Victor Urbach Photo

 

Receive your free personal copy of The Urbach Letter delivered to you each month

Click Here to Subscribe

July 2008

Read the Web Version at www.UrbachLetter.com

Important note: The Urbach Letter is not a commercial publication. I'm not compensated in any way by the providers of the products and services mentioned in this letter (except The Optran Group and Altegis LLC as noted); they're recommended because I use them personally, or believe them to be the best. Please add me to your address book now to keep our line of communication open in the future.
 

Less Stress
Most people I know are in a constant state of stress (myself included). We're all juggling the competing/conflicting demands of work, school, and family… as well as social obligations, commitments to the organizations we support, and taking care of the myriad tasks of everyday life. Pervasive stress is part of the modern human condition – or so it seems… Yet, there are good coping strategies you can use to take a bit of the edge off. You've undoubtedly read the magazine articles offering advice on this theme. "Stress-busting" tips like taking deep breaths, soaking in a hot bath, chocolate indulgences, etc. Those are good things, but I'm going to take a different tack in this article and help you assemble a "stress survival kit." When you've built yours, you'll be better able to deal with the multitude of little unexpected events that really pump up your stress level.

Look, I can't possibly help you with the stress of being fired from your job, getting served with a subpoena, moving to a new house, discovering your teenage kid has a tattoo, dealing with a living autopsy tax audit, or any similar thing. But I sure can help you become a better "Boy Scout," able to deal with the little "emergency" events that'll inevitably come your way. Because it's the little things that, taken together, often push us over the edge.

Brass HookNo magic here. Just some common sense. Here's a great example: a two dollar brass hook from the hardware store can permanently eliminate a stressor from your life. If you take that hook and screw it to the wall by your front door (or just inside the coat closet), and always hang your keys upon entering, you'll never go through the "Where the #%!*~ are my keys!" scramble again.

Minimizing everyday stress takes a combination of good habits, the right "equipment" and the right attitude.

Good habits translate to good routines. The root cause of most stress is lack of control. You feel as if you can't control your environment, the course of events, or the actions of other people. Not much we can do about those other people, but you have tremendous control over your personal space. If you invest the time to create good order and some organization in your home, car, and workplace, you'll be repaid with a host of benefits. When things are where you expect them to be, are in good supply and working order, then you save both time and aggravation. Developing the habits of always putting things away in the same place, labeling storage boxes so you can find what's in them, and following a schedule (for completing recurring tasks) will pay you back with increased free time and less accumulating stress.

Equipment means having the everyday things you need, when you need them. For example, if you have the storage space, why not lay in a huge supply of non-spoiling necessities such as toilet paper, diapers and infant formula, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products, et cetera? This stuff doesn't go bad, but running out always creates a mini-emergency. I'll have other examples in the stress survival kit list.

The right attitude means not freaking out when things go awry. If you know that, inevitably, the milk will spill, traffic will back up, the kids will get sick, extra work will land on your desk when you're least able to handle it… you're better able to maintain PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). It enables you to say to yourself, "Been here before. Handled it then. Will handle it just fine now." Whether that's real or just a psychological placebo effect doesn't matter. Your positive outlook will help convert the "crisis" into just another event.

Stress Reduction Kit

Emergency Money. Although we live in a virtually cashless society, having some green around still comes in very handy at times. That's why you should have an envelope containing $500 in these denominations: Four $50's (for bribes), ten $20's, ten $5's, and fifty $1's. Plus two rolls of quarters. You should also have an emergency credit card with a high limit. Forget about travelers checks. Nobody uses them anymore.

Prepacked Suitcase. You never know when you'll need to leave town on very short notice. Having a mostly-packed rollaboard will make this rapid departure much easier and faster (and therefore less stressful). No reason not to have one prepacked with underwear, PJ's, other non-wrinkling clothing, toiletries, shaver, etc.

Travel OrganizerTravel Document Organizer. Traveling is stressful enough all by itself. It's made worse when you can't locate the essential stuff. Be good to yourself and get an organizer for your tickets and travel papers. I like this one from LL Bean.

