“The Productivity PRO!”tm news"E"letter (formerly the CELEBRATION news”E”letter)
Number 26, July 2001
by Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP (Certified Speaking Professional)
“The Productivity PRO!”tm
Published by Celebration Presentations
…your Personal and Professional Development Resource
“The Productivity PRO!”tm news"E"letter is a monthly electronic newsletter
distributed to our clients, human resource personnel, and colleagues. Laura
Stack helps people leave the office earlier, with less stress, and more to show
for it!
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NEWS: Baby James Charles Stack arrived on June 12, 2001! He’s perfect! On his
birthday, he was 8 pounds even and 20-1/2 inches, and now he’s over 11 pounds!
He has brown hair and blue eyes. You can see a photo of him, just a few hours
old, at www.thatsmybaby.net, ID #044-01791. It’s a little hectic around our
place with three kids (Meagan, 5 and Johnny, 1), but John and I are having a
ball!
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IN THIS ISSUE:
* Article: “Stop Productivity Loss from Physiological Factors” Part III
* Time Tips and Traps
* Words of Wisdom
* 20% off Featured Program: “eCommunication: Virtual Communication in the
Digital Age”
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ARTICLE: “Stop Productivity Loss from Physiological Factors” Part III
(Part III in the series discusses factor number six of six physiological factors
affecting productivity: sleep).
6. Sleep
How much sleep do you think the average adult gets per night? A March 2001
National Sleep Foundation (NSF) poll of 1000 adults found that 1/3 get less than
7 hours per night and only 1/3 are getting the recommended 8 hours per night. In
1910, the average adult got nine hours of sleep per night, because without
electricity, people generally when to sleep as darkness fell.
John Shepard, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, says
that most adults need between 7 ˝ and 8 ˝ hours of sleep per night, teens need 9
hours and 15 minutes, and small children need more.
The NSF poll showed that 85% of people would sleep more if they were convinced
it would contribute to a healthier life. So here are some statistics to convince
you:
* The Foundation reported that drowsy workers are costing U.S. employers an
estimated $18 billion annually in lost productivity. If you add in errors,
damage, and health consequences, the costs are even higher.
* Overall, the quality of work, the amount of work, and your concentration EACH
decline by 30% when you’re sleepy.
* A lack of sleep affects your personal life too. Among those having sleep
problems, 77 percent also said they had less marital satisfaction. 38% of
married respondents said they have intimate relations with their spouse less
than once a week because of fatigue and lack of time.
* 75% of people reported to experience daytime sleepiness and 36% believe that
feeling very sleepy in the afternoon is normal. However, sleep experts tell us
that daytime sleepiness is NOT normal, if you are getting the correct amount of
sleep for your needs. You need a good night’s sleep on a regular basis.
* Studies show that sleepiness impairs memory, reaction time, and alertness.
Tired people are more moody, less patient with others, and less interactive in
relationships.
* Too little sleep also suppresses your immune function, which leads to
increased infection and illnesses.
* Getting inadequate sleep also causes problems similar to drinking too much
alcohol. Nodding off at work isn’t just unproductive; it can be disastrous. The
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that sleepy drivers cause
at least 200,000 crashes each year. The 1989 Exxon Valdez Alaskan oil spill, for
example, was reportedly due at least in part to the severe fatigue of the
tanker’s sleep deprived third mate. The Challenger accident, Chernobyl, and
Three Mile Island accidents were also due to worker fatigue. In rats, prolonged
sleep deprivation resulted in death. (Although we haven’t had any volunteers for
that study in adults yet!)
The bottom line is that sleeping well is not a luxury…it’s a necessity.
However Americans tend to under sleep by choice, burning the candle at both ends
due to hectic work and family schedules. The average workweek today is 46 hours,
and 40 percent of adults are working 50 hours or more a week. We feel we can
have more time for work and family by allowing ourselves less time for sleep.
But we do sleep—at work, driving to and from work—in a state of stupefied
sleepiness. Sacrificing sleep is actually counterproductive.
The Mayo clinic defines an adequate amount of sleep as whatever produces daytime
alertness and a feeling of well-being. You shouldn’t need an alarm clock to wake
you up if you are getting enough sleep.
So take the One-Week Sleep Challenge! I have compiled the results of hours and
hours of research I’ve done on getting good sleep. Here is what I’ve found. If
you do this for ONE week, you will be a new person, I promise!
The One-Week Sleep Challenge
1. Awaken at the same time every day, including weekends. If you sleep late on
Saturday and Sunday morning, you’ll get Sunday night insomnia and you’ll be a
wreck on Monday. Instead, go to bed and get up the same time every day.
