Distractions are everywhere. Lately, after binge watching a television show and suffering with a headache for two days, I realized I am way overstimulated. Between social media updates, screens, earbuds and everything we really need to do in a day, you’re probably distracted, too. Too much input is coming at your eyes and ears. Time to slow down and dump the distractions.
On today’s podcast:
Figure out what’s important and what’s a distraction.
Dump the distraction.
Focus on what’s important.
Bonus: A word on what clutter does to us.
Clutter gets in the way, figuratively and literally. Since we revamped out living space, the place looks and feel cleaner and if somebody misplaces a cell phone, there are fewer places to search. It’s time to stop wasting time searching for your keys, your files and anything else. Imagine your living space is a ship. Everything has its place. Stuff gets filed. Do that and you’ll stop losing time (and be able to walk in a straight line.)
Little stresses add up
In my book, Do the Thing, I teach many stress management techniques. The irony is that we are often equipped for big stresses. We get a lot of support for the big events which challenge us. However, for the little stresses, we are often on our own. Little stresses are anything that bugs you long-term that irks you on a regular basis: the kitchen drawer that’s off its track, getting help cleaning up, shoveling the driveway, sorting the recycling. Help is on the way.
There’s lots more in Do the Thing, but first I’d suggest getting organized by doing small, regular maintenance tasks as you see them. It’s called swooping. When tasks are not allowed to build up, you don’t have to deal with too much at once. For instance, wash one plate right away instead of letting two day’s worth of plates sit in the sink. Also, get help, outsource and/or assign tasks (whatever best fits your living situation.)
Find more stress management techniques in Do the Thing by Robert Chute.
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Want more fun?
Click the links at AllThatChazz.com to my books of science fiction, crime thrillers and This Plague of Days, my zombie apocalypse series.
Thanks for listening to The All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast. Now go do the thing!
Track what you’re doing to become more productive. On this podcast, I want to warn you about people who do INTENSITY wrong (by going all caps, pushing hard and never touching the brakes. We get into how I’m treating my knee injury, the benefits of saunas and heat shock proteins and how I saved a ton of cash with a phone call to my telephone company (and you can, too!)
Note: On the show I mention that I stay in the sauna for up to 20 minutes at a time. Your mileage, tolerance and sauna temperatures may vary so follow the instructions that are posted or in the instructions on your sauna.
Here’s what I’m doing to stay on track
Netflix has new episodes of Sherlock. I’m overjoyed but when I checked my Garmin pedometer the other day, I realized I had a mere 1800 steps for the day. 10,000 steps a day is recommended (or two hours of brisk walking, depending on whom you consult.) Sherlock isn’t going anywhere. I got off the couch.
I have to make sure I’m going somewhere. I went for a long walk, listened to some strutting music and swung my arms hard. I came back refreshed and, newly energized, tackled a few things I needed to deal with instead of collapsing back to the sofa.
What to do, what to do, what to freakin’ do?
A comedian I love, Mike Schmidt, has a motto: No Zero Days. It means you have to deal with stuff you don’t necessarily want to deal with. This week, I’ve done that. Aside from the usual day to day workload, I choose one thing I don’t want to do and tackle it. For instance, I rescheduled a dentist appointment, cancelled my TV and cleaned up the house. Look, ma! I’m adulting!
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Email expartepresss@gmail.com. Â
Wait. You cancelled your TV? Has there been a coup? Is this the end of the world?
I’m the only one in the house who watched television. I love Better Call Saul. I have a love/hate relationship with The Walking Dead. I like Jon Oliver and I want to see the final season of Game of Thrones. However, that stuff will eventually show up on Netflix or I’ll catch the highlights on the web. Maybe I’ll buy the GoT DVD someday. The issue is that television isn’t worth the time or money. It distracts me from reading and writing. Since that’s what I’m put on Earth to do, it was time to prioritize (and save on the budget.)
We’re getting to the stage where you’ve probably already gotten rid of your landline if you ever had one. Television is going away, too. There are alternatives but the best one for me is to focus on being a producer, not a consumer. That’s one more key to keeping me on track to success.
