Winterize Your Body

Hello, All!

It's getting chilly in the mornings here at my house and it can't be denied that the winter season is fast approaching. While I'm enjoying Mother Nature's beautiful Fall colors and abundant produce, my mind naturally wanders into preparation mode. Like many of you, I'm giving more thought to electric blankets, storm windows and heavy socks. The furnace will need to be checked and the car's radiator flushed, too. Those of us who live in the Northeast know how important it is to winterize our vehicles. Have you taken care of that yet? And equally as important: have you winterized your body yet?

I don't know of too many people who give much thought to getting their bodies ready to withstand the assault of winter's more present germs and viruses. We seem to give more attention to what the car needs than to what our bodies need. Further, we don't give much credence to the necessity. Some folks will stock up on cough syrup, nasal decongestants and tissues. That's all well and good, I suppose, but it's definitely a backwards approach to winter time wellness. Yes, be ready for a cold just in case it comes, but work on preventing the cold first. Prevention is the key to wellness in any any season and deserves some extra effort at this time of year in order to make your body protected against the usual onslaught of illnesses that thrive during the winter.

Prevention of illness is based in your body's immune system. The many parts of your body work in concert to keep you protected from environmental invaders when they attack. Simply put, strong immunity is essential for wellness. Those who follow the rules of general good health already have a foundation of good immunity. The basic tenets of good nutritional habits, regular exercise and adequate sleep always apply; however, there are additional measures which you may not necessarily think of as healthful habits.......

Keeping yourself well hydrated is really important. Dehydration causes problems such as kidney failure, poor digestion, dry skin and the reduced ability of your body to release toxins and waste products. Taking care of your skin is also an important endeavor. Your skin is your largest organ and one of the first barriers against disease. Remember to use personal care products which are the most natural that you can find. Most shampoos, creams and lotions contain toxic chemicals. Just because it says "natural" on the label, doesn't mean it's necessarily so. Be wary, read the ingredients list and do your research.

Stress is also a huge problem for your immune system. Stress causes the body to produce a hormone called cortisol. This is the stuff we need for fight or flight. But if stress is constant, cortisol production continues, literally destroying your immune system over time. It also causes fast heart rate, high blood pressure, cardiopulmonary disease, elevated blood sugar, poor digestion, loss of sleep and more. So keep your stress level down by whatever method works for you.

These are just a few things that you may not have thought of as being important for preventing a cold this winter. There are lots of things you can do to keep yourself well. In the last several years I've taken a more proactive approach to my own health. Even so, I have not always done what's been best for my health. Eventually, though, I always get back on the wellness path. In four years I have had only one slight cold, and it was easily dealt with and quickly gone. I haven't just been lucky; I've been working on my immune system. Since my plan has worked for me, perhaps it would work for you. Let me tell you about it.

• Every day I drink an ounce of Ningxia Red, Young Living's super nutrient infusion. This juice is so good for you in so many ways that I can't go into here. I stock a few extra bottles on the shelf for winter.

• I take a handful of vitamins, minerals and herbs every day to supplement my food. Vitamin C is a powerful and inexpensive antioxidant which I take in higher doses over the winter months: 4,000 milligrams per day.

• I drink more water over the winter to keep my kidneys working well. The kidneys are key in filtering out toxins. They work much better with more water.

• I take extra care of my skin with Young Living lavender oil. Together with a vegetable oil blend, it's a wonderful and soothing all-over body treatment. I also use all natural and pH balanced MSM lotion.

• I try to get some additional sleep during the winter. Resting isn't my best thing -- I have so much that I want to accomplish! But I keep trying.

• And finally, there is no doubt that I have been more well since I began using Young Living Essential Oils. I apply them to my skin, inhale them, diffuse them and swallow them every day. Their use is a key component of my wellness plan.

So.....I'm only human and my immunity is not such that I feel as strong as I could feel in avoiding colds and flu. I need a back-up plan, and I have one which has worked for me over and over -- and over again. Since this is tried and true for me, perhaps it would help you. I never keep this wellness stuff to myself. (Whadya mean, you've noticed?) At the first sniffle or tickly throat, here's what I do:

• I increase Ningxia Red to twice daily.

