The many benefits of spending time at events such as OMS

In the season of expressing gratitude, I have many reasons to be thankful. Here, I must share how grateful I am for all the folks who worked so hard on the Optometric Management Symposium (OMS), which was held earlier this month in Orlando, Fla. Thanks to all my colleagues who attended, including a list of awesome speakers and, of course, the vendors, who made the meeting possible.

By reflecting on time spent at events, such as OMS, I can better plan how to take what I have learned and work on putting it into practice. Here, I discuss the lessons I learned at just two of the many insightful sessions.

‘REINVENTING LEADERSHIP’

The area I think I need to work on first is me. In this regard, Kelley Babcock, MEd, CPCC, and Terri Norvell taught several beneficial lessons in the keynote session, “Reinventing Leadership in a Post-COVID World.” For example, they explained how important it is to recognize negative thoughts and address them before they have negative results on those around us, as well as ourselves.

Specifically, the presenters discussed how it can be easy to be reactive when challenges arise, as opposed to proactively looking for opportunity in the challenge. The lesson: Looking at myself and being aware of how I react can help me to respond better in the future.

Also, it was interesting to learn that there is a 21% increase in team productivity when, once a week, we spend five minutes checking in with the members of our team on their priorities and learning where they need our help.

THE SLEEP CONNECTION

In “Sleep Disorders: What Optometrists Need to Know,” Paul Chous, MA, OD, FAAO, taught us that by sleeping well, we can live a longer and healthier life. This starts with the optimal sleep time of 7.7 hours every night. Dr. Chous advised in this session, that, if possible, we should adjust our schedule, so we sleep the same time every night.

Did you know that cooling your house to 67° while sleeping not only improves your sleep but can also help you burn more calories by increasing your accumulation of brown adipose tissue? Also, the amount of light in your room even while sleeping matters. It is best to keep your room dark and quiet at night to improve sleep quality. Additionally, drinking alcohol, snacking, and watching television or looking at other digital devices should be eliminated four hours (alcohol) and two hours (everything else) before sleep time, according to Dr. Chous.

Something else to consider: Changing one’s step goal to 8,200 per day encourages better sleep. And, of course, we should be certain to treat sleep apnea, as it can not only disturb sleep but also increase the risk of conditions such as stroke, heart failure, and myocardial infarction, among others.

STEPPING FORWARD

During 2020 and 2021, I think we all took better care of ourselves. Now, if we let it, 2022 could be remembered by some as the year we fell back into bad habits and let go of the things we found most beautiful, such as family time. This holiday season, join me in remembering the lessons of the past, looking forward to the possibilities and opportunities of the future, and committing today to take the steps needed to live our best lives now! OM

Email: april.jasper@pentavisionmedia.com

Twitter: @DrAprilJasper

Facebook: @OptometricManagement