The Power of Spreadsheets
As I mentioned last week, I’m using Google Sheets to identify and record variables that limit my productivity. Remember this lesson from Do the Thing: that which is not measured is not changed. I’m changing. I track the times of day I write, where I work and my mood. I track progress by chapter and number of words changed in three categories: writing, revision and editing. I’m experimenting with which variables to track, what’s too little to record and what’s too much.Â
I’ll get back to you with deeper results soon but I can tell you this: the act of recording alone makes me more productive. Working against the clock makes me work harder and faster and (surprise!) with greater joy. Just glancing at my Garmin and seeing only 1800 steps and 9 PM made me get out and hoof it. That’s another measure to watch (and possibly plot on a spreadsheet.)
Toss this podcast a five star review wherever you listen in, as well. I need the money and attention.
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Speaking of money…
Click the BECOME A PATRON link at AllThatChazz.com to get lots of nifty rewards. Special thanks to patron of the arts, reader and listener, RF Kacy for his contribution. Cheers, mate!
Last idea tonight:
Get more sleep. I’m headed to bed early so I can get up and crush it tomorrow, starting with a trip to the sauna. I’ve got deadlines and lots of stuff to do. So do you. Wanna do more? Write down what you’re going to do and write down what you did. You will do more!
Stay on track and do the thing!
~ Chazz
PS Check out all my books at AllThatChazz.com: sci-fi, crime thrillers, assorted apocalyptic scenaria.
Pick up the last stress-busting book you’ll ever need here.
A comment about motivation being “all that matters” really got me going this week. It didn’t motivate me. It irritated me. Worse, it was in the first line of a self-help book. I suspect there are many self-help books out there that intimidate or try to shame people into fulfilling their dreams.Â
I wrote a self-help book and I want to dispel a couple of ideas that are potentially dangerous. My book is called Do the Thing! It’s filled with tricks and tips to manage time and pain, cut stress and boost energy. Toward the end of the book, I include a surprise which I will boil down to the rich creamy point here: motivation is not everything. Work is not everything. To succeed, you need much more than motivation and someone hanging over your shoulder shouting at you to work harder. You need to work smarter, acquire skills, build alliances and take time off to recharge.
You see the symptoms of the rush to greatness everywhere. People are pushing so hard and trying to do too much. I see the problem on Facebook a lot. Idealized versions of our lives are on display there.
Meanwhile, a startling number of people think they’re the only ones who are working hard. They don’t want to support loafers. They don’t want their tax money going to undeserving people. I wish more people who got social assistance actually could goof off. Instead, their working as many hours at Walmart as they can. The “sharing economy” is really the “gig economy” and it seems everyone has to have a side hustle to get by.
I was reminded of this listening to one of my podcast recommendations this week. The 5 A.M. Miracle mastermind Jeff Sanders has a health scare. He’s a motivated, active and healthy guy who got a wake up call recently. A trip to the hospital in an ambulance reminded him that all work and no play makes Jack a dead boy. Listen to Mr. Sanders’ podcast here.
The other podcast recommendation I have for you this week comes from The Joe Rogan Experience. Joe interviewed journalist and documentarian Sebastian Junger. He talks about the dangers of affluence and the importance of movement and being social. (That’s where I got some of the ideas for this episode.) Go to the source at this link.
Key Question: What’s your motivation?
Is you dream to find fulfilling work? To control your time? To travel? To make enough money at what you love that you’ll still have time with your family and friends? (Don’t tell me you want to win the lottery. We all want that but, aside from buying a ticket, there’s nothing you can do to make that happen.)
