THE BALANCING ACT

THE BALANCING ACT

Building Balance for Better Living

March 2005

by Brent O'Bannon, MBS

(Author, Speaker, Counselor/Coach)

Read in this edition...

Always Personal...Getting more sleep

Always Professional...Dealing with difficult people

Always Playful...Fun quotes

Always Personal…

Recently I ventured to the mall to get a long overdue haircut. While I was getting my shampoo and spring highlights, I fell fast asleep! My hairdresser said, "You must have really needed that". I stretched, yawned, opened my eyes and said, "I guess I did".

I know you should let sleeping dogs lie but do you realize that sleep is vital to life balance?

1/2 of American adults have experienced insomnia at least a few nights during the previous year.

11% of Americans use prescription or over the counter medication to help them sleep.

70% of shift workers experience sleep disturbances.

90% of people with depression & anxiety experience insomnia.

Sleep deprivation can cause motor vehicle accidents. It can also impair judgment on the job, social and family relationships, and impaired emotional functioning.

Here are 7 "SUGGESTIONS FOR SLEEPING".

1. Wake up at the same time every morning, regardless of how much slept. Follow the same relaxing, going to bed routine. For example, washing your face, brushing your teeth, reading a magazine, meditating, listening to music or praying.

2. If you are unable to go to sleep after 15-20 minutes get up out of your bed and go to another room and engage in an activity (reading, writing, computer, folding clothes, etc.) until you get sleepy. Then, go back to your bed to sleep. The worst behavior you can do is "toss and turn" in your bed.

3. De-clutter, decorate and design your bedroom for sleep and sex! Don't allow your bedroom to become an office, a workout room or a storage closet. Decorate and design your bedroom to become a relaxing oasis that is associated with peace, pleasure and privacy.

4. Exercise daily and increase your physical activity. This decreases sedentary behavior and allows for deeper sleep.

5. Do not nap. Naps reduce the quality and quantity of sleep. Take breaks to refresh yourself.

6. Eat a light nutritional snack before going to bed. Research shows foods with L-tryptophan (like turkey or milk) help induce sleep. Eliminating hunger will improve sleep.

7. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and consistent use of sleeping pills. All of these will decrease sleep quality. Continued use of sleeping medication has been found to decrease quality of sleep. Consult your doctor.

A friend recently called me in a frantic and shared how overwhelmed he was. He had been burning the candle at both ends and going to bed exhausted. Rarely does he say no and take time for rest. It's been said, "If you snooze you loose" but in the game of life balance, "You must rest for your best"!

Take my FREE “Do I Need Counseling” test & get your results.

CLICK HERE.

Call or Email Brent to set up the appointment-

903-819-0301 or brent@brentspeaks.com

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Always Professional…

Do you know any DIFFICULT people?

Do you ever fight like cats and dogs?

Here is a list of 7 types of difficult people, Brent discusses in his "Dealing with Difficult People" audio CD program. Who do you struggle with the most?

1. The Bully (aggressive, hostile, harassing or abusive)

2. The Professional Whiner (chronic complainer that avoids solutions)

3. The Bump on the Log (quiet, passive, unresponsive)

4. The Yes Person (overly agreeable and over promises without delivering)

5. The Know it All (acts like the expert about everything)

6. The Pessy (pessimistic person with a pissy attitude)

7. The Back Stabber (untrustworthy person who gossips)

How do you deal with these difficult people? Is your supervisor an enemy with whom you wage war ? Is your co-worker sooooo different that you have given up understanding what makes him or her tick? Is your customer a big baby you would like to scold?

Here are 3 positive professional principles in dealing with difficult people:

* People aren't the enemy and the relationship is not the war. Give people their basic human rights. Do what Abraham Lincoln said, "I destroy my enemy by making him my friend."

* Seek first to understand and then to be understood. It's been said, "People aren't difficult just different". Learn about personality differences and what makes people tick.

* Every person has an innocent child that needs a positive person. In the heart of every man and woman is a "little boy" or "little girl" that needs a positive person. James Mathew said, "Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."