Relax – Dave Glardon

Good morning, and happy Friday! I hope your day is starting off just right.

For those who asked, my daughter went home from the hospital yesterday. There are issues that will require follow-up, but she dodged the bullet this time. Then, yesterday afternoon while chasing my grandson through the back yard, my wife tripped and her face and right shoulder took the full brunt of the fall. Two hospitals in two days. I seriously hope we’re done for the year.

This time of year, I don’t ask anybody what they’ve got planned for the weekend because I know. Most of us will be shopping. And it’ll be that way for the rest of the month. It’s a happy time, as we pick up gifts and imagine the look on the recipient’s face when they open it. Giving does bring joy.

But along with the joy of shopping comes the stress. Finding a parking spot, finding an empty shelf where you were hoping to pick up that special gift, and realizing the whole time that your budget has been ripped to shreds. Those little gifts for the neighbors, the stocking stuffers, extra eggnog for the party … all of those things add up and before it’s all over, you’ve spent a small fortune. It happens.

Stress takes away from our enjoyment of the holidays and, left unchecked, it can lead you into a deep depression. It wreaks havoc on your physical and emotional health. And, the thing we don’t really think about is that stress doesn’t care about your emotional state – it can happen when you’re excited or … well, stressed. Any big change from the ordinary, good or bad, is a source of stress.

Don’t believe me? Hang around a couple as their wedding day approaches. It’s probably the happiest day of their lives, and all the planning is geared toward making sure it’s absolutely perfect. The dress, the venue, the food, the flowers, the color choices, the guest list, the limousine, where to seat Uncle Fred so he isn’t too close to the bar. Is it any wonder newlyweds need to get away for a few days?

And, whether you’ll admit it or not, none of us handles stress very well. Nobody. I love it when somebody says, “I thrive on stress!” No, you don’t. You just take it out on everybody around you. You bury yourself in your work and forget that life exists outside of work. You imagine yourself the hero, but you’re really just wearing yourself down. And sooner or later, we all have to pay the piper.

Stress is like a rattlesnake, just waiting for the opportunity to strike. And when it does, the effects can be just about as devastating. But unlike a rattlesnake, stress doesn’t give you any warning that you’re about to have a really bad day. It just sneaks up until the opportunity is right, and leaves you wondering what happened.

As you go through the holidays, pay attention to the signs of stress. It’s easy to spot the bad kind. Impatience, a short fuse, exhaustion, and despair, are all signs of stress. Do you find yourself going through the entire day without eating? Stress. Are you driving just a little faster than normal? Stress. Are you working harder to get those projects done so you can take a little time off? Stress.

It’s impossible to avoid stress at any point through the year, but especially during the holidays. The key is recognizing it and doing something about it. Allow yourself a little extra time. Get up a little earlier and start the day a little slower. Drive in the slow lane and let the hotheads race around. Eat lunch with a friend. Turn off the news and turn on your favorite holiday show. Relax. Breathe.

Stress will always be there, to some extent. We can’t eliminate it completely, but we don’t have to add to it unnecessarily. No matter what you’re doing, find something to enjoy. Make time to do the things you like to do. Have a drink. Light a candle. Read a book. Share stories. Look through old photos. It won’t eliminate stress completely, but you’ll have a lot more strength for the next round.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Good morning! It’s Hump Day! I hope your day is off to a great start.

My day started of pretty well. I’m finally seeing some steady progress in my weight loss. Granted part of that was from being sick over the weekend, but even after two days of solid food, it’s still moving in the right direction. Now, if I could just speed things up a little! I can put weight on over a single meal. Sure would be nice to lose it that fast.

Patience is not a virtue many of us can place at the top of our list of attributes. Not if we’re being completely honest. We want what we want, and we want it now. And we let the world know if it’s not right there waiting for us.

Which is why none of us wants to call Customer Service, because we know we’ll have to listen carefully for six options, then sit with a phone glued to our head listening to elevator music interrupted by timed reassurances that our call is important and if we hang up, we’ll lose our place in line. Have you ever called when they’re experiencing “unusually low call volume”? Yeah, me either.

I’ve often wondered if anybody watches the video cameras in a fast-food drive-thru line. You know, something that will show the facial expressions and steering wheel tapping as people wait for food that somebody should have had ready before they even got there. And then you finally pull up to the window they ask, “Can you pull up a little? We’re waiting on your fries.” Yeah, so am I!

We’ve become accustomed to these inconveniences. It’s just a part of life, and we’ve learned that complaining doesn’t do a bit of good. Besides, if you complain too much, your food may arrive with a little extra “flavoring.” So, most of us just sit there and silently grumble to the people sitting in the car with us who have nothing to do with the fact that they just turned on the fryer.

But I think most of us are the least patient when it comes to our goals. Whether that’s weight loss, building a beach body, climbing the corporate ladder, or building a business, we all want results. And we want them now. Seriously, what is taking so long? We’ve been working at this for a whole month! Where are the results?

We’ll talk more about some of this in the coming days, but I think it’s important first to agree that we really have become spoiled in terms of instant gratification. I see people standing in the lunch room at work reading the instructions on their microwaveable meal. “Seriously? Four and a half minutes?” Yeah. Instead of the half-hour it would take you to prepare it at home. Relax.

We get to experience each minute of life once, and then it’s gone. We only get one chance to enjoy each of those minutes and, like all the time we spend sitting on hold just to hear the dreaded, “Our office is now closed – please call back tomorrow”, we can never have that time back.

Here’s an idea. Slow down a little. Anticipate some of life’s delays and find some alternatives. At the very least, find something constructive to occupy your time. Instead of pacing in front of the microwave, make a new friend. While you’re sitting on hold, read a good book. Instead of fuming at the drive-thru, turn up the radio and sing loud enough to bug the crap out of everyone else in line. Just me?

Sometimes, we all need a little diversion. When I was on the road doing comedy, I spent hours every day driving to the next show. But it wasn’t until I got off the interstate and took the slower route that I really began to enjoy the drive. I saw things that I thought were part of a bygone era. Drive-in movie theaters, roadside motels, antique cars and trucks in roadside lots, and some of the nicest small-town diners in the world. And you know what? I got my food almost as fast. Go figure.

It’s all about taking time to enjoy what’s around us instead of bulldozing against what’s in front of us. The line will move. Our call will be answered. The weight will come down, and we’ll eventually see progress toward our goals. But the moment we get frustrated and give up our place in line, it all goes away.

Patience is a virtue. That doesn’t mean we don’t keep working toward our goals. But more often than not, the results will come in their own time. Our task is to be there when they do, ready to enjoy the moment and press on toward the next one. It makes the time go faster, and it makes each little success feel that much better. Give it a try.

That’s all for now. Have an awesome day!

Tag: Relax

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