The Leisure Guy

One of my alert readers in Memphis sent me this sobering article:

65 percent of Americans spend more time with their computer than their spouse

Now, does that surprise you? Given the fact that the majority spend more time at work than at home. And then a large number of folks after they get home spend two or three more hours working, and that means being with their computer. The premise offers many opportunities for the LeisureGuy to wax humorously, but he will refrain, given that he spends more time with his computer than any other animate or in-animate thing.

How about these statistics?

-- 84% of Americans are more dependent on their computer now than in 2003
--The average consumer has experienced computer troubles eight times -about every four months - over the last three years. (Wonder about how many troubles with the spouse these same folks have had...)
-- The average American is wasting 12 hours per month - the equivalent of half a weekend - due to problems with their home computer.
-- A majority of Americans (52%) describe their most recent experience with a computer problem as one of anger, sadness or alienation. (Wow, to think that a machine that only uses 0's and 1's can cause alienation and sadness)

This week I have had several discussions with different people about this same topic...then I ran across this article on Yahoo News:
Affluenza: Rampant consumerism erodes us

LeisureGuy thinks this issue is important because the unrestrained need for material things is what keeps people from true happiness and is what steals so much time from the average person. There is an old joke: "The one who dies with the most toys wins." I have discovered that those who have the most toys are generally the most in debt and have the less time for play.

I am not against financial security or responsible use of wealth, but I have difficulties with consumerism gone awry. I know folks who own boats, RV's and other recreational equipment that they never use. Some will be making monthly payments for five years or more on items that they will not use more than a few days in 2007. Is that a wise use of resources?

I am not ready to go to the other extreme, but I work regularly with folks who have nothing in the bank, but who have rich experiences. I spoke with a banjo player this week who just finished paying off his small home in the mountains. He figures that he has about $500 dollars extra a month to go wild with--he is going to invest in some antique boats that he will use and then resell. I met a fiddle player that explained how he spent three weeks rafting in the Grand Canyon and actually saved money by not staying home. It was one of the great trips of his life. (Can you take time off to go rafting for three weeks?)

More toward the middle of things (and these friends would resent be considered in the middle), I have some writer friends pared their lives down to a very manageable state that they could both quit their jobs and now have time and money to do most anything they want to do.

Want to read more?

Try:

I found this article online at Time Magazine- (it is first class, by the way)

6 Lessons for Handling Stress

Here are the 6 Lessons with some LeisureGuy commentary:

1) Remember to Breathe- pretty important stuff there. Even if you aren't in a stress situation, breathing is good. Catching your breath before making a decision is a good way to get things right.
2) Stress alters your blood chemistry- in other words, stress is real and it causes physical symptoms. Sometimes stress leads to serious issues.
3) You can't avoid stress- we all face it, some more than others, but in the end, we all must learn to deal with it in positive ways.
4) Stress can age you before your time- So your mother was gray before she should have been? You lost your hair earlier than you thought? You wondered where those wrinkles came from? Look no further than your stress levels.
5) Stress is not an equal opportunity employer- not all folks participating in the same stressful activity react the same way. A job interview can send stress levels flying for everybody, but for many, they calm down after a short time. On the other hand, some folks are still suffering jitters after they get the job. No researcher can tell you exactly why.
6) There's more than one way to relieve stress- The article talks about rat experiments, the LeisureGuy suggests: Almost anything that makes you feel better (with exceptions like drugs, alcohol, overeating and things that harm the body or psyche) is something worth doing. You can take a walk, or take a nap. You can play a game, watch a game, create a game.. You can get some sun, or go to a darkened room. What works for you?

I guess I took my own advice last week. I took a nap and decided I didn't want to write for awhile.

Seriously, I have been involved with a number of projects. As a freelance writer/photographer, if given an opportunity to write and take photos for pay comes around, it is best to go ahead with the flow. I have had a number of paying gigs and prospective gigs to follow-up with and last week just got busy.

So, The Leisure Guy is back, rested and wanting to write again.

Do you realize that over 50 million people in the USA suffer from sleep deprivation?
Do you realize that tired workers cost employers over $150 billion in lost productivity and fatigue related accidents?
Do you realize that two generations ago averaged 10 hours a sleep, and this generation averages 6.7 hours (less than the recommended 8)?