• I begin Zicam Nasal Gel (from the drug store), an all natural zinc product, according to the package directions.

• I force fluids: as much warm, caffeine-free liquid as I can hold. Broth, boullion and herbal teas are what I like.

• I take internally: Thieves essential oil blend and wintergreen oil in a capsule, alternating with oregano and tangerine oils by the same method.

• R.C. essential oil blend gets applied topically, inhaled and perhaps diffused.

I keep this routine up for at least 48 hours, even through the hours of sleep, until my symptoms abate, then for an extra day or two to be sure. I have such faith in this method that I would never think of being without these things.

So, there you have it: my comprehensive plan (and back-up plan) for wintertime (and all year) wellness. Young Living Essential Oils have changed my life. Never have I felt so ready for whatever germy things the coming season might bring. I've been working on my immune system for years and I'm definitely reaping the benefits of what I consider to be the most "essential" ingredients for health.

I have no cold or flu toxic "medicine" in my medicine cabinet. I have Young Living Essential Oils. I haven't winterized my car yet, but I have winterized myself. Have you winterized your body yet?

Wishing you the best of health!
Jude

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If you'd like to know more about Young Living Essential Oils, you can click on the link which you'll find right up there under my picture. Or you can call or email me anytime!

>>>>> *** <<<<<

Jude Ker
315-255-3066
wellness@desker.net
www.youngliving.org/judithanne53

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The information contained herein is given for educational purposes only.
It is not meant to treat, prevent, mitigate or cure any disease.

The Only Thing for Burns

Hello, All!

Last week I picked up a hot pizza pan. I thought I had the pot holder well-placed -- but I didn't. My thumb got burned and began to get red and swollen right away. Mom would have had me hold my burned digit under cold, running water. Gram would have applied butter to the area. Me, I use Young Living lavender essential oil. This incident with the hot pan reminded me that I should remind you: lavender oil is the only thing for burns.

We Young Living folks call our lavender oil the Swiss Army knife of oils because it has countless uses for everyday life. It's the most purchased of all the Young Living oils, and arguably the most widely used for the most diverse purposes. Since summer is rapidly approaching, I thought that this was a good time to tell you of how great lavender oil is for burned skin. Not only does it stop the pain, it prevents further tissue damage and provides oxygen to those poor burned cells to help speed healing.

When I was on vacation in Maine a few years back I thought it was a good idea to go trooping around a treeless island all day without any protection from the sun. When I returned from my outing my face and neck were as red as a Maine lobster. I applied lavender oil right away and I kept applying it hourly for the rest of the day, and frequently through the next couple of days. The initial burning pain vanished immediately with the first application and it never returned.

Even though I had heard about the wonders of lavender oil for this purpose, I had never had a chance to test it's worth. I want to tell you that I was absolutely convinced of it after that episode with Old Sol. And as I continued to apply it time after time, I was so grateful that I didn't have to apply some smelly, greasy, toxic cream to my skin.

Essential oil of lavender from Young Living is the only thing I use for burns of any kind. If you think you'd like to try some on your next burn, please make sure you don't purchase your oil from the local MegaMart. There's lots of "lavender" oil out there and most of it is labeled 100% pure and natural. Chances are good, though, that these oils are badly processed making them useless for healing and dangerous for burned skin. Only use the oil that's guaranteed to be pure, organically grown, gently processed and independently tested for it's therapeutic value.

The morning after I came into contact with that hot pan, I had no sign of having been burned. I love my lavender oil and I would never want to be without it! Be prepared. Call me to place your order and I'll send along a free list of some of the wonderful uses for this wonderful oil. Just like the heat of summer, burns in the kitchen are inevitable. So consider buying an extra bottle to keep next to the stove. And just one more piece of advice: when you go out into the sun, wear your hat!

