Dr. Rippe's Blog

Preschoolers in a group are often a noisy buzz of activity. To get their attention, I've heard teachers call out, "Listen to the silence." And miraculously, they do. They settle and listen (admittedly it sometimes takes two or three calls).

Listen to the silence. What good advice for you and me. Listening to the "silence" helps us tune in to what's going on around us. Listening to the "silence" stills the mind by providing a single, active focus. To listen to the "silence" helps us begin to hear.

What might you hear? You might tap into what's going on inside underneath the busy thoughts of busy days. You might find that you are hearing family members more deeply. The same goes for your colleagues at work. 

Listening intentionally, so that we hear more profoundly, can help us respond more effectively to our own needs and the needs of those we care about. So take time daily to listen to the silence.

The places and spaces in which we live and work can make a difference in our quality of life. For example, sleep research has long indicated that reserving the bedroom for restful purposes can help many people get better sleep. "Restful" means not using it as a spare TV room or place to play loud music, etc.

Do the other spaces you inhabit regular support positive feelings or tend to depress you? With many projects going at once, I spend many hours in my office. So it needs to be a space that promotes my creativity yet is peaceful. For me, that means plenty of daylight, blooming plants (I like orchids), and classical music playing softly in the background. I've also had to devise an organization and filing plan that keeps project info handy but banishes clutter.

Even if your workspace is a cubicle in an open office plan, what touches have you added to make it your space? A colleague of mine finds that a "natural light" bulb in her desk lamp not only eases eyestrain but keeps a plant or two very happy. Another friend has made the sidewall of the cubicle a collage of postcards and photos from his travels. His careful arrangement makes it look like art, not a junky bulletin board.

If you could change one thing about your spaces and places at home to make you feel better, what would it be? Declutter the garage or master closet? Turn the backyard into a real outdoor living space? Brighten up and redo the family room?

Identifying and prioritizing a few goals to turn your living spaces into more supportive places can be very rewarding.

Gas prices topping $4 a gallon and rising food prices are just two things currently putting a squeeze on many family budgets. Money worries in turn can increase stress levels.

Taking a few simple steps may help you trim costs and stress:

• Shop once a week and use a list. Following the weekly Nutrition Planner makes it easy to make a shopping list for your needs for the week. One trip rather than multiple trips to the supermarket saves gas and time. Shopping from a list (and sticking to it) curbs impulse purchases. When favorite foods are on sale, purchase in quantity and freeze where possible.
• Group errands. Can you use a dry cleaner near or on the route to your favorite supermarket? Is it practical to patronize shops that are near each other so that you may be able to park and walk between errands? You not only save gas but you get some good physical activity.
• Maintain your car and drive wisely. Keeping tires properly inflated, keeping the air filter clean, using the proper grade motor oil, and turning your vehicle at recommended intervals can improve mileage by 10 percent or more. Observe speed limits--above 60 miles per hour, for instance, most vehicles use significantly more gas. For more tips see www.fueleconomy.gov
• Not using it? Turn it off.  A busy family burns a lot of power. Power savings mount up when everyone turns off lights in a room not in use, turns off appliances (including electronics and computers) not in use, and keeps the thermostat set in summer as high as comfortable (usually 78 to 80). Lowering the temp on hot water heaters to 120 degrees can also save.

Taking simple steps like these probably won't balance the budget but they can certainly help.