Brain Rules (VIII) — Get Stress On Your Side

When we”re stressed, what changes take place inside our bodies?  Rising blood pressure, increasing heart rate, boost of energy — all signs of adrenaline gushing through our blood streams to keep us alive.

Our stress responses were designed to solve problems that lasted not for years, only seconds (literally, the fight or flight mode).  Stress was designed to get our muscles moving us as quickly as possible, usually out of harm’s way so we won’t become some tiger’s lunch! (John Medina)

Our environment has changed drastically since the days of hunting and gathering but our bodies have not.  Too many stress hormones lingering in our brains lead to chronic stress, overwhelming the brains’ ability to function and problem solve.

Chronic emotional stress causes our health to deteriorate.  Stress attacks the immune system resulting in elevated blood pressure, increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases, heart attacks, and strokes.  Chronic stress can cause depression, altering our abilities to think — affecting our productivity; more importantly, our quality of life!

What happens in our private lives affect our public life.  Stable home lives affect students’ performance at schools as well as workers’ productivity.

How, then, do we manage stress?

Get control back into our lives (insightful stress management experts agree).  Give students and employees a way out — not from their jobs but from the stress they experience from their tasks (John Medina).

Lots to remember, integrate, and apply — for me, anyway.  Looking forward to serving my students with more compassion, more patience.  Wish me luck! 🙂

Conflict Resolution and Creative Job Hunting

(First posted on May 10, 2009.  Accidentally deleted and found.)

What do you do if you find yourself working for a tyrannical or incompetent boss, or a jealous co-worker is out to get you?

Some companies can be unhealthy for your career development and your mental health (indeed, people usually get fired because of politics and personal conflicts — not gross incompetence).

How about an annual career check-up. Take out your resume and review it.  Ask yourself several questions about your current job and your goals.

• Am I achieving my goals and purpose in life?
• Has my objective changed?
• Is this job meeting my expectations?
• Does this company fully value my contributions?
• Am I doing what I’m good at and enjoy doing?
• Are my skills up-to-date for this job and organization?
• Am I fully using my skills as well as acquiring new skills?
• Is this job worth keeping?
• How can I best achieve career satisfaction either in this job or in another job or career?
• What other opportunities elsewhere might be better than this job?

Perhaps changing jobs is not the best alternative for you. If you encounter difficulties with your job,  first understand the problem.  Perhaps the problem can be resolved by working with your present employer. Many employers prefer this approach.  They know that increased job satisfaction translates into less job stress and absenteeism as well as more profits for the company.  Happy workers become more productive employees.

You may want to play a “just in case” scenario by entering your resume into various online resume databases where you can literally keep yourself in the job market 24/7. Whether you’re actively looking for a job or just keeping in touch with potential opportunities, putting your resume online may be a good way to conduct a career check up on a regular basis.

Anonymously putting your resume online with websites such as Monster.com, Yahoo! hotjobs, and careerbuilder.com allows you to remain constantly active in the job market.

Participation in such resume databases may result in employers coming to you rather than you seeking out employers by using the job search strategies and techniques outlined in The Blue Collar Resume and Job Hunting Guide.

By the way, white collar workers, don’t click out just yet  This book offers numerous guerrilla job hunting tips and strategies — from how to answer tough questions to getting interviews the street-wise way (knock on doors!) – an invaluable resource!

With number of plumbers and electricians earning more than six figures, blue collar workers, in many cases, may be more skilled — if you define “skilled” by earning power — than their white collar peers.

Thoughts?

Put Bullies in Their Place (At School and Work)

Is bullying a kid-thing?  Does bullying stop once we’re adults — upon entering the workforce?

I don’t think so (Full Story).

Bullies — both kids and adults — are insecure individuals who validate their self-worth by bringing others down.  Always in groups — cruel, backstabbing, cowards — paralyzed without “friends”.

Chrissa learns, remaining silent won’t stop bullies.

Chrissa’s grandmother imparts her timely wisdom, “Tattling is what you do to get even.  Speaking up is the act of righting wrongs.” (Go Nana!)

Evil will prevail in darkness.  Evil CANNOT survive in light.

Expose wrongs.  First, go and tell the person privately.  No change, bring two witnesses.  Try again.  If problem persists, bring the person to authority.  Attempt to resolve conflict.  No change — disown them.  Give the problem to God.  (Matthew 18:15-19 [paraphrased])

Expose evil.  Speak truth to power (Dr. King, I know, would agree).

It’s THE ONLY WAY to right wrongs.  (For stubborn souls who just won’t let up, expose their wrongs for all to see.  If nothing else, bullies will leave you alone.)

Enjoy the show (rented mine from Blockbuster)!

Enjoy your weekend! 🙂

PS — An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong will hit home for boys and girls.  My fourth grade son was glued to the film the entire 90 minutes!

Hold Parents Accoutable

PARENTS!!!  PARENTING IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY!!!  Our children ARE OUR RESPONSIBILITY — not the school’s, not the police — OURS!!!!

As a mother of a preteen boy, articles and video clips on sexting ran shivers up my spine! Call me dinosaur, techno-illiterate, totally out-of-the-loop — I’m one of the few on this planet without a cell phone.  Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean my 10-year-old son won’t have access to one (like all preteens, he has friends).

“Teens lack the life experiences to understand the long-term effects of their actions” — maybe so (I’ve made some REALLY STUPID CHOICES in my younger days so I’m certainly not in a position to cast judgment); but if one naked picture online can label a teenager as a “slut” and a convicted sex offender, there’s NO SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION (can’t take those pictures back once they’re out there.  Internet photos spread like wildfire)!

(See also State Laws on Obscenity, Child Pornography, and Harassment)

Leaders and Bullies — What’s the Difference?

Control is fear. Control isolates.  Love respects.  Relationships thrive.

Bullies are lonely. They are scared.  Force; their only friend.

Bullies are cowards.  Lacking the intelligence and the courage, to face insecurities head on.

True leaders, never coerce.  They’re firm. They care; acting with people’s best interests in mind.

True leaders inspire. They empower. True leaders give individuals the tools and skills to face life’s challenges!

Fear is evil. Fear is ignorance. Fear keeps people small.

Love is good. Love is wise. Love mobilizes people to strive and work — toward causes much larger and greater than themselves.

Leaders act on love. Bullies, on fear.  Leaders are wise. Bullies, not wise.  Leaders are you-centered. Bullies, me-centered.

Which do you prefer?  Which would you choose?  Which do you aspire to?

 

Cyber Bullying and the Freedom of Speech

David Knight’s school life had been hell.

He was taunted, teased, and punched for years.

David logged on to find one night an abusive website about him. Whoever created the website asked others to join in, posting lewd, sexual comments and smearing David’s reputation.

That’s when David left high school and completed his last year at home.

“It’s a cowardly form of bullying,” said Nancy Knight, David’s mother. “Bullies hide behind the anonymity of the Internet.  They say things they would never say face-to-face.”

Anyone can set up a website.

Yahoo finally removed the website about David only after the family continued seven months of messaging, phone calls, and the threat of legal action.

With freedom comes responsibility.  Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Respect, then freedom.

No respect, no freedom.  You MAY NOT log on.

Full Story