Wishing you the best of health!
Jude

PS: Look right to find my contact info. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Take Care of the Earth

You may believe that God created the Earth and its many inhabitants. You might believe that evolution brought us here. Or perhaps you think that God created evolution. Whatever it is that you believe about how the Earth arrived, you should have no doubt that we need to take care of it. How are we going to do that? Earth Day is a good time to consider what you could do to keep the planet a little cleaner.

Quite a few years ago there was a commercial on television that showed an American Indian chief surveying his lands. He saw garbage heaped up and the filth from a disrespectful human race covering the Earth’s beauty. The tear which trickled down the Indian’s face was all the message I needed to cause me to begin taking care of the Earth. I’ve been reminded of his saddened face over and over in my mind’s eye when I’ve seen how we have all abused our home. Over the years I have tried to be kinder, cleaner, more natural because I know that whatever I do affects the Earth.

Just our being here, whatever we do or don’t do, has an impact on the planet. I’m sure you’ve heard about our carbon footprint, and what measures you might take to help reduce your own footprint. There are lots of things you could try. You won’t need to look very far to find some ideas, motivation or even step by step instructions. But have you thought about what you eat, drink and apply to your body as being harmful to the Earth? It’s true; all of our personal stuff has an effect.

I read a few weeks ago that chemical drugs are in our water. It was broadcast by the media as if it were something new and surprising. I wasn’t surprised, though. I knew that those countless substances which we can’t digest are excreted back into the land and the water. The chemicals of drugs, processed foods, personal care products and anything that’s not organic has an unhappy effect on the planet. And this is getting worse and worse as we use more processed goods. I wonder how long it’ll be until our water is too contaminated to drink and our ground is too full of chemicals to grow food.

It’s so hard to get away from all this processed junk. It’s all around us and a lot of it is just so convenient and helps us get more work, more play, more sleep into our days. But think about it for one minute: whatever we do goes back to the Earth. And then think for one more minute of something that you could do to help this beautiful planet that we call home. There are natural foods out there, natural products which are minimally processed and natural medicines which are better for the Earth – and better for us as well.

It seems like a huge burden to think about having to take care of such a huge planet as this one. But if each one of us does one or two things in the way of care, we will all be better off. Think organic. Think unprocessed. Think natural. Just think about it for one minute. Choose something and act on it soon and consistently. What goes around comes around and respect works both ways. If we each take care of the Earth, she’ll take care of us in return.

Wishing you the best of health!
Jude

wellness@desker.net
www.youngliving.org/judithanne53

Setting the Record Straight: Wintergreen Oil

One of my friends is a member of an animal-related chat group. A question was posted recently regarding wintergreen oil and whether it was safe to apply it to an arthritic animal. Someone posted an answer which stated, with no doubt whatsoever, that wintergreen oil is toxic, that it could be fatal and should never be applied to any animal or human at any time. Well, that's not exactly true.

Since I have the information and the evidence against this statement, I couldn't help but take the opportunity to educate these folks about wintergreen essential oil. While I was doing my research and writing up a response to the chat group, I thought that this subject would make a decent post for my own blog. So, here you have it.

It's true that many reference books and aromatherapy authorities, especially those of the British persuasion, contain warnings against the use of wintergreen oil. However, there is nothing toxic about the wintergreen provided by Young Living. Lab produced wintergreen, methyl salicylate, can definitely be toxic and I wouldn't use it.

In his book The Chemistry of Essential Oils Made Simple, Ph.D. David Stewart writes:

"Isomers are two or more compounds with the same formula but different molecular structures. The formula for methyl salicylate is C8H8O3. However, the 8 carbons, 8 hydrogens and 3 oxygen atoms of this formula (19 atoms total) can join together in several ways thus creating molecules with the same formula, but arranged in different structural shapes with different properties. There are 25 isomers of the formula C8H8O3. Two are very similar to that of natural methyl salicylate, but not quite. When plants produce methyl salicylate, they make a specific single pure isomer -- only one of the 25. Laboratories can't do this. When a lab tries to produce a single isomer, they end up with mixtures of two or more isomers, not just one. This is significant because different isomers of the same compound can have entirely opposite properties -- some helpful, some harmful. So there is good methyl salicylate and bad methyl salicylate. Humans can make the bad while only God knows how to make the good."

