Articles
Friday's Laws Help People Balance Their Brains
by Andrew G. Wilson
While economists may define being productive as generating a lot of product
in a given period of time, productivity - in psychological terms - hinges
less on efficiency and more on normalcy and balance.
At least that's the view of Paul Friday, Ph.D., chief of Clinical Psychology
at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center's Shadyside Hospital. His
book, Friday's Laws is subtitled How to Become Normal When You're
Not and How to Stay Normal When You Are.
While many professionals are loath to talk about "normal" and "crazy" in everyday language, Dr. Friday embraces the terms because they help people understand that everyone has thoughts that definitely are crazy.
But to recognize the craziness of a notion and choose not to act upon it
is, well, normal. "Normal means knowing a little quicker when our crazy
ideas are crazy," said Dr. Friday. "Normal people have crazy
ideas. Crazy people have crazy ideas. The difference is normal
people recognize a little quicker that our crazy ideas are crazy."
Dr. Friday describes normal people as having something more in their arsenal
that helps them recognize when an idea is truly crazy. The recognition
factor is the difference between thinking productively and having a brain
that's out of balance.
"Being a productive thinker is not about who makes the most widgets.
It's about getting your brain in balance," said Dr. Friday, who
has developed "The Balanced Brain Test TM" on his Web site, www.FridaysLaws.com,
to help people gauge their own sense of normalcy. "If we wish to
increase our productivity, psychologically speaking, we need to manage our
stress in the best way possible."
Since stress may come from multiple sources - family, work, and relationships
with others - trying to manage it can make the average person feel about as
balanced as the unicycle rider on the high wire at the circus. Dr. Friday
realizes this, but offers an acrostic that also reminds us of the consequences
of not managing stress well.
"I use the acrostic BYPASS for my patients as a guide
to help them manage the stressors in their lives," he said.
B - Balance appetites. Do everything in moderation.
Don't be a glutton.
Y - Yield occasionally. "You don't have to win
every battle," Dr. Friday said.
P - Physical activity. Schedule regular periods for
exercise, at least three times a week for 45 minutes at a stretch.
A - Away time. "Everyone needs daily, weekly,
monthly, and yearly away time," Dr. Friday said. "Daily away
time can be setting aside some quiet time for meditation or prayer. For
weekly away time, do something on your day off. Monthly away time might
be a concert or something else to look forward to. Yearly away time
is a vacation. I know my patients are improving when they start telling
me what they are going to do next summer."
S - Shun the Superperson urge. You don't have to do
everything for everyone.
S - Schedule recreation. "As busy as our lives
are today, if we don't schedule it, we won't do it," he said.
This idea of balance also extends to how we are expected to act on the job
versus how we're expected to act at home. Dr. Friday says many people
confuse the two or can't turn off one persona when it's time to use the other.
"To succeed outside, we need to be independent, non-vulnerable, and we
need to schmooze," he said. "But contrast that with how we
should behave inside, at home with our mate - dependent, vulnerable, and intimate.
That's how I define love. It's like a three-legged stool. If
one of those legs are out of balance, then the stool won't set right."
Dr. Friday says most people act one way out in the world, but, when they cross
the threshold of their home, they act differently. The people who have
trouble can't seem to rectify the difference between the two.
"Some of the executives I treat can't figure out how they have such respect
at large, but not at home," he said. "Alternatively, people
who display their inside persona in public often get eaten alive."
Having a life in proper balance is not simply a good way to manage stress,
but also a recipe for success at work and in the home.
"The key is balancing the inside and outside," he said. "The
more balanced you are, the more successful you will be at home and at work."
Paul Friday, Ph.D., is chief of Clinical Psychology at UPMC Shadyside.
He can be reached by calling (412) 683-7396.
If you would like to take "The Balanced Brain Test TM"visit www.FridaysLaws.com
or just GOOGLE: Balanced Brain Test.
This article has been reprinted with the permission of the Western Pennsylvania
Guide To Good Health
Contact: Julie Sloway, Prime Time Speakers Bureau, (800) 905-3233 or email julie@ primetimespeakers.com.