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Sleep? Who needs it?! You do!!!

May 8, 2012 in burnout, distraction, Rest with 4 Comments

“Personally, I enjoy working about 18 hours a day. Besides the short catnaps I take each day, I average about four to five hours of sleep per night.” ~ Thomas Edison

Brilliant as he was, Edison was wrong about this one. If you identify with his statement, you’re wrong too. And dangerous. And DRUNK.

Drunk? Yep.

Maybe I should explain. Research shows that trying to function on a lack of sleep will give you the mental capacity of a serious drinker. Actually, more like a drunk. Your thoughts will be fuzzy, with no real clarity. You know… like… drunk. Really drunk.

BBC Science recently reported the following findings on sleep deprivation: 

“With continued lack of sufficient sleep, the part of the brain that controls language, memory, planning and sense of time is severely affected, practically shutting down. In fact, 17 hours of sustained wakefulness leads to a decrease in performance equivalent to a blood alcohol level of 0.05% (two glasses of wine). This is the legal drunk driving limit in the UK.”

Ouch.

They go on to say…

“Research also shows that sleep-deprived individuals often have difficulty in responding to rapidly changing situations and making rational judgements. In real life situations, the consequences are grave and lack of sleep is said to have been be a contributory factor to a number of international disasters such as Exxon Valdez, Chernobyl, Three Mile Island and the Challenger shuttle explosion.”

There you have it. You would never allow yourself to stay drunk on the job, drunk behind the wheel, drunk all the time. At least I hope you wouldn’t.

You should take a serious look at your own sleep deprivation.

Sleep is not a luxury. You were built to require it. It’s time you started paying attention to your need for it. Ignorance is dangerous. So are you if you ignore the warning signs your body and mind are giving you.

I hope this post inspires you to re-think your relationship with sleep… and the get some. As soon as possible.

Have you had a dangerous close call because of exhaustion? What was it?

Need a break? Push the reset button.

February 7, 2012 in burnout, Rest, work with 2 Comments

Tired? Frazzled? Wanna get away? You may not need a vacation, sabbatical or extended anything. You may just need to push the reset button.

Like most constantly running machines, you have a reset button. You may have forgotten it’s there, but it’s there. Everybody has one. Sometime or another we all need to push the reset button.

It’s available every day. The problem is, we forget to push it. Or we forget we can push it. Or we forget it exists. But make no mistake, there IS a reset button.

It’s easy to push, too.

There are things you can do today, at work, school or home that can take the edge off your pace and give you a break. None of them take more than a few minutes. None of them are impossible, or even hard for that matter – but they’ll make a huge difference in your perspective. Do them often enough, and you’ll find yourself in a better place, in less need of an extended getaway.

Here are some doable ways to push the reset button today, right where you are. Try one or more of these throughout the course of your day:

  • Take a deep breath
  • Look away from your computer screen
  • Get off the phone for 3 minutes
  • Take a break
  • Leave the room
  • Sit quietly
  • Stare at the ceiling for a minute
  • Read a scripture
  • Take a walk

Do it. Push the reset button. I dare you.

Put these to use and let us know how they’re working for you.

Leave a comment in the comments section below.

Can You Keep Going At This Pace?

February 18, 2011 in burnout, Rest, work with 12 Comments

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion?
Come to me… Walk with me and work with me—
watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”
                                          ~ Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
It’s probably time to slow down. Maybe even stop for a while.  What would happen if you got quiet and located your joy again? What if you rediscovered the things that make you come alive on the inside? What if you found the courage to finally tell some of us “no?”
Joy? Life? Control? Those things might seem a million miles from your hamster wheel right now, but I dare you to find out how long it will take you to get there. “There” is closer than you think. I guarantee it. Don’t believe me? Just stop for a while and prove me wrong. 
I dare you. 
I double dog dare you.
I triple dog Texas dare you.
Would it help if I said “please?” Or… “pretty please with sugar on top?” I will, if you require it.
Why?
Your best days are ahead of you. We want to see those days. We want the best of you that’s in those days. We need you to finish strong. We need you to take care of yourself.
Find rest. I’m begging you.

Now… will you?

Selah.

Umm… about your juggling act…

September 21, 2010 in Balance, burnout, distraction with 0 Comments

Let’s face it. If you’re talented, creative and motivated, you will have more opportunity than hours in a day. All of them are probably good opportunities – but are they the RIGHT opportunities?
Clue: everything is never the right thing.

Be selective about the “right” opportunities for you.

I’m not talking about right in the sense of right vs. wrong, but right in the sense of right for you – also right in the sense of “it doesn’t belong to someone else.”  There is an ongoing battle we all have with can vs. should. Can is usually only a small part of the equation.

Should is everything.

Ok, so “right” is tied to “should,” but how do you discern both of those in reality? Here is a short list of questions that may help you determine “right” and “should” for you.

Is it an opportunity you have been looking for/waiting to appear?

Is it something that someone else could do at least 80% as well as you? If so it’s probably theirs.

Is there something you are willing to stop to take on the opportunity?

How does it affect your family?

Will it crowd out anything else essential?

Honestly, will seizing the opportunity energize you, or wear you down?

Is the time/money ratio reasonable? Or if volunteering, is the time/reward ratio reasonable?

    How would you change this list? How do you keep your life in balance? Leave a comment sharing your criteria. Help us with our juggling acts, too!

    Avoiding Burnout

    May 4, 2010 in burnout, Rest, risk with 0 Comments

    Pioneers, creators and trailblazers all have something in common. Without a conscious and continual decision to enjoy life, they can easily misplace the “off” switch.

    I know about blazing a trail… I’m always blazing a trail. I’ve been on the edge and pushing some kind of envelope ever since I can remember. Don’t mistake this as bragging. It’s more of a confession. You know what they say, “Admitting it is the first step.” It’s not good to go non-stop. We must take sabbaticals, even if they are brief. I’m not advocating quitting your job or anything, I’m really talking more about backing off on the inside. We need to take some time without the continual pushing.

    How do you back off on the inside? Is it even possible?

    Yes, it’s possible. But how?

    In a recent series on stress-free living, my pastor busted out one of his favorite quotes: “A bow that is continually bent ceases to shoot straight.” At Eagle Mountain (especially in our Media/Arts department) we believe this philosophy. We believe it so much that we have built a system to keep us “shooting straight.”

    The system goes something like this:

    1) Plan.
    2) Launch.
    3) Execute.
    4) Complete.
    5) Celebrate.
    6) Rest

    Work hard, yes, and then breathe. Take time to breathe. Rest. Don’t skip this step. Your life, relationships and health may be riding on it. To ignore this is adding risk that isn’t good or productive. Frankly, it’s a time bomb.

    Take time to celebrate accomplishments and victories. Take time to celebrate the people in your life. Take time to celebrate the gift of life. It’s possible. You can do it.