There is a lot of bad wintergreen out there, but Young Living stands behind its wintergreen essential oil as being pure, organic, and without contaminants. It is independently verified to be of the highest grade of therapeutic essential oil and has stood the test of time and use for over 15 years. Any Young Living distributor would be able to give a testimonial or several on the benefits of Young Living wintergreen. Young Living wintergreen oil has anticoagulation and antispasmodic properties, and has also been used with great success as a vasodilator, an agent for reducing blood pressure and is highly anti-inflammatory, making it just the right choice for arthritis and many other inflammatory conditions. Wintergreen is in our supplements, our face creams, our soaps and even in our toothpaste.

Be so careful when you are choosing anything to put on your pets and on yourself. Make sure it's pure and not made in a lab. Don't buy it at the drug store or the grocery store. Make sure you know what you're using. I would certainly not hesitate to say that I have used wintergreen by Young Living on my face, on my joints, on my headaches and in my mouth. I'm here to tell the tale. I can say without any hesitation that Young Living's wintergreen oil is unequivocally the best on the planet.

You could site chapter and verse about "wintergreen oil" and it's toxicity. There is enough information out there for anyone to easily be able to give reference on the subject. These writings would be right for the most part. But you can never site anything of the kind regarding Young Living. Hundreds of thousands of Young Living distributors and customers can't be wrong about our wintergreen essential oil. It's good for use on high blood pressure, inflammation, muscle and nerve pain, joint and ligament pain, atherosclerosis, fatty liver and more. It's been proven and documented to be therapeutic, it smells yummy and above all it's safe!

For more information about the purest of oils, check out The Essential Oil Desk Reference published by Essential Science Publishing. You could check out my website, too. Or, you could contact me directly by phone or email to discuss the wonderful properties of wintergreen essential oil, made with care by Young Living. While I'm waiting for your call...

I'm wishing you the best of health!
Jude

www.youngliving.org/judithanne53
wellness@desker.net
315-255-3066

Something You Need To Know About: MRSA

There has been quite a bit of news in the media over the last week about a so-called super bug called MRSA. A student in Virginia died after being infected with MRSA and there are three reported cases here in Central New York where I live. What is MRSA? And what, if anything can we do about it? Read on.

MRSA is an acronym which stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. It's a bacterial infection and is usually spread by skin to skin contact. According to the Center for Disease Control & Prevention, it was first discovered in hospitals in 1968. At that time it was primarily found in hospitalized patients and those who were recently hospitalized. In the 1990's MRSA mutated and began to show up in otherwise healthy, non-hospitalized people. Now MRSA infections are more common in the United States than previously thought, and is being found more frequently outside of hospitals. This latest observation was published in today's issue of JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association.

MRSA infections are usually found on skin or in surface wounds, but it can travel inside of the body and attack blood, bones, joints, lungs and heart valves, causing potential life-threatening conditions. My own sister-in-law passed away earlier this year from a MRSA infection which attacked her heart valves. According to the Mayo Clinic, Vancomycin is one of the few antibiotics left which is effective against most MRSA infections, but sometimes even the strongest antibiotics available don't work. It is known that MRSA is a bacterium which is rapidly mutating in communities and may soon be untreatable by any known antibiotics.

Those most at risk for contracting MRSA infections are those with weakened or underdeveloped immune systems such as older people, children and those with severe or chronic illnesses. Those who engage in contact sports or share sports equipment or towels are at risk also, as well as those who live in unsanitary or crowded places. And if you are associated with a health care worker you could be at risk, too.

How did these super bugs come about? Weren't antibiotics always able to treat infections, no matter what? Ever since the discovery of penicillin, that used to be a fairly accurate statement. Unfortunately, more and more infections are becoming resistant to treatment after many years of unnecessary and excessive use of antibiotics. Now, not only can we get our prescription for these drugs from our doctors, we can obtain them free of charge: they're in our drinking water and are given routinely to our livestock. In addition, germs continue to mutate in order to escape and multiply. This is what bacteria do to survive. The appearance of super bugs just makes sense.