2. Get as much bright light as possible (preferably out of doors) during your
desired wake time to reset your body’s clock. If you’re getting sleepy too
early, force yourself to be in bright light.
3. Take a 20 to 30-minute walk every day out of doors, even if it’s cold. Try to
walk in the morning before work to get a jump-start on your day! Physical
activity enhances the deep, refreshing stage of sleep.
4. Avoid or limit caffeine (coffee, tea, soft drinks), nicotine, and alcohol.
Herbal tea in the afternoon is okay. Caffeine and nicotine can keep you from
falling asleep, and alcohol causes fitful sleep and frequent awakenings.
5. Don’t nap in the daytime, which steal from nighttime slumber. If you HAVE to
nap, limit your sleep to 20 minutes.
6. Use your bedroom only for sleeping and intimate relationships. Do not use
your bedroom as an office, to read, to eat, or to watch TV.
7. Start bedtime preparation NINE hours before desired wake time. You are going
to sleep for a total of EIGHT hours each night this week.
* One hour before bedtime, end your day (nine hours prior to your waking time).
Spend the time before bed in relaxing, non-alerting activities such as light
reading, listening to classical music, taking a warm bubble bath, meditating,
writing in a journal, and drinking a small glass of warm milk and honey.
* Don’t eat or drink a lot before bedtime. Make sure you finish your dinner
about 2 hours before sleeping.
* Keep your room slightly cool and quiet.
* Complete your bedtime rituals, then lie down, close your eyes and enjoy sleep
onset.
* If you find you have trouble sleeping, get up and go to a different room and
relax until you are sleepy. Then go back to bed. Do NOT engage in any work or
stimulating activity. Repeat this procedure until you fall asleep. Do not
agonize about not falling asleep; the stress only makes it worse and prevents
sleep. No matter how little you slept, make sure you wake up at the same time
every day. Hang in there! By the third day, you’ll be on your way to a new level
of energy during the day.
Conclusion
Create an action plan for yourself! Decide which of the six physiological
factors you most need to most improve:
1. Exercise
2. Diet
3. Working environment
4. Noise level
5. Leisure
6. Sleep
Make a commitment to work on one of these areas for the next three to six weeks
to change your habits in that area, and then select another area to work on.
Keep working on yourself until you are no longer affected by a lack of
productivity related to your own self-induced physiological factors!
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TIME TIPS AND TRAPS
* Do you get stressed out over the amount of work piled up all over your desk?
Instead of worrying about the QUANTITY of work you have to work on, think
instead about QUALITY. Ask yourself each day, “What one thing can I do today
that will make the greatest impact in my professional life?” Then make sure you
get that one thing checked off your list first.
* Do you ever lie awake at night with a list of “to-dos” or a thought going
round and round in your mind? That’s usually a sign that you are on brain
overload and need to download. Using a journal, tape recorder or list, write
down anything that comes to mind that you’re thinking about. Then you can
transfer the item to a daily plan, put in on a master to-do list to review each
month, or make a project plan to reduce the size of the issue.
* 30 years ago, Americans had more expendable time. Why are things so much more
chaotic today? The size of the American home has doubled in the last half
century, but the size of the average American household has shrunk. That means
more house keeping, cleaning, and yard work done by fewer people. I believe our
parents had more expendable time because they had fewer “things.” Simply put,
they chose not to want as much. They managed their values, not their time.
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WORDS OF WISDOM
"Some people have nothing very well organized. And some people have nothing,
very well organized." – unknown
"A man often pays dear for a small frugality." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
"If everything's under control, you're going too slow." – Mario Andretti
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FEATURED PROGRAM: “eCommunication: Virtual Communication in the Digital Age”
Business professionals communicate with people from around the world, most of
whom they will never meet. That’s the norm in today’s fast-paced, virtual world.
In an environment when time is critical and people need to be productive,
whether in the office, at home, in a hotel, or around the world, businesses have
become dependant on technology for staying in touch. This course will teach you
how to communicate effectively via email, voice mail, and conference calls.
Course Objectives
• Virtual Letters: Managing Email
* Reducing Information Overload
* Communication Guidelines+
* Etiquette/Protocol/Courtesies
* Managing Your In-Box and Calendar
* Productivity Tips
• Virtual Conversations: Managing Voice Mail
• Virtual Meetings: Managing Conference Calls
• Discuss the Advantages/Disadvantages of Each Method
• Selecting the Best Method of Communication
• Communicating with a Virtual Team
• Managing People You Never See
“For more information about “eCommunication: Virtual Communication in the
Digital Age,” please call 303-471-7401. Mention this newsletter and receive a
20% discount on this program when brought on-site to your organization.
CONTACT US
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