ON LIFE MANAGEMENT DIFFICULTY

Sometimes in our lives, we get to realize that there are things in this world that money can't buy but we tend to realize them too late that we never know what we have till we lost them. Sometimes too, we need to put some break fluid in what we say... we give consideration and respect to make people happy which will make us eventually happy.

I speak of burnouts here especially when familiarity starts to breed contempt. We may have grown to be good people (although others don't see that sometimes) yet, we have to understand other people's needs to have their own lives too.... to have some break free time from helping us, protecting us and caring for us and our interests in life.


Somewhere along the way, there are people who don't complain because they are grateful to us to what we have done for them but when we say things we thought are not hurtful (like saying a joke) and they get hurt, they harbor ill-feelings inside waiting to explode when one is suffering from a burnout. 


Burnout... Google it. Interest to earn money, loyalty, dedication will be diminished for people suffering from it. Having some time for their own lives, respect for their privacy, rest from work boundaries will matter more to these people as means to cope for emotional exhaustion.


How to prevent burnouts? Read "Signs, Symptoms, Causes and Coping Strategies".

CHRISTMAS STRESS & HOLIDAY BLUES

Good and bad stress usually takes its' toll on us humans especially during Christmas Season. I've had good Christmases in the past but this year, even if it's A-okay for me, I can't help but think globally... I think of people all over the world... how Christmas 2010 will be for them. I believe for most, December 2010 is full of stress and depression.

I made a survey on a couple of friends from off-shore and in the Philippines as to what would be the usual and most common causes why we get Christmas blues, depressions and / or stress.  Hereunder are what I perceived based on my little survey as well as my own experience in the following order (top to bottom):

1.  Economic / Financial Difficulties
This is number 1. With the global economic crisis hitting major countries world-wide, millions of families face financial problems this season of love and giving. Christmas adds an extra burden to tight budgets which means, there's not enough money to buy food for the festive season, presents and clothes for Christmas. People around the world actually tend to use more money than we can afford which worsens our financial situations even more. This leads us to gain more weight, headaches, depressions and financial overdrafts after the season is over.
 
2. The Absence of a Loved One
Despite of the merry-making with family and friends, we can't help thinking of some beloved persons in our lives who are far away which brings us loneliness and depression. Even when we see everyone else having a good time, we just couldn't help but feel the pang of yearning, missing them thus; this situation can get worse. 

3. Physical Fatigue
We usually get intense stress everywhere that we tend to feel there are so many things to do in such a period of time. Even though we try to make activities pleasant and enjoyable for others, various situations can take its' toll on our bodies i.e., Christmas rush, traffic, shopping amongst millions, the inability to find the apt gifts for loved ones, presence in social parties and other obligations. 


All top 3 reasons bring emotional disorder to each and everyone of us. I, for one, am starting to feel it and so I believe that it is very important to acknowledge these reasons why people tend to be stressed out and depressed during the holidays because all it takes for each individual to survive Christmas stress is love and understanding. 

Emotional support... patience, love and understanding from our families and loved-ones can help fight depression and stress during the holidays.

Life and things in life are not  perfect... it is not as beautiful as seen on TV and movies. We shouldn't expect too much from it. Life is simply unpredictable that the only way to make us happy is focus on things that are most important to us and live each day thinking positive for a better future. Breaking free from the past.... preparing for better years to come is all that I'm going to think of this holiday season 2010.


May I remind everyone that in the past, we made Christmas too materialized.... it's not about the money... it's all about the time and thoughts spent with family, friends and loved-ones that matters most to them. Cheers! 

I'd like to say advance Merry Christmas to all my readers just in case I forget to do so later on! :)

IT IS DEFINITELY GOOD TO CRY

When life becomes too harsh or too good enough to make me cry, I succumb... I whimper and I cry hard. 

I would shed my tears all out... knowing that if I cry my heart out, I'll be better the next days... shedding tears make me tougher and stronger because after each and every cry, I feel cleansed... like my heart and mind consoled each other to feel better.  William Shakespeare once said, "To weep is to make less the depth of grief." and I truly believe it does.

Is crying good for us? Here are some of the 5 reasons why I believe, people should cry once in awhile...

