How to Survive British Weather

I managed to escape the heat of Texas by moving across the pond to Scotland…and not just any part of Scotland, but one of the northern-most parts of the coast, which puts us as far north as Moscow.  Wow.  Now, you’re getting it.  Surviving the cold, dark winters is a matter of focusing on summer, just warm enough to shed a coat and tons of daylight.  And, I do mean tons.  By mid-summer, the sun is up at 3 am and doesn’t set until 11pm.  At first, we reveled in this new-found freedom to stay up late and enjoy being outdoors longer.  However, the inevitable came and we also woke up earlier…at about 4am.  There’s something about the sun shining in the window that has been dark for half the year that triggers your body to rise and shine, whether you want to or not.  And, interestingly, your children are not immune to this phenomenon.  In fact, they experience it first, which might be the precursor to the sun waking you up.  It’s only fair, I mean, you’ve been telling your kids all fall, winter, and spring that it’s dark and time for bed.  In your kids’ mind, the opposite must be true: it’s light, therefore it’s time to yell, “I’m awake!”  How do you fight the inevitable?  How do you beat the natural order of things?

Fighting Mother Nature

Unlike most, I am not a respector of “Mother Nature.”  I know that in times past, you just slept more in the winter and less in the summer.  Since I only function on a certain amount of sleep, this just won’t do…not when we have such great technology.  Here are my 2 favorite life-saving and sleep-preserving gadgets:

1. 

   Sound Oasis Travel System

   Black-out Blinds.  We had some in my daughter’s and my son’s rooms from the last people who lived in our flat.  They were ill-fitting and only blocked out part of the sun.  My daughter was not fooled and was up at 6am no matter what, which had the tendency to wake up my son when her light streamed into his loft.  When we got new windows, the old blinds had to go and we bought new ones, including some for our room.  We have never slept better.  Truly, the total darkness beckons me to sleep much faster than a light-infused bedroom.  And for our daughter, we added a tiny nightlight that kept the room mostly dark.  She sleeps well past 7 every morning. *Tip: the key is how you mount them.  You must go past the window itself to ensure black-out.  I also recommend the kind that only requires one side of velcro.  That way you can take the blind off and on very easily without worrying about the adhering piece of velcro ripping off at an unexpected time.

2. White Noise Generators. I love it.  We use 3 white noise generators: one in each bedroom.  I turn the kids’ machines about halfway on so it’s not too loud, but they get good coverage from each other.  I turn ours on pretty low- that way it blocks out the noise of people staying up later since it’s still light out, but we can still hear our kids if they need us.  *Tip: I love nature sounds and portability so we can pack them when we travel and not sacrifice too much space or weight.

Last summer, we just didn’t sleep well and assumed that was just the way it had to be.  This year, we learned how to reclaim our rest: black out blinds and white noise.

Losing Your Mind

Have you ever been in the middle of your greatest thought and then just lost it?  We’ve seen it happen in dozens of movies- the hero or heroine is just about to accomplish something great, something that will change the world, or even just their own lives, when something grabs their attention and the moment is lost forever.

We all know that distractions have a cost.  Sometimes it’s a chance at a relationship, sometimes it’s catching a flight or even a phone call.  Sometimes, it’s loss of productivity, and therefore money.  This is the case with office distractions.  Whether the distractions are welcome or a nuisance, they all have a rather large price tag: $650 billion.  That’s right, distractions cost businesses hundreds of billion of dollars in just one year.

2 Tips for Avoiding Distraction at Work

1. 

   Some people have to book a conference room just to get work done.

   Time Block.  The basic idea is to cut away from all the turmoil in your office and devote a specific block of time to working on a project.  You set a start and stop time and during that period you focus on your work.  This means you shut down any unnecessary electronics and anything that rings.  You can do it, I promise.  With fewer (or no) distractions, you should be able to make some progress.

