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Safety for the Summertime Gardener
SEASONAL SAFETY
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| An hour a day keeps the blues away |
Cure for the Summertime Blues
Here it is August and you're relaxing on the deck at the lake cottage, drinking something cool and reading a bestseller.
Just kidding. You're actually still at the plant, putting in extra shifts in the sweltering heat while other people are enjoying vacations. And you're seeing another summer slipping by without doing the things you daydream about doing.
If you're like many supervisors, you keep putting your personal life on hold while you keep up with the demands of your job.
That strategy may seem necessary and it may seem noble. But in fact it can prove harmful to yourself and even to your employer.
The most effective bosses are the ones who have a life outside of the job. That's because they're more likely to have a balanced perspective. They're better able to recognize what is a really big deal - and what isn't. They're also in a better position to maintain good physical health, pursuing good nutrition, plenty of exercise and enough sleep and rest in the time they take away from the job.
Free time also contributes to better mental health too, giving a person the chance to calm down, face fears realistically, get over anger and hurt feelings, and prepare to start fresh on the next shift.
Your employer gets his money's worth from you when a change of scenery inspires creative and critical thinking. Increasingly, supervisors and managers are expected to find solutions to problems and develop improvements in their work areas. If you're just doing the same work over and over, you may not be doing your job. Sometimes you have to get away from your routine tasks to see how you can do things better.
If you're not able to take off to your favorite vacation destination this year, you might be able to take a small summer vacation each day or each weekend.
Consider these ways to enjoy the summer weather while you are working:
- Walk or bicycle to work.
- Eat lunch outdoors.
- If you live near an ocean or lake, drive there on your way home from work for a swim. An hour a day all summer can be more satisfying than a stretch of lazy days at the beach.
- Take in neighborhood get-togethers and community festivals.
- Find a way to get outside and enjoy the good weather every day or night. Turn off the television and turn to some summer fun each free evening.
When you look forward to summer, what do you think of? Whatever it is, build a little of it into each of your busy work days. You, and the people who depend on you, will benefit.
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