There is a study ongoing in the UK on the use of essential oils for treating MRSA. From the European newsletter nutraingredients.com, researchers at the University of Manchester have reported that three essential oils have killed MRSA. Also, essential oils of eucalyptus and tea-tree have been shown to be effective against MRSA at the University of Sydney. How can these simple oils work when our highly researched and expensive drugs can't? Because antibiotics are simple compounds and only work on one or one group of infections; oils are complex compounds and bacteria are unable to mutate and escape. This makes essential oils more effective in treating infections.

Now I must get on my soapbox and I hope you'll forgive me. But this is my blog and this paragraph is where I give my opinion. Those of us who market therapeutic essential oils are prevented by the FDA from calling the oils a cure or a treatment for anything. That is the law. Therefore, I leave it up to each of you to decide. I will say this, though: it is unlikely that the big pharmaceutical companies will spend much time trying to discover new antibiotics. Those drugs don't have the potential for making the big companies much income. They will probably be (and are) concentrating their efforts on developing new "diseases" and "syndromes" for the drugs that they can make the most money from, the drugs that some people take for their lifetime, drugs like Lipitor and Prozac and the vaccines which cripple our children. Okay....I'm done.

MRSA infections are much easier to prevent than they are to treat. Good and frequent hand washing is so important in helping to prevent the spread of MRSA and many other kinds of infections. If you have a wound, keep it clean and covered and dispose of your bandages safely. Don't share your personal items with anyone. By these I mean razors, bed linens, clothing, athletic equipment or skin care items like make-up and deodorants. And finally, if you have a wound or skin rash that doesn't heal, get tested.

It's a good thing to have knowledge about MRSA so that we can protect ourselves. But I don't think we need to hide under the bed just yet. Concentrate on prevention and keep your immune system strong. That's what I have planned for myself. If you have more questions about MRSA ask your health care professional. And remember to do your own research and make up your own mind about what treatments you will accept for any illness that may come along.

Wishing you the best of health!
Jude

For questions about therapeutic essential oils from Young Living please contact me!

wellness@desker.net

315-255-3066

Pharmaceutical Drugs Can Kill

Do you know any parent in their right mind who would offer up their child for experimentation? Let's hope not. Our children have it hard enough these days. But did you know that the cough and cold medications that you may have given them have never been tested for use by children? And did you know that the FDA reports show that 123 children died between 1969 and 2006 from taking some of these medicines? These are only the ones we know about.

I get so angry when I hear about people dying because of medicines which are supposed to be safe for us and for our children. The FDA has to approve all of these things before we can have access to them. If you are paying attention at all, it probably hasn't escaped your notice that lots of supposedly safe drugs are killing people. So, why are people continuing to die and why are they continuing to experience life altering side effects?

If you follow the money, the trail leads right to the pharmaceutical industry which I refer to as Big Pharma. Big Pharma makes up illnesses (like restless leg syndrome or dry eye syndrome) and makes dangerous chemical drugs which cover up symptoms but that don't really cure anything. Then they do their own testing on their drugs, skew the results they report and pay the FDA to get them on the market as quickly as possible. Our congress and senate help Big Pharma to get this done. Our elected officials accept more monetary donations from the pharmaceutical lobbies than almost any other. Then the media takes over. Because Big Pharma owns the media we are showered with advertisements for whatever is the hot drug of the day -- and the drug which has the most potential to make Big Pharma even bigger.

By the time the news of these wonderful new "cures" hits the main stream media, our doctors have already been advised on what they should be prescribing for these new "diseases." They've been taken out to lunch, given nice gifts, provided with all expenses paid trips, and armed with rooms full of free drug samples. Wouldn't you be influenced by this behavior? I would think that anyone might be. And doctors just want to help their patients with the latest and the greatest. They don't have time to do any research on the safety of these drugs that they prescribe. They take the word of their medical organizations like the American Medical Association and the Food & Drug Administration. And Big Pharma has been so very helpful in providing these doctors with the "proof" of drug safety by showing them the testing results.

