Wow! It has been so incredibly hot here on the East coast that it has been difficult to be outside. It's been strange in that all winter we were buried under more snow than Buffalo and now that the season for fun in the sun is here, it's too hot to enjoy. Even as a kid I don't remember the summer being this hot. I do remember cooling off in a pool, running through a sprinkler and eating popsicles to beat the heat and enjoying the longer hours of sunlight. As an adult I am realizing that heat makes people (kids and adults alike) cranky!!
I couldn't help but link the analogy of keeping cool temperature wise and temperament wise. This week I have had to do both! Besides having work done at my home, I have had to manage my two little ones who just can't take the heat. Their behavior was challenging which was frustrating for me while I was still trying to complete some remodeling at our house after 6 weeks. The house was in chaos with clutter abounding from things having to be shifted around which I can not stand.
My schedule is tight so if I make an appointment, there is much planning to pull it off. I had a hair appointment the other day and for the second month in a row the salon had a scheduling problem which resulted in me not having the stylist I had scheduled with to cut my hair. The first time was easier to swallow and I was ok with someone else taking care of me but the second time in a row was harder for me to swallow since the stylist left after waiting 15 minutes thinking I was not showing for a 4:15 appointment that was originally scheduled for 4:30.This affected my husband having to leave work early, a photographer ( I was supposed to have a head shot taken after my hair appointment for some PR literature) my sister who I was unable to connect with who was visiting from out of town and this time I was H-O-T.
I wanted to keep my cool but express that I was rightfully angry and needed some kind of resolution to the problem. I wanted to be assertive, not aggressive. In order to keep my cool I took a time out and thought about how I wanted to convey my situation and what outcome I wanted. As long as we could take steps to ensure it doesn't happen again, that the salon could take ownership for the problem and exercise good customer service response to the situation, I could be cool. I needed to explain all of the inconvenience and work toward a solution together. It all worked out well and we re-scheduled for the following morning and I was not charged.
This week I have found myself taking lots of time outs to be able to manage various challenges. This has actually led to me just sitting on the front steps with a popsicle with my 3 year old and taking in the time with him. I have also spent some quiet alone time to exercise my spirit. I feel like the heat is on but I have tools to manage!
How do you beat the heat? This week think about what you did to stave off heat in the summer and how you keep your cool in heated situations. If you don't have any tools in your tool box for the latter, simply reflect before reacting and practice, practice, practice!
Have a great week and stay cool!
Warmly,
Andrea
Sunday, June 27, 2010
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