Staying in Top Condition

By Janae Wentworth

Here is some information to help you stay proactive - to be in control of yourself and your emotions.

1. Have a safety valve for your emotions. If you suppress your anger and emotions all the time, you are likely to blow up at the wrong time at the wrong person. Express your anger, frustrations, and emotions to your “safety valve” - friends and family you trust.

2. Get plenty of rest. Do not deprive yourself of sleep. If you are overly tired, you are more likely to say and do irrational things. Know how much sleep you need each night. Most people need between six and eight hours of sleep each night.

3. Learn how to relax. Relaxing requires practice. Learn to relax your body and your mind. Put worry thoughts out of your mind. Replace them with pleasant thoughts. Only about two percent of what we worry about ever comes to pass. Heed the words of Mark Twain: “I have experienced many terrible things in my life, a few of which have actually happened.”

4. Exercise. It is one of the greatest tension relievers. Continuous exercise that is at least 15 to 20 minutes in duration, at least three times a week, is so valuable. Something as simple as a brisk thirty-minute daily walk can help you cope with life’s tensions.

5. Prioritize your work and do only one thing at a time. People have a tendency to get very stressful when their minds are cluttered and they perceive they have too much to do in too short a period of time. If this happens to you, you may indirectly voice your frustrations in your tone of voice. If you prioritize, you will learn to work on only one thing at a time and keep your work in perspective. It is also very important to remember that so called customer interruptions are not aggravations - they are part of your job!

6. Keep a sense of humor. Laughter is another great tension reliever. See the humor in life’s situations. Learn to laugh at yourself a little. Do not take yourself or your situations too seriously. Spend time with friends who like to laugh and joke. It will help to keep difficult situations in perspective.

7. Develop hobbies. Have outlets that get your mind off work. They help you to be a well-rounded individual. Hobbies help you to relax and to focus on other aspects of your life.

8. Eat right. If you eat junk food and load up on caffeine throughout the day, you are likely to experience emotional highs and lows throughout the day. The sugar high and caffeine can make you hyper. Then when the “high” wears off, you may feel tired. Also, different types of foods affect people in different ways. For instance, some foods make people feel sluggish or stuffy. Listen to your body’s signals. Give it fuel that keeps it energized and emotionally sharp.

9. Give yourself quiet time each day. Have a “hermit spot” where you can go to be completely alone, even if it is for only ten minutes a day. You need time to yourself - to melt your tensions away.

10. Create a mental focus. Create specific goals to focus on and strive for. People who know what they want in life feel more in control of their lives. Thus, they are usually less stressful.

The essence of excellent customer service is going beyond the expected. Anticipating a customer’s needs so thoroughly that you fulfill the desire before it has even been expressed. Understanding what the customer expects, then exceeding those expectations. Take the initiative. Be memorable. Bring a sense of mission and artfulness to all your interactions. The customer that leaves feeling just satisfied has not been truly served-for satisfaction is only the starting point.