Take a Nap! Change Your Life is the groundbreaking work of Dr. Sarah Mednick from the University of California. She is the world's leading authority on the nap. In her book she describes what a nap can do for you:

Increases alertness
Boosts Creativity
Reduces stress

A daily nap may also reduce the risk of heart attack, aid in weight loss, and improve memory.

Read more at Take a Nap...

From Spiritual Literacy by Frederic and May Ann Brussat:

You do not need to try to become special. The Godseed inside you make you already special. The Greek Orthodox have a spiritual injunction that implores a person to "become what you are."...you have an assignment and purpose in life. This is your mission should you choose to accept it.

May you discover all that you are and become what you are...

One of our regular readers from Japan shared these words from her experience:

"I don't think I have ever missed my work because of sickness for last ten years since I have started working as a full time staffperson. 
I may have felt like catching cold, having a sore throat, or a slight fever a few times. I don't do much exercise except walking a little every day.   I don't take supplements either.  I try to be more careful about what to eat.  I try to eat seasonal food. Once I heard that those summer vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes cool your body, and those vegetables like Japanese radish, turnip, Japanese pumpkin or Chinese cabbage warm your body.

I want to add one more thing: to avoid getting sick is to keep the rhythm of (daily) life.  Whenever you notice some symptom of catching cold, take a rest.  Do not overestimate your health.
 
In Japan we say stress leads to illness and a cold is the cause of all sorts of disease."

We are in cold and flu season, do you know the best ways to prevent them?

It is something I have observed in former staff, friends and colleagues. Those who succumbed to cold and flu more frequently were usually type A folks who were stressed or created stress for themselves.

I have lived the past ten years without missing but a couple of days of work because of cold or flu. I am certain that my diet is not the reason since it is far from stellar. I don't take supplements, and I don't take any extreme measures to avoid germs. But I do lead a fairly low stress life.

Today I saw an article that confirmed what I have been observing. Read: Low Stress Life may Be Best Way to Avoid Colds
(There is also a radio clip that you can download--click listen)

People spend $100 million annually on products to prevent colds and flu--such as vitamin C, Zinc, echinacea, and many others. Studies have shown that none of these products can definitively make a difference in duration of cold and flu symptoms.

The one tactic that seems to be backed up by research is lower stress.

LeisureGuy suggests getting a little rest this weekend, exercise moderately, eat well and breathe deeply. It may do more thaan make you feel a little relaxed.

Who Wants Your Money is a blog from an old friend (young friend that I have know for a few years). He writes with sarcasm, humor and has a keen perspective on how everybody wants your money. Read his disclaimer and you will get a good laugh.

Ashamedly, The Leisure Guy admits that he would like to get some of your money. He doesn't want all of it, just a little bit. If each of the 1500 unique visitors in 2006 would have invested in one of his books, ordered some Charlie's Soap, or bought a few photographs for friends and family, The Leisure Guy would have more time to write. But he does not want your money if you have none to spare. Please do not buy a book if you should be buying groceries for your family.

The Leisure Guy is so bold, he is willing to bet that if you have lots of money, and you have employees that work for you, he can help you make more money by taking better care of them. Give The Leisure Guy a chance to show you how to lessen stress and burnout in your company, and share some of the savings with him.

So, who wants your money? The Leisure Guy...but only if i can help you make more or make you feel better about yourself.

Saw this interesting article online today. Thought I would go ahead and share it. Written in simple bullet points and full of helpful hints: Stress-Proof Your Work Life

Here are a couple of highlights from the article:

Accept that the world is not fair: There will be times when your hard work goes unnoticed, when someone is chosen over you for an interesting assignment or when you alone are required to put in overtime. Rather than getting mentally worked up about these situations, accept that they are just part of the deal. It isn't worth getting upset, and complaining that things aren't fair will only make you look like a whiner. Don't forget that the unfairness of life may soon work in your favor.

You won't turn into a pumpkin if you make a mistake: Errors on the job are embarrassing and frustrating. However they rarely lead to anything more than a reprimand. Mistakes provide important lessons, and they make us more accepting of others' imperfections.

For the last month or so, I have been getting paid to write and do photography for local publications, so my blogs have been more sporadic in content. I am having to learn to balance my time, once again, in my life.

The Leisure Guy will never be accused of being a workaholic, but sometimes I need to slow down. You can have fun and be too busy at the same time.

