IN
PRISON...you can watch TV and play games. IN
PRISON...you get your own toilet. IN
PRISON...they allow your family and friends to visit. IN
PRISON...the taxpayers pay all expenses with no work required. IN
PRISON...you spend most of your life inside bars wanting to
get out. IN
PRISON...you must deal with sadistic Officers. BURNOUT (Job Satisfaction) [Read Happy workers make healthy workers! ] Recent research has found that low job satisfaction has an adverse effect on the health of workers, and that it is not only a major cause of emotional burnout, but also increases the risks of anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. In a study of 250,000 employees (very large sample size) done by Lancaster University School of Management, they found that employees satisfied with their work were:
Some of the latest job trends such as "outsourcing" and the use of new technologies are making workers more insecure and less productive and are actually costing companies in human capital. A quote from Cary Cooper who was one of the lead researchers:
Sunday Feature (Sabbath Practices) [Read Wayne Muller- Sabbath- Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest ] Take off your shoes (p.153 in the book). I have a little different take than the author, taking off your shoes comes as a natural ritual to me these days. In most of Asia, taking off your shoes happens every time you step foot into anyone's home. It happens when you step into a traditional Japanese Church. It happens so frequently that some of us are possessed to go out and buy ugly but practical shoes so that we can slip in and out of them more quickly. It is true that most shoes in Japan come only in wide sizes so that people can slip in and out of them more quickly. Their shoes are perfect if you want to get them off in a hurry, not necessarily so if you want to run a mile in them. So, as you consider some sabbath rest, consider the ritual of taking off your shoes. The idea is that your home is a holy place that deserves respect. You might as well take your time, rest and relax, leave your shoes at the door. There is no need to be in a hurry. It is Sunday after all. Though it is now cooler weather, consider taking off your shoes outside. Walk for a moment in the cool grass. Feel the earth between your toes. Your feet may feel chilled, but it is a very real feeling. Being closer to God's Creation is a holy experience. Enjoy. (Then wash your feet off in warm water--another good feeling for a Sunday afternoon. SPORTS SATURDAY (Tidbits) Let's see, Duke drubbed Seton Hall this week. The Chiba Lotte Marines took the Asian Professional Baseball tournament. Japan lost its bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The Kyushu Sumo tournament is in full swing and Asashoryu is dominating once again. Professional football is being played in the USA, and some guy named Owens can't keep his mouth shut. Tiger Woods is playing golf this week in Japan and whether he wins or not (and right now he is number 2), he stands to make lots of money. The headline read, "Sorenstam and Creamer Battle Over a Drop," and it makes you wonder if women's golf needs to lay off steroids. A look at my ACC Basketball schedule tells me that the big games are on. Wonder who will win the match-up between Bethune-Cookman and Clemson on Friday evening? Speaking of the weather, who'd a thunk that the temperature would be in the mid-20's in the South in November. It was chilly in Japan this morning, but it would have been a long underwear morning in North Carolina (and in Tennessee for that matter). Brrrrrr. If
I were to be a couch potato today, the best thing on would be
sumo. I suppose I will opt out for something more active. For Your Health Friday (Breathe Deeply) Many sites on the web and many stress related literature mentions deep breathing as a good antidote to stress. Very few of those references actually give instructions for deep breathing. I found these at familydoctor.org: Steps
to deep breathing
NO STRESS THURSDAY (Sweet tooth strategy) Good news for all of you with a sweet tooth--it may actually help control stress. Granted the researchers looked at a study group of rats, but there were some interesting findings.