2. Use white noise.  For all the other times (the times you’re not time blocking), consider covering office distractions.  With a simple desktop generator, you can block out office noise and get to work.  The advantage to white noise over headphones is that you won’t be adding to the office noise by singing louder than you realized (or start typing lyrics).

Half the battle at work is having a game plan.  By time blocking and covering noise, you allow your brain much needed-time to process and recalibrate,

The only thing more maddening than writer's block is when other's don't have it.

Writer’s Block

So often we think about office noise as a bad thing, a major distraction of people talking too loud or making personal calls or some other obnoxious habit that forces us to lose our focus.  But what about our own distractions?  The ones we can’t really fault on other people as much as we’d like to.  For example, let’s say you’re my husband and your office mate is typing more productively than you (remember, this is just hypothetical, my husband would never be unproductive…not when we uprooted and gave up everything for him to do his PhD…)… Back to our pretend world, let’s say your office mate is just typing away…type type type…and the sound of him getting further along on his own dissertation as you sit stagnantly on the same sad paragraph just slays you.  Hypothetically, mind you, if this should happen, even the sound of someone else’s productivity can be just as distracting as any other office noise…and can frustrate your wife who just wants you to find your groove.

Drown it out, my friend.  Drown it out.  For all mankind who has ever struggled with writer’s block, I present you with white noise because it might just help you forget those who have found a muse so you can find your own.

Thus, increasing your productivity means decreasing distractions and work stress/strain.

My History with White Noise

I imagine you already know that my 2 kids love white noise.  While they can sleep without it, they don’t sleep as well, and they usually ask for it!  Maybe they just enjoy turning the knobs, but the truth is, white noise has brought house-wide peace to our family.  I don’t have to worry about phone calls interrupting naps or one child awakening the other too soon.

White Noise for Babysitting

That said, I am also a lover of white noise for babysitting!  Why I occasionally take care of extra children is a discussion for another day, but there is something wonderful about feeling confident that adding in the noise of an extra child or two will not end the peace we have been enjoying, or make the added child uncomfortable.

In fact, there is one little girl in particular that I have kept 5 times over the course of 18 months.  The first time I kept her, she was a mere 6 weeks.  The second and third times she was just shy of a year, and this last two times, she was 18 months.  All 5 times, I had the responsibility of feeding her, playing with her, and putting her down for a nap that she wasn’t necessarily excited about.  Sweet as she is, this little girl is not known for her sleeping prowess.  All I can say is that our white noise generator encouraged some sweet sleep for little A.  When she was 6 weeks, I swaddled her, rocked her a bit, and put on some soothing sounds.  By a year and a year and a half, I transitioned her to waterfall sounds.  Either way, Baby A could sleep while my older kids were able to play without me “shhing” them all afternoon.

A Shocking Result

Her parents were shocked how well she slept!  As a matter of fact, they have been sharing their bedroom with her for the past 18 months, even though they have a spare bedroom!  Unfortunately, that spare room is directly off the living room, and rather than chance her awakening early, they’d rather put her in their more secluded bedroom.  Interestingly, we had the same set-up the last place we lived.  I was unwilling to co-sleep, though, which was why we invested in portable sound machines.  I couldn’t be happier with the result…because when baby sleeps well, we all benefit.

I think we all know that I HEART white noise and white noise generators.  They have really saved me in many a pinch and I love how natural and portable they are!    In addition to compact size and portability, many white noise generators have added features, such as clock radio features and sound therapy.

5 Ways to Use White Noise

1. 

   Sound Oasis Deluxe

   For work.  Many an unprepared worker gets distracted at work.  Actually, the average worker is distracted more than 2 hours every day.  Yikes.  A little white noise can help your brain tune out the unnecessary noise while still focusing on important tasks.  I like the Sonet for wok for its effectiveness.

