The Capacity for Leisure

Closely tied to stress is how often you take downtime.
On a recent long trip by air I had to change planes in Toronto.
After clearing customs, and the endless lines at security, I arrived at my gate early and the flight was delayed. I thought should I crack open the lap top and get some work done or just cool down?
Next to the gate was a booth offering manicures. I'd never indulged in one before, but I thought but what the heck I'll try something new!
Not only did my garden traumatized nails need some work, but the event was unbelievably relaxing and it just took 20 minutes.

Are there other travelers, particularly men who have enjoyed such a short, but wonderful leisure activity?

Summer and sleep patterns

In the summer the temperature can cause havoc to your sleeping patterns. Some nights it's too warm, and others too cold. Chances are you aren't getting enough sleep. If you're under pressure or facing a deadline, sleep is likely the first thing you let fall by the wayside.

Yet sleep or lack of it, affects our performance in all areas of life. Reduced quality or quantity of sleep contributes to a significant lapse in productivity, alertness and cognititive ability, and increases the risk of injury due to falls, for example. It can also cause friction in relationships becuase of increased irritability and, in the case of some sleep disorders, secondhand sleep disturbance. Untreated sleep disorders are associated with serious medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stoke, obesity, and psychiatric and mood disorders.

How much sleep do you need?

Aah, now that's a mystery- it will vary with individuals but the average adult requires between seven and eight hours of quality sleep in every 24 hour period.

So turn on those fans or air conditioning and try to get some quality sleep-you'll feel better in the long run!

Sun protection in your vehicle

The other day a friend of mine drove home from a weekend trip (it took about 4 hours)and remarked that he felt extremely hot when he went to bed that night. He was surprised when he realized that he had a second degree sunburn on his arm and shoulder

He remarked "Well how did I get that? It was cloudy out." I asked him if he had put any sunscreen on before he drove. "No, I was in my car the whole time- I didn't think I would need it."

This is a common misconception about the sunburn. You CAN get a sunburn in your car, and you certainly can receive one when it's cloudy. Remember, that arm you stick out the window on your drive home is also at risk!

Here are some sun facts for you!

• If you are outside or in your car for long periods of time between 10:00am and 4:00pm- you are at risk from the sun- even if it's cloudy. 50%-80% of the sun's rays go through the clouds and can reach swimmers at least one foot below the surface of the water!!


• Check to see if any medications you take react with the sun- these can increase your chances of severe sunburn or even skin cancer


• Reflections of sunlight from water, snow and through car windows can cause sunburn- protect your skin with suntan lotion and your eyes with sunglasses


• Carry some aloe vera lotion and apply mosturizer 3 times a day to a burn- it will cool your skin down and aid in healing

Many people don't realize how quickly a burn can occur. A tan is the skin trying to shield itself from skin damage. Sure it may look pretty nice if you normally have pasty skin, but really you are aging your skin everytime you recieve a suntan. Things to think about!

Captial Ex- staying healthy while enjoying the fun

Aaah, the smell of deep fried chocolate bars, popcorn, candied apples, and cotton candy. You've just entered the Capital Ex fairgrounds and temptation is all around you! Here are few tips to make your visit to the event a fun one!

• Protect yourself from the sun- wear protective clothing and sunscreen- take a tube in your bag, and make sure to step inside every so often to cool yourself down
• Drink plenty of water- pack a small aluminum thermos- you can find really cool ones these days, and keep yourself hydrated
• Make sure you eat a good breakfast, a decent lunch, and try to resist filling up on all those sweets! Grab a steaming hot corn on the cob as a snack to keep your body going to enjoy all those rides and exhibits
• Pace yourself. Take time to stop and rest while you are walking around the grounds. It's okay to take a break
• Don't eat sweets and get on those rides immediately - I've seen the results of that- not pretty!
• Wear comfortable shoes- no flip flops. Try something with some arch support, and tie your shoelaces- you don't want something catching on a ride!
• If you are going to listen to some of the bands, consider a pair of earplugs to dim the sound slightly- protecting your eardrums from permanent damage. All the sound engineers wear them!
• Be prepared for wasps and other biting insects- especially near garbage cans- carry some soothing bite/itch medication or an epipen if needed.
  
