Archive for July, 2009

BUT I’M JUST NOT AN UPBEAT “HAPPY” PERSON!

Monday, July 20th, 2009

 Sad Face

Did you know you can “remap” parts of your brain? At least that’s what recent research in brain science is finding out. Even people with serious brain injuries or “bad wiring” have been able to fix their problem with concentrated effort. If you want to read more about this check out The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge, M.D.
http://www.librarything.com/work/2608086

What that means for all of us is that science is proving that many of the traits we sometimes think are a permanent part of our personality such as a bad temper, or low self esteem or being frightened about a common situation such as public speaking can be changed. It also means we can develop new traits that are harmful such as a constant urge to rush. Now, this truth has been proclaimed by many wise humans throughout the centuries and can be found in thousands of books such as the Bible, The Power of Positive Thinking, The Secret, Harmonic Wealth, etc. It’s just that now we’re proving scientifically that how we think determines who we are. 

So think better. I check myself throughout the day and monitor the type of thoughts I have. It’s making a difference in how I feel, act and react, especially during trying situations. It will do the same for you. (As for accidents and “safety.” Here’s a little excerpt from an article in the March 2009 issue of Readers’ Digest based on the book Why We Make Mistakes by Joseph T. Hallinan http://www.whywemakemistakes.com/ 

“Good feeling increase the tendency to combine material in new ways and see relatedness between things. Happy people tend to be more creative and less prone to errors.”

So helping employees improve their happiness factor by including stress-handling programs and fun-related events are not just a silly waste of time but a way to reduce mistakes (which, of course, are a common cause of accidents) based on recent science.

’till next time.

Richard

http://www.attackstress.com

http://www.makesafetyfun.com

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ARE YOU PREPARED?

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

 

Yesterday in Safety Stuff #450 I ended the issue with a brief but thought-provoking first person essay from a subscriber about being prepared for a disaster. Well, today I got some feedback on the subject from another subscriber John Musselman that I thought you might like to check out. Besides some reading recommendations he passed on a few practical tips that I know I will use.

“I work for a Township in SW Ohio and am a part of our own Disaster Planning Team. Doing that work made me look hard at my own family’s state of preparedness. FEMA’s website has a wealth of information on how much food and water people should have on hand in case of a local or nationwide disaster. Besides the stuff in my pantry, I probably have enough food and water for several weeks (depending on how many of my grown children have to come back home) in a special storage area of my basement (and a generator in my garage), and my own stash is nothing compared to the hard core survivalist you can encounter on many websites like www.SurvivalBlog.com.

You may want to read a book called Emergency, This Book Will Save Your Life by Neil Strauss. Neil condenses his own trek to becoming a survivalist into a very entertaining and fast reading book. Apartment dwellers may have a tougher time, but most homeowners can create their own disaster stash very easily by buying a few extra items each time they go to the store.”

Thanks John.

Anybody else got some tips or thoughts?

‘till next time.

Richard

www.makesafetyfun.com

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JUST FOR FUN–QUIRKY SAFETY SIGNS

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

Last week on CNN.com there was a list of humorous websites. One of them caught my eye. It had a host of odd safety/warning signs from various countries. There were a couple I found amusing. Here’s the link: 

http://juliasmexicocity.typepad.com/safetygraphics/ 

When I first started in the safety and health field in 1981 the word “fun” and “safety” were not usually in the same sentence. Things have changed. Not everywhere or with every company but making safety meetings/programs fun is no longer a farfetched idea. You need to mix things up of course and there are times when the seriousness of the subject needs to be emphasized but there is no need to make it somber and boring. 

Any time I find something that might help you spice up your safety and health program I’ll be sure to pass it along either in “Safety Stuff”/ “Stress Stuff” or in a blog post. 

Please let me know if you find anything fun or unusual that might help other safety and health professionals liven up there meetings or programs (or at least get you to shake your head and chuckle). 

‘till next time. 

Richard

www.makesafetyfun.com  

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