2. For sleep.  Maybe you’re like me in you live in a flat or apartment.  Or maybe on a  busy street.  Or maybe you just have a hard time tuning out the worries of the world as you try to fall asleep.  I like Sound Oasis or Night Wave for sleep.
3. For kids.  Whether you’re sleep training, rooming your kids together, or just trying to get a nap in, white noise can ensure good, uninterrupted sleep {especially if the rest of the house isn’t quiet yet}.  I love the Sound Oasis Travel generator because it’s portable…because when your little ones sleep, so can you!
4. For relaxation.  There’s no need to listen to cars honking and dogs barking when you are home.  Why not try the Sound Oasis Deluxe and enjoy nature sounds as you kick up your feet?
5. For tinnitus.  If you’ve ever experienced “ringing in your ears,” then you know how distracting and uncomfortable tinnitus can be.  The sound therapy found in Sound Oasis is clinically proven to lessen the discomfort of tinnitus.

Because a little white noise goes a long way….toward peace and relaxation and sleep!

The only helpful thing about fantasizing about the beach is if it motivates you to work harder. Otherwise, it will just be a distraction.

Office Distractions

It’s the end of July, and nothing is more distracting than a warm, beautiful summer day (even if it is nearly 100 degrees).  Your mind wanders as you gaze out the window and contemplate all the things you could be doing instead of working (well, let’s be honest.  You’re not really working, are you?  You’re fantasizing about the beach.)  Throw in a couple office chatters and the obnoxious sales guy who wants to make sure everyone in the office has his spiel memorized and you might as well go home for the amount of productivity you’re (not) enjoying.

Office Distractions & how to thwart them

Assuming you see these distractions as problems and don’t want to encourage them, here are some tips for facing them head-on.

• Take your breaks outside if possible.  This will relieve your cabin fever and remind you that it’s blazing hot, so even if you were outside, you’d be miserable.
• Pack a picnic for lunch, and enjoy it in some nice shade with a coworker. get your chatting/gossiping done then so you can kill 2 birds with 1 stone: 1) You’re outside again, and 2) You are less likely to feel compelled to lean over your cubicle to chat.
• Try white noise.  You can use a free white noise generator or you can  buy a system that appeals to you and offers some combination of the following features:  portable, nature sounds, tinnitus sound therapy, etc.  What they all should have in common is keeping you attention on work and not elsewhere.

Tip: many workers enjoy systems like the Sonet which are ideal for individual office/cubicle use.  Heck, your boss may even spring for it you ask.

• When you do go home at night or on the weekends, enjoy that time.  Don’t think about work, and soak up as much “you” time as possible.  That way when you return on Monday, you feel refreshed because you used your time well and you can look forward to doing it again soon.  I’ll even add, (though it may be controversial) quit super-scheduling yourself.  You don’t have to g to every event offered.  If you don’t enjoy something, stop doing it.  Again, this will contribute to your overall well-being.

There's a reason the dinner hour is called the "witching hour."

Office Noise…Noise at Home

Office noise is a problem for many.  You may be one of the lucky few who thrives on chaos and mayhem…if so, you probably love deadlines and working up until the last minute.  Good for you.  For the rest of us, extra noise and stress is just that- stress.  Whether I’m working on a project or just trying to cook dinner, lots of voices in my ears (adult or otherwise) leads to what my husband dubbed “sensory overload.”  Rather than pushing through and finishing my task, I just shut down.  When it’s just dinner on the line, it’s more of an inconvenience than a real problem.  However, when it’s work-related, shutting down isn’t exactly an option.

There are a variety of noise coverage solutions out there.  I’m sure noise cancelling headphones are awesome, but I don’t want to spend $250.  As for ear plugs, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times- at best, they make my ears itchy.  At worst, they make them incredibly sore.  Plus, when I work from home, keeping 2 choking hazards out of reach of my 2-year-old is more challenging than it might seem.  So, I typically opt for a good white noise generator.  I run it loud enough to cover irritating distractions, but low enough that I can answer the phone (or tend to a child’s needs when that arises).  Essentially, I can tune out the world, but still be responsive when I need to be.