• Most of all enjoy yourself at this fun event

Have a great weekend!
Cheers,
Larry

Keys to Conflict Resolution

People focused on conflict resolution have the courage to face issues head on, but do so carefully. There exists underlying goodwill-an attitude of wanting to invest in the good of the relationship, careing for the other person and seeking understanding and reconciliation- more than a defensive spirit that needs to get its own way. Keys to effective conflict resolution include the following:

• finding the appropriate time; waiting for or even scheduling a time when there won't be distractions


• focusing on areas where there is already agreement


• assuming the best intentions from the other person in what is said and what they want for the relationship


• managing negative emotions


• practicing good communication skills


• committing to a positive outcome for both


• desiring to reconnect more than to "win" with a postrure that says "I can agree to disagree even if we don't come to see eye to eye"


• deciding to forgive and move on if the best attempts at reconciliation fail

How are you at conflict management? Can you think of issues at your work or in your personal life right now that are unresolved? What will you do about them?

For a more detailed look at conflict check out The Healthy CEO- chapter 4! available on my website under Purchase!

When the weather is blah

When the weather is not at its best, many people resort to staying inside- which means they either eat more, sit more, or sleep more. No one wants to strap on their jogging shoes in the rain. How can you combat the rainy weather blues?

1. Turn off the TV and put on some fun music, or an excercise dvd

2. Have 12 almonds and go up and down some stairs- you can achieve 10,000 steps in your house!

3. Clean your house- yes I know it's not the most fun thing to do, but it keeps you up and moving- and the end result is a great place for you to enjoy your leisure time.

What do you like to do on rainy days?

Enter the Ultimate Getaway Contest by signing up for my newsletter- lots of prizes every month- to help you achieve your physical, relational, and financial wellness!

Conflict Management

Good communication goes a long way in preventing disputes, but there are as many ways of looking at the world as there are people in it. Disagreement is inevitable. Few of us relish dealing with disagreements or the conflict that may ensue, but when relationships clash-and they will-having good conflict management skills can make all the difference between good resolution and emotional escalation.

Some CEOs have a hard time knowing how to deal with relational conflict in their personal lives. In business, it’s appropriate to compete: to outsmart and out-argue rivals. Dealing with conflict is about securing a “win”. However, when conflict arises in personal relationships, the goal needs to be “win-win”. It’s not easy for every CEO to shift gears and meet the demands of their personal relationships in this way. It requires a different skill set.

Different Approaches To Conflict

Denial or Avoidance: Some people avoid conflict altogether. They tend to lack the communications skills necessary to promote mutual understanding in the first place. Preferring to keep everything pleasant on the surface, even if it means denying reality, which is entirely different from optimism, conflict avoiders would rather let issues go unresolved than risk having to deal with a potentially messy situation. You would rather pretend nothing was wrong than risk running into an obstacle that couldn’t be overcome. Over time, small problems both with health and in relationships will be come critical issues simply because you don’t want to face them sooner.

Stay tuned for more on approaches to conflict- and check out chapter 4 of my book The Healthy CEO for relational wellness

Approaches to Conflict Part Two

Surrender- People who feel threatened by conflict or who lack self-awareness or confidence may simply give in no matter what in order to “keep peace”. This lack of integrity will usually lead to resentment on the part of the person giving in and ultimately contributes nothing to resolving issues or staying relationally connected.

Passive aggression- This is another form of avoidance, but it deflects rather than denies the issue. The passive-aggressive person might make someone ‘pay’ in subtle ways like giving them the ‘silent treatment,’ rolling their eyes, deliberately making the other person’s life difficult or using manipulation, such as taking on the role of the ‘victim’. If the other person isn’t aware of this dynamic, he or she might take undue responsibility for the entire problem or be tempted to drop the matter entirely in an effort to restore peace. But not facing what’s really going on only allows the conflict to go underground and continue to fester.

