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Spirit e-Newsletter | March 2008 | Krist Samaritan Center | Touching Lives, Healing Hearts
Happy Easter! Easter holiday, spring break and warmer weather all mark the much-anticipated days of March. Leave the winter blues behind and head into spring stress-free. In this month’s Spirit, we’re giving a few time management tips to keep you picking daisies instead of picking battles. So sit back, relax and catch this month’s Spirit. [Graphic: Crucifix and Easter eggs]
Saving Daylight Time: Reducing Stress through Time Management. The last thing anyone needs is to lose an hour out of their already hectic day. So when faced with turning your clock forward for Daylight Savings Time this March, there’ll be no need to fret. You may be losing... [Photo: little girl and mother.]
...an hour, but that doesn’t mean you can’t gain it back with some useful time management skills. Taking care of time also means taking care of stress. If you can make time for what is important to you, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come your way. Time management is a skill that many of us seem to learn through necessity. The problem with learning a skill through necessity is that, more often than not, bad habits creep in and, although the skill may be useful in general, we do not use it to its full potential. Your best bet is to try out the tips listed below and see which ones work best for you to reduce your everyday stress and overall outlook on life.
Tips to a More Time, Less Stress Lifestyle: (1) Make Lists: Write as much down as you can. If you don’t carry a planner or notebook already, start. Perform frequent updates to your list. Cross out completed tasks. Your goal is to avoid a long list that can be overwhelming to even look at. (2) Make Use of Down Time: Use walking, driving, showering or otherwise “dead” times to plan. Think about what your goals are for that day or the next. Which goals are most important? Prioritization is the key. (3) Reward Yourself: Whenever you accomplish something, especially the important things, make sure to take the time to reward yourself. (4) Concentrate on One Thing: The human mind works more efficiently when it is focused. Multitasking can actually be a disadvantage to productivity for many people. Focus on one thing and get it done. (5) Avoid Procrastination: When trying to reduce stress and save time, procrastination should be avoided at all costs. It is the ultimate productivity-killer. (6) Set Personal Goals: You’ve talked a lot about what you need to do. You’ve claimed that you’ve tried and tried to do this or that. Take “try” out of your vocabulary and take the steps to do what you need to do. Once you set goals for yourself, you’ll be very clear on what you should spend your time doing. (7) Delegate Responsibilities: It is not uncommon for people to take on more than they can handle. The overestimation of one’s abilities, though not necessarily a bad thing, can often result in stress and more work. To avoid this unnecessary stress, do not feel bad about delegating tasks.
[Photo: Son and father] “Purposely Chosen” Program | Purposely Chosen is a four-hour adoption course led by Derek Prins, MA, LPC, which educates individuals on the unique situations and circumstances faced by adoption-touched families. Issues such as loss and grief, attachment, forming a family, and practical parenting skills, will be addressed during the classes. The program is offered at the Krist Samaritan Center on the fourth Thursday of every month from 6 to 10 p.m. For more information or to register, call 281.480.7554.
Touching Lives, Healing Hearts.
[Photo: Kid and Grandfather
Location Spotlight | Each month, Spirit spotlights a partnering congregation to reveal how Krist Samaritan Center is touching lives and healing hearts all across Houston. Deer Park—Deer Park United Methodist Church | The mission of the Deer Park United Methodist Church is to build a community for members to worship, pray, study and love their neighbors through invitation, welcome and service. Located at 1300 E. 13th Street in Deer Park, Texas, the Center’s Deer Park counseling location is staffed on by Susan Briggs, MA, LPC, LMFT, on Wednesdays from 1 pm to 5 pm.
| [Phto: Susan Briggis and Reverend Dr. Randall.] |
Susan Briggs, MA, LPC, LMFT, counselor at the Deer Park Krist Samaritan Center counseling location, visits with Reverend Dr. Randall Smith, Deer Park United Methodist senior pastor.
Mark Your Calendars! A Samaritan Celebration 2008, October 23, 2008, at the River Oaks Country Club
[Photo: happy family]
17555 El Camino Real | Houston, Texas 77058 | 281.480.7554 | www.samaritanhouston.org
 
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