Fear, anger and spite can get you going, but what will keep you motivated for the long-term? What inspires aspiration in you? What legacy do you want to leave? Are you working for security in retirement, putting off all fun until you’re old?Â
I’ll tell you what motivates me. It used to be fear of failure. Once you fail enough, that’s not as scary as you might think. In fact, if I’m not careful, I could fall into resignation on that score. No, what motivates me now is that I don’t want to fear bills. I don’t want to fear for my health. I want to get paid for what I’m good at and do what I enjoy. I’m tired of being fearful. What motivates me as an entrepreneur and as an artist isn’t bravery. It’s becoming successful enough that I can do things for my family and not live in fear of the next VISA bill.Â
I’m working on it. Despite that major tax bill I’ve complained about on the podcast, (Hear about that here,) I’m taking some time off from a couple of my side gigs so I can focus on writing and publishing books. That’s my long-term plan so I can retire from manual labor, anyway. That’s why I need to concentrate my energy on it.Â
I hope this topic has stimulated your thinking. What motivates you? Are you doing what you need to be doing? Are you getting enough sleep and recharging with rest and information?
Want to support this podcast by helping out with bandwidth costs? There are rewards for doing so! To earn stunning kickbacks for your generosity, click the Become a Patron link at AllThatChazz.com.
Special thanks to RF Kacy for helping out with bandwidth costs.
~ Robert Chazz Chute is a manual therapist whose focus is stress management and rehabilitation from injury. His clinic link is MassageTherapyScience.com.
Best known for This Plague of Days, he is a writer of SFF, horror, crime thrillers and some non-fiction. His blog about writing is ChazzWrites.com and his author site for readers (with links to all his books) is AllThatChazz.com.
On today’s episode of the All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast, we’re going back to basics with a visualization. We’ll quickly dig in on how to develop focus in the time it takes to take a breath. Be sure to hang in to the end of the podcast to get your taste and you’ll feel how quick and easy it can be to release your stress. I also have a comedy podcast recommendation and a link to a song that neuroscientists claim reduces anxiety by 65%!
Last week my focus was money. About that…
Like the podcast? If you want to support this show and earn stunning rewards for your generosity, click the  Become a Patron link at AllThatChazz.com. Here’s the link directly to my Patreon page.
Special thanks to RF Kacy for helping out with bandwidth costs.
Do the Thing! is my stress management book. You’ll find out how to reduce stress, relieve pain and boost your energy, too. This is the perfect bathroom book. Packed with quick nuggets of information, each short chapter will motivate you to make positive changes and fix what’s not working.
Long time listeners will know that I enjoy the Scathing Atheist, the Skepticrat and the God Awful Movies podcasts. There is a new podcast in the mix: Citation Needed. Tom and Cecil from Cognitive Dissonance explore one new subject each week with the funny guys behind those three shows. Plumbing they’re pseudo-expertise through the wonder of Wikipedia, they break down weird happenings in the world and have a lot of fun doing it. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it will become a part of you (or at least a part of every week.)
~ Robert Chazz Chute is a manual therapist whose focus is stress management and rehabilitation from injury. His clinic link is MassageTherapyScience.com.
Best known for This Plague of Days, he is a writer of SFF, horror, crime thrillers and some non-fiction. His blog about writing is ChazzWrites.com and his author site for readers (with links to all his books) is AllThatChazz.com.
In my continuing quest to make better choices (a la Do the Thing) I need data. You probably need it, too. Let’s talk about some things you need to know to make those improved choices.
I got quite a blow last week. The tax bill came due and, after too long at the accountant’s, the hammer fell. It turns out I need to pay twice as much to the government as I expected. In the past the tax bill has been an annoyance but not that big a deal. This is a big deal. Time to alter a few things!
First, what would help? Tracking things more closely and getting the spreadsheets to the accountant earlier in the year would have helped somewhat. Here we are in mid-May and pretty far along the path to paying the next tax bill. Alarming, isn’t it?
What now?
Besides tracking income and outgo, I have to reevaluate what I’m doing and where the time goes. Aside from running a podcast about stress management, I have several income streams to cobble together an income. Some streams are better than others but that’s not all about the amount of money coming in. It’s also about the amount of time invested to get to that income, the hassles thereof and the dependability of each stream.
