Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2019)
18 Wednesday, April 24, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Your Story MATTERS Audry Van Houweling, PMHNP Columnist The intersection between self-care and customer satisfaction The towns of Sisters and Silverton, Oregon in which I practice rely heavily on tourism, their quaintness, and the promise to deliver the small-town experience so many seek out. Whether lodging or resorts, restau- rants, retail, real estate, healthcare, education, or the latest and greatest coffee bar or brewery, the customer experience is essential to each community9s success. Customer satisfaction is a serious business these days. A customer9s experi- ence is made more visible than ever before with social media and rating platforms on Google, Yelp, Facebook, and more. Companies and entrepreneurs can rise or fall based on the feedback of a few. Dissatisfaction 4 some warranted and some maybe not 4 can tarnish a company9s or individual9s reputation in a way that can be hard to erase. Competition can be ruthless. Competition can inspire innovation and mod- ernization; however, for both emerging businesses trying to carve a niche or established businesses faced with the push for change, competition can be over- whelming, paralyzing, and may even compel dishon- esty, bullying, and corrup- tion. For those on top, main- taining that position can be both rewarding and exhaust- ing. The pressure of holding onto one9s status and reputa- tion can be married to anxi- ety, fear, and burnout. Perhaps not surprisingly, a large portion of my clien- tele work within customer service industries and are contending with trying to find balance. They often feel stuck 4 wanting change, but worried about repercus- sions to their reputation, let- ting people down, or losing opportunities if they rock the boat. Self-care may conjure images of meditation, a trip to the spa, green smoothies, or long walks on the beach. Self-care is not frivolity, but a privileged responsibility to put yourself in the best posi- tion to sustain your energy, talents, and gifts so that you may best share with others. When self-care is lacking, time can be mismanaged, energy can dwindle, tensions can grow, communication can be missed, and undoubt- edly, there are impacts to customer satisfaction. The trickle-down effect of poor self-care can quickly turn into a downpour upon cus- tomer satisfaction and finan- cial performance. As I work with clients trying to navigate the com- plexities of practicing self- care amid business, family, and life demands, I chal- lenge them to consider the following: " What is your purpose? It is OK if the answer is <to pay the bills= as long as there is a worthwhile pur- pose to paying the bills. If you want to <get rich= 4 why? It is OK if work is the means to an end. You may have to take a minimum- wage job waiting for your chance to get ahead and that is OK. The problem is when a purpose becomes less and less clear 4 when you feel numb about your efforts 4 or when you cannot see the value in your day to day. " What are your non- negotiables? What do you need in your life to thrive? Personally, while working with people is gratifying most days, my alone time is essential. Getting in a morning run, a good night9s sleep, spiritual connection, long drives blasting my music, riding my horse, and brief escapes to the middle- of-nowhere sagebrush coun- try all in their small ways restore my being and sustain my compassion. Can you build routines around your non-negotiables? " Get acquainted with the word <NO.= Saying FREE 30-DAY TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGE STARTS APRIL 24TH! Get on track to feeling and performing your best with our 30-day challenge! Sign up and get your first 2 Crossfit or Core Classes for FREE ! Call 541-699-7800 or email coach@level5fi t.com www.level5fi t.com | Located in Ray’s Shopping Center <yes= all the time might fatten your pride and make you feel like a superhero, but if you think you can please everybody, you will be disappointed, probably exhausted, and your super- hero cape will fall off. Make <NO= your friend and yes, you can be honest. You don9t need a sneaky excuse to set boundaries. People will get over it. " Make room to shed the persona. It is natural to have our professional persona that we portray to the pub- lic, but our persona is likely a bit more appropriate, a bit more politically correct, and a bit more censored. Allowing the more uncen- sored, slightly inappropri- ate, and slightly less PC version of yourself freedom of expression from time to time can be cathartic. " When in doubt, ask for help. Navigating demands and finding some sort of balance can be easier said than done and there will be seasons when it can seem d o wn rig h t imp o ssib le. Asking for professional help is a worthwhile investment for yourself and business ventures. Whether you are a solo entrepreneur or part of a larger company, honoring your self-care and recog- nizing the impacts on your professional and financial performance is critical. Your customers may have to wait on your vacation, yoga class, or golf game, but as you fill your tank, they will ultimately reap the benefits. Homeowners must take lead on their wildfire security By Doug Green Guest Columnist Homeowners can and must take primary respon- sibility for wildfire safety actions around their home. According to fire science research, individual efforts do make a difference even in the face of a wildfire. The Firewise Communi- ties Program provides home- owners with simple and easy steps to help reduce a home9s wildfire risk by preparing ahead of a wildfire. These steps are rooted in principles based on solid fire science research into how homes ignite. The research comes from the world9s leading fire experts and research organi- zations whose experiments, models, and data collection are based on some of the country9s worst wildland fire disasters. Sisters Country has nine Firewise communities at this time, with two more to be certified shortly. The Sisters-Camp Sherman Fire District works closely with Project Wildfire in help- ing interested communities go through the steps neces- sary to become a Firewise community. Becoming a Firewise community not only makes your neighbor- hood more wildfire resilient, but also opens up opportu- nities for possible grants to help with the cost of mitiga- tion projects. In addition, in the future there may be decreased insurance rates for homeowners in Firewise communities. When it comes to wildfire risk, it is not a geographical location, but a set of con- ditions that determine the home9s ignition potential in any community. Wildfire behavior is influenced by three main factors: topogra- phy (lie of the land), weather (wind speed, relative humid- ity and ambient temperature) and fuel (vegetation and man-made structures). In the event of extreme wildfire behavior, extreme weather conditions are normally pres- ent, like extended drought, high winds, low humid- ity and high temperatures, coupled with excess fuel See FIREWISE on page 24 Year-round FIREWOOD SALES — Kindling — — — SISTERS FOREST PRODUCTS 541-410-4509 SistersForestProducts.com FRUSTRATED SALI Is Coming May 4–5 ur with yo S L R U C sin childh ce ood? WE CAN HELP! 24 HR. ACCESS! Commentary... Jeff, Theresa, Ann, Jamie, Shiela, Terri 152 E. Main Ave. 541-549-8771 Over 80 teams from Oregon, Washington, Idaho & Canada Boys & Girls – Grades 3-12 A fundraiser for Outlaw Lacrosse SNO CAP MINI STORAGE Sisters Industrial Park 157 Sisters Park Dr. • 541-549-3575 www.SistersStorage.com • State-of-the-art Security Technology • Sizes from 5x5 to 12x40 • Individual Gate Codes • Long-term Discounts • On-site Manager