TIME MANAGEMENTPrepare for Less Sleep
The holidays can mean long days with little sleep. Following is some advice from a former Navy SEAL, as told to the website ArtOfManliness.com on how to get through periods of sleep deprivation. Tip 1 is to avoid skipping sleep whenever you can; it’s self-defeating in terms of productivity and emotional control. But if you have no choice, the SEAL guidelines include banking sleep ahead of time, doing the most difficult tasks first, and nourishing yourself with protein snacks (not sugary sweets) throughout the late hours.
JEWELRYUnwind the Stuck Ring
The old conundrum: What to do with a customer with a stuck ring? Some jewelers suggest Purell, others holding the hand high to drain blood from the finger. If those don’t work, you could try this approach we stumbled across on YouTube that involves flattening the finger by wrapping string around it and then easing the ring off by unwinding the string from the rear side of the ring. Best if you watch it here: instoremag.com/stringremover
HEALTHFirst Aid Primer
In a recent Tested Q&A with Adam Savage, the MythBusters star offered several tips on shop first-aid: Always make sure your first-aid supplies are close at hand, organized so that you know where everything is without thinking about it, and that you can grab what you need with one hand (should you be bleeding with the other). So, if your first aid kit is a zippered case stored in the kitchen, it’s time to reorganize.
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ATTITUDEMake Gratitude a Clean Habit
One of the lasting legacies of the coronavirus pandemic is that people will wash their hands more than they used to. Here, according to Gratefulness.com, is how to use that routine to also express some gratitude, which has a host of well-recorded mental benefits. Every time you wash your hands — for 20 full seconds, of course — spend the time thinking about a few things you are grateful for: family, health, a viable business, work you believe in … and with that, your time should be up, your hands clean, and you in a better mental place.
COMMUNICATIONPick up the Phone
The phone call seems to have become the technological equivalent of an intrusive, unexpected knock at the door. But while texting gives you more control over your time, there are still situations when it is still far better to pick up the phone and dial — like during the holidays. “It’s a much more efficient way to communicate,” says Catherine Blyth, author of On Time: Finding Your Pace In A World Addicted To Fast. It goes double when communicating emotions: “When in doubt, pick up the phone. If the emotion is complex, be in doubt,” she says.
MANAGEMENTChoose Growth Over Sensitivity
It can be tempting to refrain from delivering even mild criticism out of the fear you’ll hurt someone’s feelings. But withholding feedback is choosing comfort over growth, says Adam Grant, professor of organizational psychology at Wharton. “Staying silent deprives people of the opportunity to learn. If you’re worried about hurting their feelings, it’s a sign that you haven’t earned their trust. In healthy relationships, honesty is an expression of care,” he says.
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