Bug-out Bag. This is different than a prepacked suitcase. In the event of a natural or manmade disaster, you may need to leave the house within minutes. Your bug-out bag should be in the front coat closet or a place where you can quickly grab it on the way out. It should contain (at a minimum) two days of warm, comfortable clothing ready to go. Include toiletries, medicines, and copies of important documents, phone lists, etc. Raingear and some non-perishable food is a big plus for your kit. For complete info, see my survival article from the June 2003 issue.

Spare Pair of Eyeglasses. Glasses get broken or lost. Expect this. Avoid a crisis by having a good extra pair available, especially if you "Need your glasses to find your glasses…" The same general advice for spares applies to house & car keys, garage door opener, etc.

SidewinderExtra Cell Phone Battery. We're very dependant on our cell phones, even in non-crisis situations. But their universal weak point is the battery. Especially if your battery is getting on in years, it may let you down when you need it most. Consider a Zinc-Air single-use emergency battery or Sidewinder.

3x5 Cards. Lists dramatically reduce stress. I have a PDA, but make all my to-do lists, shopping lists, reminder notes, etc. on 3x5 cards. There's something very satisfying about physically crossing a completed task off the list. Plus, the simple act of writing things down brings organization and clarity to your day. It also enables you to see what's high priority and what isn't.

UniBallWriting Implements. Make sure you have lots of pens all over the house. Buy a couple of dozen at Staples and scatter them everywhere. I like the Sanford uni-ball Vision Elite. Your time is valuable. Why spend it hunting all over for something to write with?

Insurance Policies. The original peace-of-mind product. People say they don't like insurance. Actually, they just hate paying for it. Your call. Personally, I consider good policies from top companies an essential part of my stress reduction kit. Of course, you need auto, homeowner, and health insurance. However, most people are way underinsured when it comes to life, disability, and long-term-care. If you have substantial assets, get a multi-million dollar liability "umbrella" policy. You'll be surprised how cheap it is. Also consider special coverage for your expensive electronics, jewelry, collectibles, etc. It may not be a "super good deal" economically, until you factor in the peace-of-mind collateral benefit.

Life Documents. You have a last will, right? What about trust documents for your kids, health care proxy/living will, letters of instruction expressing your wishes, a master list of assets and important document locations, and so forth? All up to date? I thought not. Now would be a good time to schedule that meeting with your lawyer to review your documents. You can't have peace-of-mind without all this in good order.

Other Documents. In addition to the above: passports (non-expired), copies of kids' birth certificates, marriage license, photocopies of wallet contents, auto registration and insurance card, etc. Also, a "Black Book" with full contact info for friends, family, service providers, doctors, professionals, etc. Extra points if you keep documents in a fireproof safe.

Complete Data Backup for all computers and PDA's. Your hard disk will crash. You will accidentally erase something important. Your computer may get stolen. Therefore, you MUST perform regular backups of your data and keep the backup media someplace safe. Off-site preferably (office to home and vice-versa).

Key CabinetKey Cabinet. How many different keys do you have? I had no idea until I took stock. Counting all the different door keys, padlock keys, desk keys, neighbors' keys, car keys, luggage keys, etc., I was able to fill up two 30-key cabinets. With clearly labeled tags, you'll never again play that "What's this key for?" game.

Security System. Maybe I've been watching too many TV commercials, but that "blanket of security" granted by a good perimeter burglar alarm system is very comforting. A good system isn't cheap, but will work reliably (false alarms are very stressful), and protect you from smoke, fire, gas leaks, and carbon monoxide. By the way, make sure you have clear written/pictorial instructions for turning off gas, electric, water in an emergency. Also, please have a *working* fire extinguisher on each level of your house (frighteningly, a quarter of all home extinguishers have lost their charge.)

List of Trusted Home Service People. Plumber, electrician, heating/air conditioning service, exterminator, tree surgeon, sprinkler, alarm, appliance repair, etc. Compile this list before you need it. Check with neighbors if you need to fill in any blanks. Keep the list handy, perhaps posted inside a kitchen cabinet near the phone.

Corded Telephone. Make sure there's always one reliable phone in your home. Many people found out the hard way during the last big blackout that cordless phones stop working and cell circuits get jammed. Meanwhile, a twenty-dollar corded phone kept working.