Is noise a problem for you?  If so, what do you do about it?

Setting Up Your Work Space

Setting up your work space is one of the most important things you can do to ensure productivity (not to mention sanity).  It doesn’t really matter if you have a corner office or just a corner- what matters is basic set-up and ergonomics.  While you can’t always control for all of these factors, these tips should help you choose and lay out a good space.

• Allow enough room for a desk to fit and you to fit under it.  I like the close and go desk for small spaces.
• You also need a little space to stand and stretch occasionally.
• Keep all essential items within arm’s reach but not too cluttered.  In fact, if your desk isn’t that large, make sure you prioritize all must-haves and let go of less important items (such as knick knacks which can be distractions).
• For best ergonomic practices, make sure your monitor is eye level, your keyboard in front of you, and your mouse tucked in next to your keyboard.  You might even try a mini keyboard to maximize space.
• Try some white noise to cover noisy coworkers and other office time-sucks.

Again, you can’t make a small space large or make everyone shit up around you, but you can make the most of your space by with these easy tips.

Family visits

We moved to Scotland almost 2 years ago.  My husband was incredibly excited about starting his PhD program in the UK with a leading theologian, and I….well, I was surviving.  We left a house and community I loved and moved even farther away from our families.  I was happy to support my husband but devastated for myself.  In all honesty, this move has been amazing for our own family and sense of identity.  We depend on each other more than on our parents, and since we’re in our 30′s, that’s a good {healthy} thing.  However, we both really do miss having family nearby- whether it’s helping with the kids or sharing a meal, we feel rather alone in that area.  Fortunately, our families have made us a priority and both have chosen to visit us each year.  Their visits are the highlight of our time here sometimes because it just feels so natural.  Stuff that might normally be annoying just isn’t because we cherish our limited time together.

Having family visit for 3 weeks has been stretching, too.  I am not exactly flexible sleep-wise for the kids, and I have always been terrified of rooming them together.  We have usually managed to avoid that nightmare by sleeping Luke in his happy tent in odd spots, for example, but this time we decided to put the 2 kids together.  I dealt with my anxiety about the upcoming ordeal by not thinking about it.  {Yes, that’s called denial.}  But the first night did come and we survived.  Here’s what we did {keep in mind that they are 2 and almost 4}

• 

  Hey- at least I didn't pop noise canceling headphones on them...

  Moved the 2 year old’s crib to a spot the 4 year old wouldn’t have to walk past if she got up to go to the bathroom, etc.

• Slept 2 year old in the crib in the new spot for nap, so it was not a surprise for bed.
• Also had the air mattress positioned so both kids could see where everything would be.
• Made sure they were really sleepy, but not overtired.
• Talked about them “getting” {not having} to share a room and how fun that would be!  {Do you hear my happy tone?}
• Got them ready for bed together.
• Read their bedtimes stories and did their prayers together.
• Plugged in2 white noise generators- 1 by each of them since it is a decently-sized room.  {Two may have been over-kill, but I don’t care.}
• Practiced with 4 year old on how to get up and let herself out quietly.
• Said good-night to both and shut the door.

Well, that’ what we did.  Here’s what I wish we would have done better.

• Told the 4 yar old to ignore the 2 year old and sleep through his fussing.  {can you really do that, though?}
• Not let the 2 year old bounce on the air mattress, adding to his growing belief that the air mattress is obviously where all the cool kids sleep.
• Not used a night light.

Truth be told, they did great, though!  Each night it got easier and the younger one asked for the air mattress less.  The lack of extra light also helped keep them both asleep through the night.  Practising with the older one was definitely a good idea, and we praised her for being such a good {and quiet!} big sister!  Obviosuly, you know my love for white noise, so the generators were clutch in covering toddler sleeping sounds, as well as 2 extra adults going up an down the stairs, etc.

Now I am just wondering if they’ll want to go back to separate rooms?