• Crying is cathartic... It's purifying and a very good therapeutic technique to release emotions and stress we endure.
• Crying build relationships... When we cry with friends around, the bond becomes stronger. I myself am astounded by the resounding support of my friends and the level of intimacy exchanged among us. Crying simply forms communication and connection... bringing us closer to people in our lives.
• Crying cleanses our eyes... tears lubricate our eyeballs and eyelids which helps our eyes avoid dehydration. When our eyes our not lubricated well enough, we can't see things clearly, right?
• Crying manages stress...It relieves us of tension, reduces blood pressure and removes chemicals that are built up in our bodies due to stress like endorphins, prolactin and many more.
• Crying helps kill bacteria... Say goodbye to wet wipes! Our tears contain lysozyme! Tears can kill 90 - 95% of bacteria in just a few minutes! 

Crying is not a negative thing as other people perceive it to be because it has a lot of benefits in awaiting for us. Some people control themselves from crying thinking that they can be tough, look tough in the eyes of others but no... it just adds up worries. Suppressing a cry is bad. 

Shedding a tear or two relieves us from worries, stress, etc. It is just normal for us to cry and crying is not being weak. Not only does it make us feel we co-exist with others, it just simply proves we are human.

CONFESSIONS OF AN SEO

There are times in each and everyone of us that we keep on getting constant stress leaving us totally worn out and helpless. I call this as a symptom of being burned out wherein, we seem to see everything looks bleak and it is usually hard for us to gather all energy to care or let alone, do something to get out of it. This case usually affects jobs, relationships and most of all, health. In my case, it's causing my world and my life to tilt fast....

Wonder why Search Engine Optimizers (SEO) that are good writers are highly paid... because we SEO people suffer from this case from time to time! It's not funny at all to watch how google crawls, indexes and serves the web all day and night! When companies decide to hire an SEO, it is a big decision that can potentially improve their sites, products, services and save time and money but also you can risk damage to your site and reputation especially if your SEO is not as productive and intelligent (as I think I am LOL!). However, An irresponsible SEO can be really damaging especially if he / she is suffering from technological burnout aside from the physical and mental aspect. Companies acquiring SEO's should understand that there are times that we get this once in awhile. SEO people must take a break from it all once in awhile and spend our hard-earned money! We are humans too... we get sick and tired of being on the internet! Our career alone deprives us from connecting to, socialize to, making love to other humans! Being with machines the whole time can be brain-whacking! A common reason for an SEO to be unproductive is being burned out. I don't know if there's such a thing already called an SEO illness but seriously, I am suffering from this thus; I am sharing these thoughts to all of you.

Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands. As the stress continues, you begin to lose the interest or motivation that led you to take on a certain role in the first place.

Burnouts can be easily recognized which is a must for everyone. My current burnout is brought about my own personality traits. I have this perfectionist tendencies that at times, nothing is ever good enough. At times, I think I am better than Google (LOL... yes, the internet can drive us SEO crazy at times)! I am also this pessimist... having a pessimistic view of myself and the world. Another strong trait I have is having the need to be in control...thus having this reluctance to delegate to others resulting to me being exhausted all the time. Ah yes... the workaholic me.... always the high-achieving type A personality.

Lately, I started to withdraw myself from responsibilities, isolating myself from others, procrastinating, used alcohol to cope up and taking out my frustrations on others. Bad indeed but I do recognize these and that's why I need to battle this burnout symptoms I have before I self-destruct.

Things I need to do:

•  I'll start my days with a relaxing ritual.  Rather jumping out of bed as soon as I wake up, I'll spend at least fifteen minutes meditating, writing in your journal, doing gentle stretches, or reading something that inspires you.

• I'll now adopt healthy eating, exercising and sleeping habits. When I eat right, engage in regular physical activity, and get plenty of rest, I always get the energy and resilience to deal with life’s hassles and demands.

• Set boundaries... I won't be the "yes woman / yes sir" all the time. I can't afford to overextend myself. I will learn again how to say “no” to requests at my own terms and my own time. I have to constantly remind myself that saying “no” allows me to say “yes” only to the things that I truly want to do.

• Take a daily break from work especially that I am so much into technology. I'll set a time each day when I completely disconnect... Putting away my laptop, turning off my phone and stop checking emails.

• Going back to swimming to nourish my creative side. I choose this hobby/sport of mine... an  activity that has nothing and no relation at all with everything that I do at work. 

To sum it all up, I need to do 3 things... slow down, relax and reevaluate my goals and priorities. I need a vacation. Destination? Unknown but anywhere will do just to get me back rolling in my SEO world again! Hope the companies I work with understands.

 

Thanks @iamfabulousgeri for making me the 101st Sexiest Woman in the Philippines with your shots!!! Love you!!!