They found that it was not just an artificial sweet taste that did the trick, but real sugars. That is good news for us. [Read Researchers stress sweet snacks may be OK ] The rats received the equivalent of 200 calories of sugar water, and did not gain weight, and actually saw reductions of stress. The researchers speculated that sweets could be incorporated into a regular human diet without weight gain while reducing stress. I say, sign me up. From personal experience, it doesn't take much chocolate to make a difference in my attitude. A little dab will do it. Consider this the next time you are stressed and want to snarf that Jumbo Snickers bar--a bite size piece might do the trick. Reduce the calories while keeping the psychological warmth. Glad that they tested this theory on rats, next time, on some politicians. HUMP DAY HUMOR (How about a cartoon?) Some days you just don't feel like reading, you just want to look at pictures. The funny pages are all you need. So it goes with this middle of the week, a day to look at pictures and a few captions: Work/Life Balance (We're #2!-or maybe not) Who works the most in the world? Lots of statistics out there, better be careful how you read them. This 2002 study of industrial nations is interesting. It is a look at industrial workers, not white collar workers (though USA is at the top too). It tells us the average number of hours worked per week, and the number of hours per year. (Notice that hours per year does not equal 52 times the weekly average, this is due to vacations and holidays taken). Country,
Avg. Weekly, Avg. Yearly BURNOUT (A few hints for the week) The past several Mondays have been a little on the heavy side. A little more academic than you probably would care to have. Today- some tips on how to avoid burnout:
[This list was originally published on June 29, 2005 in Cape Argus from South Africa] SUNDAY FEATURE (Sabbath Practices) Here is a sabbath practice that The Leisure Guy endorses whole-heartedly. Play. Pure, purposeless play. How often do you get a chance to do that. Most of our play has a purpose, at least when you get my age. We play for exercise, cardiovascular stimulation, to keep the middle tighter, or for mastery of a sport/hobby...name your reasons. When was the last time you just played for the heck of it? Pulled out the golf clubs just for enjoyment? Hit tennis balls just to be hitting them? Took a long walk in the country because it was what you wanted to do? Romped with the kids in the grass because it was a sunny day? Consider playing with no agenda in mind today. Consider spending an hour or two without a purpose other than just for the fun of it. You might be surprised how good it feels. Here are some suggestions to make play more fun today:
Sports Saturday (Ah, NCAA Basketball is on its way) I read this week that the exhibition season began at my alma mater. The Cameron Crazies were back in season and Duke basketball began with a 102-42 romp over North Carolina Central. They are ranked #1 in the nation in the preseason and received 61 first place votes among sportswriters. That's my team. I became a Blue Devil fan in 1982 when I moved to Durham as a graduate student. It was the freshman year of Johnny Dawkins and Mark Alarie and the rest of the crew that went on to the final game of the 1986 season. That first year was Coach K's second season, and Duke basketball was in a lull. I got season tickets that year, and did not have to wait in line overnight (even though I did). I had friends that walked in two days later and still got season tickets. We got there earlier than the security guards and I shot baskets with Mark Alarie for about 20 minutes before being ushered out. Over the next few years, those tickets became scarce, and then it became nearly impossible to get into Cameron Indoor Stadium. It is still my preference to watch the Blue Devils on TV and I am looking forward to being back in the USA where that is possible. Forgive The Leisure Guy if he spends way too much time talking about Duke Basketball in the coming months. It may seem like an obsession. I promise you, I am way more reserved than the average Duke fan. For Your Health Friday (Work Out for Everyone) Between busy-ness and computer problems, Thursday just didn't get posted. Sorry... [Read A workout for every age and attitude] How has exercise differed for you through the years? Before I went to college, I could run with a bad pair of shoes for hours at the time (and did). I played basketball and baseball with the seasons, and thought nothing about weights or strength training. (That was for the football team) Then came college, and I had to buy a pair of good shoes and ran quite a few miles a week, and was mildly involved in strength training. I was not injury free, and stayed away from workouts more frequently than I needed to. As I got older, there were always new ways of exercising and always more injuries. My shoes got more expensive, as did the workout equipment. I stayed away from the gym more often than not, and found that injuries deterred me longer. Now I am older still (45 as of this week), but I am getting back to patterns of exercise that are more regular, and I have fewer injuries. Cardio exercise is less stressful on my body, and strength training is the bigger part of my workout. What is appropriate for you and your physical ability? What is appropriate for your age and attitude? Many of the problems associated with exercise and people dropping out of exercise is because of basic mismatches. Take a look at your life and fitness level and match an exercise program to it. HUMP DAY HUMOR (Wild boars in downtown Seoul) [Read
Police
on wild boar chase] Just
before moving to Japan in 2001, I was informed that I was living in
a city with an overpopulation of wild boar and that I should take
care when taking out trash or driving. WORK/LIFE
BALANCE (Working Harder Isn’t Working) BURNOUT (Wrap up)
( See September 5th, September 12th, September 19th, September 26th, October 3rd, October 10th, October 17th and October 31st for the whole series. Go back and read the explanations of the six basic issues facing a worker and his/her work: Workload, Control, Reward, Community, Fairness, and Values) Realize
that no problem is completely insurmountable. Situations can change.
People can change. You can make change. Burnout is not inevitable.
