Soul Care for the WLAN Professional

I was doing a wireless site survey at the national headquarters for a large rental equipment company and felt strange.  No, the survey went OK–it was only a four floor building and just took two days to accomplish.  But it felt really strange to be around so many people and hear them say the same things:  “I’m too busy this week!” and “I have too much to do.” and “Another two meetings today? — Oh s#@~*!” and “I’m just going insane right now!”  I guess what topped it off was when my IT point of contact told me, “I can’t help you right now–find someone else!”

We all get busy and have lots of wireless stuff to do, which does helps us look forward to weekends and vacation days.  But what happens to you when your busy-ness never stops, work never slows down, you seem to be on a non-stop squirrel cage and you see no end in sight.  You, my WLAN professional colleague, need to care for your soul.

Soul (def.): a) an entity which is regarded as being the immortal or spiritual part of a person and which, having no physical or material reality, is credited with the functions of thinking, willing, and choosing  b) the moral or emotional nature of a human being c) central or integral part; the vital core.

The definitions above tell us what we need to hear:  Your soul is what makes you YOU.  And since it is integral and at our vital core, it needs to be cared for.  To be cared for by YOU.

I understand my readers come from many religious or non-religious backgrounds, but here is a verse from the Bible that seems to sum up the importance of caring for our souls:

“Above all else, guard your heart,
    for everything you do flows from it.”  -Proverbs 4:23

Everything I do flows from my heart or soul?  It sounds like caring for my soul is kind of important, doesn’t it?

So, what can you do to care for your soul?

1.  Look at your work.  Is it dominating your life, and you have no free time for family, friends, hobbies or vacations?  If so, you need to slow down or your body will slow you down involuntarily.  Talk with your manager or director and see if you can reduce your work load and stress level.  If your manager does not see the need, you may need to find another manager or another place to do your Wi-Fi work.  That may be a tough decision to make, but your soul is valuable and worth it!
2. Take a cert break.  I have done the same thing you have—work and certification study!  But after you do a cert, take a break!  Go for the next one and then take another break.  Your soul will thank you for the study breaks!
3. Find and do a hobby.  Find one and do it regularly.  (A hobby is non-work related.  Doing AP reviews for a vendor is not a hobby!)  I like to run, and getting hot and sweaty and exhausted helps me to clear my head.  What do you like to do in your spare time?  If you don’t have a hobby, find one and do it frequently.  It will help you feed your soul!
4. Vacations/time off.  You need regular, planned time off.  And speaking of off, make sure you do your Microsoft Outlook “out of office” alert and your voice mail should say you are out of the office as well.  If you are checking emails and making appointments on your vacation, it is not really a vacation, is it?  Rest is good (and vital) for your soul.
5. Do something fun every day.  A good friend told me the same thing he tells CEO professionals dealing with depression–do something fun every day!  I purchased a couple of drones recently and am learning how to fly (and crash) them.  It’s fun and I feel like a kid again!  It does not have to take a long time, but do something fun every day!  It’s OK to feel like a kid and that’s good for your soul!
6. Spiritual life.  My faith helps me put things in perspective.  I am a follower of Jesus Christ, and you may have another religious affiliation, but caring for our spiritual life is important.  We talk about family, moral and eternal values and things that unite us and give us an importance and transcendent quality above any work we do.   If you do not have a church/synagogue/mosque/religious affiliation, find one you like and can attend regularly.  It will make a difference in your life and provide stability for your soul the next time you download new code and the controller does not reboot properly!
7. Seek medical advice and counsel. It seems like when we are sick physically, we have no problem seeing a doctor for treatment.  But when we are sick emotionally, we try to hide it or cover it up.  However, we are still sick!  If you’re not healthy emotionally, you are not an oddball or strange if you seek out a professional counselor.  And that medical professional might prescribe some medications to help you get over your depressed state.  In a nutshell, here’s what happens:  when you are depressed, your serotonin levels go down to the basement.  (Serotonin is the body chemical that helps regulate our mood, appetite and sleep).  You need to get these levels up to normal levels and there are medications that help do that.  Ask your counselor what you need to get your serotonin levels out of the dumps into the healthy range where they should be.  Your soul will feel normal again, too.

A healthy WLAN professional is a happy WLAN professional!    Others will notice it and you will, too.

My fellow WLAN professional, begin today to care for your soul!

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My soul has been helped and healed a lot through Ransomed Heart, a movement that helps men come fully alive and allows women to live freely from their hearts.  I hope it can help you too as you care for your soul.