Keep reading the Blog and find out the KEYS to SOLVING Conflict Resolution!
Can’t Wait? Check out my book the Healthy CEO- your guide to physical, relational, and financial wellness!

Focusing Your Financial Wellness Goals

With all the spending you’ll be doing this summer, reducing your debt, or eliminating it, it that’s a a possibility for you is a longer-term goal that makes sense. If you want to begin by tackling your credit card debt, you may lay out the following action steps:

1. This evening I will gather all of my credit card bills and calculate exactly how much I owe on each cared and at what interest rate.
2. Tonight I will also check out a reliable website such as Bankrate.com and compare the interest rates on my cards to current rates offered by other credit card companies.
3. Tomorrow I will call my credit card companies and ask for a reduction in my interest rates.
4. By the end of the month, I will consolidate my debt-either by transferring my credit card balances to one card with a lower interest rate or by taking out a line of credit to pay all the credit card debt at once.
5. Every month I will make more than the minimum payment on each card and make the largest payment on the card with the highest interest rate.
6. When paying for incidental expenses such as clothes, restaurant meals, entertainment and house wares, I will use cash or debit instead of credit.
7. Once I’ve paid off my credit cards, I will keep one in my wallet for exceptional expenses and cut the rest up.
   

Every one of these actions steps, taken on its own, may seem too small to have any significant impact on your debt load; however, taken together, these actions can make a huge difference.

Try it today and let me know how you are doing!!

For more financial tips, check out Chapter 8 of The Healthy CEO

Healthy Snacks for Summer

Hungry?

Why not reach for a Vegetable or Fruit instead of that packet of chips or a candy bar?A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can combat cardiovascular disease and protect against the onset of a variety of cancers and other diseases. Cruciferous vegetables-like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower-help prevent cancer. Flavonoids are powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory substances found in plant foods such as grapes, berries, onions and tomatoes. (They’re also in black and green tea and red wine,) In addition, fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and minerals. Sampling a wide variety will ensure you get the full spectrum of available nutrients.

If you must have a sweet tooth, add a little peanut butter onto a stick of celery, and top with rice krispies- crunchy and yummy for you and your family!

Relish Your Physical Wellnes Goals

When the shorts and t-shirts come out in the summer, a lot of people suddenly realize that they want to get in shape. They look at themselves and say “man I really should get into shape” but in saying that, some of them expect results immediately.
How do you set up healthy goals that are achievable?
Well, one way is to:

Tailor Your Goals To Fit You (not the other guy racing a marathon- unless you want to be in one!)
For your goals to be meaningful, they should be tailored to your needs and personality. You could have the same larger goal-“I want to eat better” as someone else, but have slightly different smaller goals. Depending on where you’re at, eating better might mean less salt, more fiber, less eating on the run-or even eating more if you’re underweight. You may want to learn some new cooking methods or recipes, or research quick-but-healthy restaurants or shopping options-whichever best fits your lifestyle. Your goals might also be set within a tighter or broader time span.

When setting your goals, you need to be honest with yourself and introduce challenges while keeping the adjustments realistic. For example, the timeframe of a week is wise if you know you want to make significant lifestyle changes but aren’t sure what impact the changes will actually have. In a week, you can learn a lot about what works, what doesn’t and how to adjust the next set of goals accordingly. The next goal-setting session might cover a lengthier period given your new experiential sight. Experience will teach you how to further tailor your goals.

For more on Making goals Realistic and Building in Fun, check out Chapter 3 in my book The Healthy CEO!

Summer and Rest

Summer can indeed be filled with busy on the go activities, but it's important to remember one of the components for keeping your stress level low and your physical wellness high.
Rest.
This is the cessation of physical activity. Sleep is an obvious way to rest, but there are others. Sitting in your backyard with a magazine or an escapist novel, working on a jigsaw puzzle at your coffee table, soaking in a warm bath, watching a football game or favourite movie, being pampered at the spa or enjoying a relaxing massage-these are all ways you can slow down physically and let your body refuel in ways that are highly enjoyable.
What's your secret to achieving rest this summer?