The advertisements for new drugs are so much in evidence that there is no escaping them. Putting it simply, we get brainwashed by the media. We are convinced, by sheer repetition, that we should ask our doctors for drugs. And let's be honest with ourselves: we want the easy solution to whatever the problem is. We're busy. We don't have any time to try to figure out what else besides a pill might help us feel better. In addition, even if we know what we need to do to feel better, we might be too attached to some bad behavior that we would just rather have the pill so we can continue to behave badly. It doesn't seem to enter into our minds that the side effects of the pill might kill us. And all drugs have side effects, even aspirin.

The cough and cold medicines that we give our children so freely have never been tested on children for safety or effectiveness. Who would volunteer to have their child tested in this manner, right? The drugs have been tested on adults, and as I said a couple of paragraphs ago, there is no impartial testing of drugs. Big Pharma does the testing. If something is found to be dangerous or just ineffective, it's likely put on the market anyway to make sure Big Pharma doesn't lose any money. The actual results of this type of behavior on the part of Big Pharma are usually only discovered later after people die. Remember Vioxx? The families of the 100,000 people who died remember.

Somewhere along the line the decision was made by someone that cough and cold medicines, among others, should be marketed to children. Adult doses were set and then children's doses were extrapolated from them. In other words: if an adult of 150 pounds weight gets 150 milligrams of a drug, a child of 25 pounds should get 25 milligrams. Because testing on children was never done or even required by the FDA, assumptions were made about the safety and effectiveness of adult drugs on children. Our children, your children, have been tested without your knowledge or consent. I don't know how you feel about this but it makes me mad as hell.

When our kids get a cold or the sniffles what are we going to do to help them be more comfortable? The first thing to know is that so far there is no known cure for the common cold. My daughter's old pediatrician used to say, "It'll be over in two weeks or 14 days, whichever comes first." Next, think before you run willy nilly to the store for some medicine which might be dangerous. In fact, planning ahead would be a good idea. Find out some natural methods for help with getting through the next cold. There are many out there. And work on your immune systems. Get them boosted up to peak performance and keep them that way. By doing so, there will be less chance of getting a cold.

I am not a licensed medical practitioner so I can't legally recommend anything to anyone. That being said, I can tell you that nutritional things like chicken soup have been known to be effective for comfort. Keeping the air inside the house moistened with a vaporizer or humidifier can help. Increasing fluids and getting more rest are on that list, too. For myself, I would not be without certain essential oils -- Young Living, of course! -- as the cold and flu season approaches. I must be honest and tell you that last winter I had a respiratory illness. That has been the only time I've been ill with anything since I began using Young Living products for my health and wellbeing. Therapeutic essential oils have been in use since 4500 BC. That was definitely before Big Pharma came along. They have stood the test of time and have, no doubt, helped with the varied health issues of many. Young Living Essential Oil products are therapeutic, organic, 100% natural, independently tested for purity, and documented by testimonials in the millions as being effective and safe. They have been effectively used by great grandparents and by the parents of little ones across our nation and around the world.

The world is a dangerous place these days. I guess it always has been, depending on your particular circumstances. But you don't need to put yourself into the line of pharmaceutical fire. There are many other methods available to keep yourself and your children well and to help them through the times when they are less so. Don't let Big Pharma remove the responsibility for your children's health from you. Take it yourself. These are your children. You brought them here. It's your job to protect them from anything that could hurt them. Do your own research. Think first, then act.

Please consider reading "The Truth About the Drug Companies" by Marcia Angell, M.D. Information is power. Also, please consider how Young Living might help you with your wellness issues. Just call me if you have questions.