I ran across this article entitled: Learning to Slow Down by Leslie Gail

Here is a brief outline with some TLG comments--

Leslie says- TURN IT OFF
She is referring to technology such as email, pages, cell phones, etc. Anything that takes your time away from you that has an on-off switch, you can slow down by turning it off.

Leslie says- JUST STOP
Not everything has to be done in a blaze of glory...sometimes all you need to do is stop, smell the coffee, enjoy the scenery, and know that nobody really cares if it is done this moment or 15 minutes later. It is a good thing to have deadlines, and stick to them. But do they really need it 30 minutes earlier than their original deadline? When I freelance, they need a story by a deadline. But it rarely hurts my timing to stop for a good cup of coffee on the way back from a photo shoot. What are some things you can do to "just stop?"

Leslie says- ASK FOR HELP
Some scenarios are easier than others, but we don't always have to feel like we are doing it alone. If our plate is full, it is a good chance that someone else can ease the load. I met a guy this weekend who does some amazing woodwork, and wants everything to be perfect. But he will farm out work when his calendar is packed. I suspect you can too.

I went back to the Authentic Happiness website today.

I took the Fordyce Emotions Questionnaire and discovered that there are surveys that take just minutes to complete. Four questions, a couple of minutes, and you can see how you compare to others based on age, profession, etc.

The main question, paraphrased: "How happy do you feel most of the time?"

Ask yourself:
What percentage of the time are you happy? What percentage of the time are you unhappy?

Do you know how you compare with others? Sometimes it is good to know how you stack up to get an accurate picture. Just because you feel unhappy some of the time does not make you a freak. Just because you are not ecstatic most of the time does not make you an unhappy individual.

Discover for yourself.

The Leisure Guy cannot take responsibility for these questions, but he can say that he pointed you to them. I ran across this article this morning and felt that it was good year-beginning reading:

Five Principles for Happiness in 2007

The author suggests being honest with ourselves and asking some key questions as we begin the year. Not a bad way to start:

• What makes you happy at work?
• What makes you happy at home?
• What makes you happy with your friends and family?
• What makes you happy when you're by yourself?
• What do you love to do?
• What would you do with your life today if you weren't afraid of failure?
• What's not working in your life?
• What are you currently doing that prevents you from experiencing joy?
• What's working in your life?
• Who's not working in your life?
• Who in your life is subtracting value from and adding misery to it?
• Can you fix any of these relationships, or should you let them go from your life?
• What relationships are working in your life?
• If we were getting together one year from today, what would have to happen for you to be able to tell me that you now have more joy in your life?
• What's the single most important thing you've learned about yourself as a result of answering these questions?

I spent the past few days doing something I haven't done for years--physical labor (or at least mildly physical). I have been working at Cataloochee Ski Resort near my home which helps pay the bills, offers free skiing, and gives me a chance to experience life in a different way.

I work on the lift crew and spend my time ensuring the safety of others and picking way too many of them off the snow. I get great views of the Smoky Mountains, get plenty of fresh air and get to observe all kinds of folks in all kinds of situations. Something a writer and photographer needs now and then. Plus, I get lots of time to think and ponder the meaning of life (or the meaning of other things that happen to come to mind).

I spent my first morning of the New Year getting up early to greet a sunrise on the mountain. I rode a chair lift in 25 mph winds to my station at the top of a slope where people spent their day playing with the laws of physics and experiencing gravity in the first person. I was overjoyed that only a handful of souls found their way off the mountain on a stretcher. i gave thanks regularly that I was not the cause of an injury or mishap.

I thought about the New Year ahead as I ate black-eyed peas and turnip greens for lunch while football played on the television. There was something all too familiar (and all too odd) about the day. Here are my resolutions for 2007 as i looked out over the Cataloochee Divide:

1) I plan to spend the year nurturing my creative gifts--I will write and do photography as often as possible.
2) I plan to spend the year finding ways to serve through my creativity--I will try and bless others through my writing and photos
3) I plan to spend the year doing those things I enjoy doing as much as possible--both work and leisure
4) I plan to spend the year making time for my personal health and well-being
5) I plan to spend the year enjoying the company of my family and friends

Hope you have made some resolutions for the New Year. Be sure to tell somebody who will ask you about them now and again.

Happy New Year!