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  • Stress blog

  • April 24, 2012

    Manage your time to reduce stress

    By Edward T. Creagan, M.D.

4 comments posted

A famous philosopher once said that time is the most precious coin we have and we should use it wisely because once it is gone, it is gone forever. Let me explain.

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If the stress in your life is more than you can cope with, get help right away.

  • National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
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  • Go to the nearest hospital or emergency room
  • Call your physician, health provider or clergy
  • National Alliance on Mental Illness
    www.nami.org
    1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

While my wife and I were in the checkout line of a "big box" store over the weekend, a gentleman behind us struck up a conversation. He was lamenting about how fatigued he was. We'd never met this gentleman before, but perhaps we'd somehow given him permission to speak. Here's what we heard.

At approximately 9:00 the previous evening, the man started to play a video game. The next time he looked at the clock it was 1:00 in the morning. He was angry and frustrated that he had completely wasted four hours of his life with nothing to show for it. He didn't find the game particularly enjoyable, he said, but he got pulled into it. The day had turned into a disaster since he was sleep-deprived, irritable and generally not a happy camper.

We each have 168 hours during the week. We make decisions about how we use that time. If we're wise, we set priorities, acknowledging that we have responsibilities, but also carve out time for ourselves. Without a plan, however, it's easy to let our precious time slip away. Once this treasure is gone, it can never be retrieved.

4 comments posted

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MY02088 April 24, 2012

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