Wishing you -- and your children! -- the best of health!
Jude

wellness@desker.net

315-255-3066

Multitasking: An Unreasonable Request

As many of you know, I have been on the job search for about six months now. Anyone who has ever been on that road will certainly be able to relate to the stress that it causes. Sure, it's nice to be able to sleep in on Monday morning, but the lack of income is a frightening place to be. And that's not all. Not only do we who are on the extended search feel more obligated to compromise on what we originally wanted in our next job, we have to agree to multitask.

What is multitasking anyway? According to one definition from the online encyclopedia Wikipedia, multitasking is the ability of a human to "develop and follow multiple thought processes simultaneously." Is this even possible? And since when have humans been expected to divide their attention every which way? I think they used to refer to that as being scatterbrained. Webster's New World Dictionary, 1991 edition, describes multitasking as something that only computers are supposed to be able to handle. So, apparently, sometime in the last fifteen years or so, the human brain has evolved into an efficient, superfunctioning, simultaneous multitasker? I think not.

Computers are wonderful things and are specifically built to be able to handle multiple simultaneous tasks. I feel sure that humans were not designed to be able to do the same; if they were, why would we have had the need for computer processors in the first place? The human brain is a wonderful thing, a machine worthy of praise, but it has it's limitations.

While working in the cable business I learned about signal strength. Let me give you an example. The signal is the intangible entity that flows from the source (the cable office) to the destination (your house). Once the signal arrives at the pole outside your house, it comes inside via a coaxial cable. At this point, if all went well along the way, the signal is a strong one and capable of delivering cable television, high speed Internet and perhaps telephone service. When it gets into the house it has a signal strength of 100%. If you have three televisions hooked up, one computer and a telephone modem, your signal has been split five different ways. This means that each thing in your house now has only 20% of the original signal. Your signal is multitasking but that's okay; that's something a cable signal can handle. But the more times the signal is split, the weaker the signal gets to each thing that's hooked up. This decreases the quality of the service you'll receive at each television.

Why am I telling you about cable signals? Didn't you think we were talking about multitasking? Well, we still are. The cable signal example is my opinion of how the brain works. We probably start out with a good, strong 100% signal in the morning if we had a good night's rest, a bowl of fiber and, in my case, a cup of coffee. When we get busy and someone gives us five things to do, (all of which need to be done right away, of course!), our brain's signal gets split up, and the signal, or the amount of attention we can give to each task, is weaker. This results in nothing getting our full attention, regardless of how important it might be. All of our assigned tasks get the short shrift, and we are lucky if we manage to accomplish anything. There is nothing efficient about this. In addition, we are under so much pressure to succeed that our level of stress (and incidence of stress related illness) is raised more than we know.

From paying attention to my own methods of accomplishing tasks, I know that multitasking is counterproductive and anything but efficient. I would like to be able to tell prospective employers that this is true. It's the same for anyone if they were to be honest with themselves; however, this is not what the world's bosses want to hear. I have heard this employment criteria repeatedly at interviews and in advertisements: must be able to multitask. Sometime over the last decade, perhaps due to the continuing instances of reduction in workforce, the few who are left have been saddled with the continuing work of the many by means of multitasking.

Prioritizing your workload works much better than multitasking. I remember it well from my last job and it worked. It seems to me that a whole industry surrounding day planners was developed to assist us in prioritizing. Giving each task, in order of importance, your full attention can get everything done in an efficient and orderly manner. And if you have your tasks written down on your planner or calendar, you have a record of everything that was done for future reference. This is impossible with multitasking because your thoughts, and therefore your actions, are too scattered.

So, let's ask ourselves if multitasking is the best method to get our work done. Is it even possible for the human brain to function in this way over the long haul? Are we increasing our stress level by increasing our simultaneous tasks? Can we be more efficient for ourselves and for our employers if we do one thing at a time? And can we be sneaky about this at work and just try it? I guarantee you that multitasking is definitely not as efficient as the term suggests. Give prioritizing and singletasking a chance. I think you'll find that everything will still get done.

Let me know what you think about multitasking. I look forward to hearing from you! And in the meantime....

I wish you the best of health!
Jude