Gift Collection. Gift giving should be a pleasure. Often it's not. We scramble to buy "something" at the last minute. Birthday and anniversaries are easy to plan for. Why wait? Always be in shopping mode. When you see something cool and reasonably priced, buy it… even if you're not sure who it's for yet. Have an assortment of small wrapped gifts (with contents written on attached Post-it's) to bring when you're invited to someone's home for dinner, for "Hallmark" holidays, etc. (No "regifting" allowed.). Also, lay in a good stock of cards: birthday (child and adult), anniversary, condolence, and get well. If you have an hour to kill between appointments, stop into a card shop and buy a couple of dozen that you like.

Miscellaneous Stress Reducers

  • Take Out Menus (Chinese, pizza/Italian, etc.)
  • Back up babysitter.
  • Good first aid kit and instruction card (see my survival article).
  • Working lighters and/or dry matches.
  • AAA Auto Club Membership.
  • An auto mechanic and body shop you can trust.
  • E-Z Pass (electronic toll booth tag).
  • Prepaid subway/bus card and commuter train ticket.
  • Phone number of a good courier service.
  • Lots of fresh batteries on hand: AA, AAA, C, D, button cells, etc.
  • Working flashlights.
  • Battery-operated or wind-up radio.
  • A list of your kids' (and/or parents') friends and their phone numbers.
  • Phone number of a 24-hour pharmacy.

I'm sure you have some things you could add to this list… things that are part of your personal stress reduction kit (whether you call it that or not). Please share them with me.

Formal Apology Notice

Apology Notice

click to enlarge and print

Shameless Promotion for a Worthy Cause

This month I'm using my shameless self-promotion area to let you know about something that's personally important to me. I've served on the board of trustees of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Long Island Chapter since 2005. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a devastating neurological disease that afflicts over 400,000 Americans (2.2. million worldwide). The National MS Society raises funds to support research for a cure and provides direct services to patients, their families, and caregivers. I'm proud to say that because we run a very tight ship, an extraordinarily high 83% of all money raised goes to research and services.

There are two great upcoming MS events I'd like you to know about and hopefully take part in:

Twin Forks Bike MS RideMS 150 Bike

An incredible two-day, 150 mile bike ride in the Hamptons on September 13th and 14th.

If you're in great shape (or want to get in great shape), I invite you to join Team V and ride with me. Please get in touch if you're interested. You can choose between one-day 50 or 75 mile loops or the 150 mile two-day route which includes a "sleep over" camp on Shelter Island. It's going to be tremendous fun and will raise much needed funds for an extremely worthy organization.

I hope you can join us, whether as a rider, an event volunteer, or a financial supporter.


Carnegie Hall Concert for a Cure Carnegie Hall

Save the date for Saturday night, November 22nd, 2008 at New York City's legendary Carnegie Hall.

It's a Night at the Symphony with 16 year old violin virtuoso Jourdan Urbach (yes, we're related) and the Park Avenue Chamber Symphony Performing the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and featuring the world premiere of an electric violin piece that will rock the house by Emmy & Grammy award winner Chris Caswell.

Be sure to mark your calendar now and plan to join us at this "Concert for a Cure" to benefit the MS Society's Promise 2010 research campaign.


Hero Awards One more thing... if you're not heading out to see July 4th fireworks, please tune in this Friday night at 8:00 PM to catch the "The 2008 Hero Awards." It's on WWOR Channel 9 in the NY Metro area and on MYNetworkTV in other locales. You'll definitely see some familiar people! If you'd like to read more about it, here's an article link. Check it out!
 

Adminerrata

That's all for now. More next month. In the meantime, please drop me a note with feedback, suggestions, or attaboys. I'm very reachable at victor@urbachletter.com.

Pass-along readers please note: If a friend forwarded The Urbach Letter to you, please Use This Link to Subscribe, and get your own complimentary personal copy delivered each month, "Hot Off the Press."

Prior Urbach Letter articles are here in a searchable index: Urbach Letter Back Issue Archive.

Whitelist this letter. Your Internet service provider or IT administrator can cut you off from receiving future Urbach Letter issues... without your knowledge or consent. Here are step-by-step whitelisting instructions.