Tough Choices
In coming weeks, I expect I’ll need to alter my career path to reflect new goals. Inertia isn’t a choice, it’s just coasting on inertia. One of the tenets of Do the Thing is a bit of wisdom that’s no less true even though it is well-word: That which is not measured is not changed. I think my answer will be found in cutting down an income stream that takes more time but pays less. I’ll also have to cast about for office space that is less expensive. I’m not enthused about changing my office space but much of what I do feels like one step forward and two steps back.Â
I’m sharing all this not to whine but to encourage you, too, to be evaluative about what’s working and what’s not. What choices are worth your time and what’s not? Time, income, energy expenditure. It’s not just about income and outgo.Â
Long-term, my plan is to depend on writing full-time. Passive income is what I need to retire on. I can’t continue to do manual rehab work forever but I can write for a long time yet.Â
If you’d like to contribute to this podcast and get rewards, please do click the Become a Patron button on the main page at AllThatChazz.com and see what your generosity could buy!
On today’s podcast I discuss my experience using sensory deprivation tanks. I also want to say little bit about stress relief, vegging out and watching old movies. Finally, I have an update on the latest addition to the SleepCycle app.
Sorry for the delay releasing this ep of the All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast. Between some issues with technology and broadband costs, I could not publish a podcast last week. To contribute to this podcast, please click the “Become a patron” button at AllThatChazz.com. There are various rewards for sponsorship from free books to advertising.
Catch Phrase Contest
This podcast is still desperately in need of a catchphrase to finish the show. Send me your suggestions at expartepress@gmail.com. The winner will get a free paperback copy of Do the Thing!
Here is the obligatory disclaimer:
Do not take medical advice from a podcast. If you need medical attention or if you are not sure whether you need medical attention, get medical attention.
Is it time for your next vacation? What if you can’t afford a vacation. Pop quiz, hotshot!What do you do? What do you do? (I love me a very dated reference from the movie Speed. Such a dumb, fun movie! Also, it was the last time Jeff Daniels was badass in a physical way.)
Sorry for the delay in releasing this podcast. After updating my software, my computer is screwing up in a huge way! Onward!
On this week’s show, we consider your alternatives to a tropical vacation. Staycations are, of course, an option for many. But maybe you can’t afford that, either. When tax season rolls around, I’m cranky for just that reason: I have to work harder to make sure I can pay the government’s bill on time.
Here’s the vacation information we cover on this show:
Cheaper alternatives (camping, staycations and day trips.)
Enjoying what you’ve got (be a tourist in your own town.)
Don’t vacate and save the stress.
Vacating might mean more work and more stress. Make your work more pleasant instead.
Get a new job, retire into part-time work, seek fulfillment or wait for a universal minimum wage.
Finally I discuss the value of work and The Dirty Jobs conundrum. (Host of Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe, is the name that escaped me as I was recording this podcast. Sorry to Mike and his fans.) There’s the work we have to do, the work we want to do and the work in between the extremes. It’s a lot to cover in 15 minutes or less!
Catch phrase Contest
This podcast needs a catch phrase. Got a suggestion for the All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast? Snd your suggestions my way at expartepress@gmail.com. If I choose yours to end the show each week, you’ll get bragging rights, a shout out and I’ll send you a paperback of my time travel novel, Wallflower, or a hard copy of Do the Thing! Your choice!
Want more Reward Choices?
Check out my Patreon page to see all the rewards that sponsorship gets you! Just click the Become a Patron button at AllThatChazz.com and see what you can get for being cool.
Not everybody has the money to give money so please leave a review wherever you picked up this podcast! Cheers!
The Obligatory Disclaimer
I wrote Do the Thing! for anyone interested in better managing their time, pain, stress and energy. I podcast each week for the same reason. However, don’t take medical advice from a podcast. For that, you need in person help from a professional. If you’re in doubt as to whether you require assistance in person, ask your doctor in person. No podcast can replace a proper professional health consultation. So there.
Do the Thing! is Robert’s book about many facets of better life management. It’s packed with tons of helpful ideas and points to ponder on the toilet. Available in ebook and paperback.Â
A former journalist, Robert Chazz Chute is a manual therapist with 24 years experience helping people ease stress and rehabilitate pain issues. He’s also the author of many books of fiction. Check out his sci-fi, crime thrillers and apocalyptic epics at AllThatChazz.com.