But it cannot be banished without a little effort. Read other books by Leiter and Maslach:
Sunday Feature (Sabbath Practices) [Read Wayne Muller- Sabbath- Restoring the Sacred Rhythm of Rest ] Sleep on it. (see p. 170 of the book) Think of a problem that concerns you. Imagine that your Creator is already at work healing that which needs to be made whole. What do you need to do (or not do) to let it happen? Then sleep on it. Turn your problem over to heavenly beings. When you awake, see if the problem is still there. See if it has grown overnight. See if something else has grown there in its place. I have found that this same exercise works for sleep. Name the problem that is keeping you up. Let it go. See if it is even an issue in the morning. SPORTS SATURDAY (Joe Paterno-40 Years) It is the beginning of November, that means college football will keep my mind occupied for a few weeks until NCAA basketball kicks in. I am an Alabamian, so the iron Bowl means something where I come from (Roll Tide!--War Eagle!-covers both sides of my family) My favorite football team to watch for the longest time was the Florida State Seminoles. They dominated ACC football and were certainly going to score 40-50 points against my alma mater Duke. I cheered Maryland to a bowl appearance one year. And always enjoyed when Penn State came to town. It is Joe Paterno's fortieth year as a head coach. Amazingly, he has been at Penn State as a coach since 1950 when he was named an assistant at age 23. Imagine being employed by the same company/institution for 56 years. Paterno is almost 80 years old (imagine working until your 80!--even living until you are 80!) According to a Houston Chronicle article [read In his 40th season, Paterno is far from ordinary Joe], there have been 765 coaching changes in Division I, 10 different presidents, and he is second only to Bobby Bowden with 351 career wins. After two losing seasons, he is back to contending for the Big Ten Title, and has a team that is as good as ever, 8-1 and facing Wisconsin this weekend who is also 8-1. Paterno said he would quit coaching football when he said it wasn't fun anymore. He must be having a blast this season. Is there anything you could continue to do for 40 years, until your 80th birthday? For Your Health Friday (Stress and the Heart) [Read Don't Stress Your Heart Out] This article from Forbes magazine states that excessive stress can contribute to raised cholesterol levels, higher blood pressure and problems like ulcers. But it also states that there are no direct correlations between stress and heart disease. (I believe that high blood pressure is a cardiovascular problem, as is high cholesterol). Doctors at Duke University Medical Center conducted two studies showing stress management reduces myocardial ischemia--when the heart does not get enough blood supply to its own muscle. A couple of hints from the article:
NO
STRESS THURSDAY (Gender Differences?)
Are
there differences between how men and women deal with stress?
One
might suspect that men and women differ because of other gender differences,
but researchers in Louisiana in 1992 discovered that there were basically
no differences in the way the genders handled stress, only the differences
in the stress situations. [Read Down
with La Difference]
It
was not a huge study sample, 21 of each gender, and what methodology I
saw was not the best, so I think the question is still up for grabs.
But
both men and women were from similar salary brackets and responsibility
levels, and they acted basically the same.and had similar coping strategies.The
differences that existed were basically due to the nature of the job.
(I
would bet that they would find more differences between persons related
to personality and motivation type)
HUMP
DAY HUMOR (Bad Day?)
Found
at: The
Canonical List of Business Humor
You
Know It Is Going To Be A Bad Day When...
Every
person you ask for job leads says "I wish *I* had some job leads".
Fellow
co-workers talk *seriously* about jobs at K-Mart.
People
in your department greet each other with "How's the job search?"
instead
of "How's it going?" Talking
causes the newly formed zits around your mouth to pop.
The
bird singing outside your window is a buzzard.
The
Gypsy fortune teller offers to refund your money.
There
is a '60 Minutes' crew at your office door.
You
accidentally wash your hair with "Nair".
You
call the Suicide Prevention Hotline and they put you on hold.
You
call your answering service and they tell you it's none of your business.
You
find a completely empty parking lot when you get to work at 9:00 AM.
You
find your boss, two higher levels of management, and a security guard
waiting for you when you get in. You
find your office door has disappeared since last night.
You get a paper cut from a get-well card.
You
have to borrow from your Visa to pay off your MasterCard.
WORK/LIFE
BALANCE (Some Balanced Acts)
One
of my favorite business magazines for the past several years has been
Fast Company.
They have documented the rise and fall of the "post-modern"
corporate world, and continue to offer a different slant on business and
the people who do it.
I
ran across this article this past week. It is an old one, but offers some
interesting insights into how some corporate stars kept balance in 1999.
A good piece of research would be to see where these guys/gals are in
2005.
[Read Balancing Acts] Ask yourself the same questions that FC asked these persons: In
the face of unlimited business opportunities, how do you create balance
in your life?
How
do you continue to pursue your work goals and still stay connected to
the things that make you human?
And finally, once you've gone overboard in one direction, how do you "get a life"? |
© 2005, Michael Rich and Seatomypants Productions
by Leiter and Maslach]