Jump Up To Top of Page

In This Issue

Less Stress
Shameless Self-Promotion
Cool Thing of the Month
Fun
Sub/Unsub


Cool Thing of the Month

GiottosRocket

Giottos Rocket
Can you guess what this is? A toy for kids? Nope. A personal hygiene item? Nope. The Giottos Rocket is simply the world's best dust blower. Disappointed to hear that? You shouldn't be, because you need one. Why? If you own a camera, it has dust on it. If you own an SLR camera with interchangeable lenses, it has dust INSIDE it. Your keyboard and computer also has developed a rather healthy accumulation of dust. The best way to remove it is with a blower. Don't think of using a vacuum (which will create a static charge and attract more dust) or "canned air" (because the liquid propellant can ruin your camera's sensor). Use a Rocket instead. $10.95 at Adorama and many other photo retailers.


New Delhi School bus

Pedal Bus

click to enlarge


How to Know When You're Taking Too Many Vitamins

VitaMan

click to enlarge


The D List

Dance: 1. Vertical expression of a horizontal idea legalized by music; 2. The action of moving rhythmically to music with a partner, a skill which a woman possesses naturally, but which a man acquires only for the short time in his young adulthood when he wishes to meet and impress young women, and abandons thereafter due to mysterious knee injuries.

Date: 1. An organized meeting between two people who have yet to realize their dislike for each other; 2. Infrequent outings with Dad where Mom can enjoy worrying about the kids in a different setting.

Dating: The process of spending enormous amounts of money, time and energy to get better acquainted with a person whom you don't especially like in the present and will learn to like a lot less in the future.

Deadline: An arbitrary moment responsible for creating the fine line between a paycheck and a pink slip.

Debts: The certain outcome of an uncertain income.

Defeated Politician: Like the earth -- flattened at the polls.

Déjà Loo: The feeling of having been to this restroom once too often.

Déjà Moo: The feeling that you've stepped in this bull before.

Déjà Nu: Having the feeling you've seen the same exasperated look on your mother's face but not knowing exactly when.

Delay: The greatest remedy for anger.

Delinquent Children: Those who have reached the age where they want to do what mama and papa are doing.

Deluxe: Mediocre in a big way.

Democracy: A country where you can say what you think without thinking.

Dentist: 1. A collector of old magazines; 2. A man who lives from hand to mouth; 3. A person who runs a filling station; 4. A magician who puts metal into your mouth, and pulls coins out of your pocket.

Dermatologist: Person who makes rash judgments.

Desk: A waste basket with drawers.

Detest: De thing de teacher gives you at de time you are least ready.

Dictionary: The only place where success comes before work.

Diet: 1. A short period of starvation preceding a gain of five pounds; 2. Something you keep putting off while you keep putting on; 3. A system of starving yourself to death so you can live a little longer.

Dignity: 1. Something that can’t be preserved in alcohol; 2. The capacity to hold back on the tongue what never should have been on the mind in the first place.

Dijon Vu: The same mustard as before.

Dim Sum: What you get when your calculator batteries run low.

Dime: A dollar with all the taxes taken out.

Diplomacy: 1. Lying in state; 2. The art of letting someone else have your own way; 3. A blend of protocol, alcohol, and Geritol; 4. The art of saying something when you have nothing to say, or of saying nothing when you have something to say; 5. Telling your boss he has an open mind instead of telling him he has holes in his head.

Dirt: Mud with the juice squeezed out.

D List Part 2

Click for the D List Part 2


Really Worried About This

Liquor Lips

click to enlarge


Apparently There is Such a Thing...

Used Cows

click to enlarge


Enjoy the Urbach Letter?
Share it with a friend.
The current issue is always posted at www.UrbachLetter.com


© Copyright 2008 Victor Urbach

Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor or an attorney, so nothing in The Urbach Letter should be construed as medical or legal advice. I recommend that you consult with qualified professionals before acting on anything you read in this publication, which is for entertainment purposes only. The Urbach Letter may be redistributed if copied or forwarded in its ENTIRETY. Portions of this advisory letter may be reprinted with permission. Circular 230 Disclosure: Pursuant to recently-enacted U.S. Treasury Department Regulations, I am required to advise you that, unless otherwise expressly indicated, any federal tax advice contained in this communication is not intended or written to be used, and may not be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding tax-related penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any tax-related matters addressed herein.

Victor Urbach · The Optran Group · Omni Building, 7th Floor · 333 Earle Ovington Blvd · Mitchel Field, New York 11553-3689

www.optran.com