How I Overcame Being a Type A Personality
I used to be your stereotypical Type A personality. Wikipedia says the following about Type A’s:
“Type A individuals can be described as impatient, time-conscious, concerned about their status, highly competitive, ambitious, business-like, aggressive, having difficulty relaxing; and are sometimes disliked by individuals with Type B personalities for the way that they’re always rushing. They are often high-achieving workaholics who multi-task, drive themselves with deadlines, and are unhappy about delays. Because of these characteristics, Type A individuals are often described as ’stress junkies.’”
That is a pretty accurate description of how I lived almost all of my adult life. I’d work insane hours for 6-8 months a year and leisure travel the rest of the year.
Although – against genetic odds – I didn’t have Type II diabetes or high blood pressure – I was starting to see the physical ramifications of self-induced stress. I needed to make changes – and fast. I knew if I had kept the pace I had and kept my stress level as high as it had been, a heart attack was inevitable.
Letting My Body Dictate Sleep
All of 2009 was about trying to figure out how to get some sort of balance in my life. The first thing for me was trying to get better quality sleep. I decided to buck convention and let my body decide when I was tired and needed to sleep. I infrequently use an alarm and only if absolutely necessary.
I found that some days I really needed more sleep. Days where I had a heavier workout or a double workout meant I needed at least an extra hour. Other days, I would wake up feeling rested after only 4 or 5 hours.
The impact of this has been that 13 out of 14 days I have high energy for longer periods of time. I am able to maintain my concentration and focus. My productivity and efficiency have skyrocketed. I am allowing myself to nap when I feel tired. Sometimes a nap turns into a full sleep. But I am okay with that. 
I am also feeling less stressed and anxious when things happen. Even a few months ago, small things could set me off.
I am probably sleeping the same number of hours overall. But I think sleep isn’t like a bank. You can’t deprive yourself on weekdays and make up for it during the weekend.
I know that most doctors would disagree with this. A year ago when I discussed my poor sleep with my general physician he suggested a light sleeping pill and trying to keep a consistent schedule would help. I had already tried the latter and it simply didn’t work. After a recent medical, we revisited the sleep discussion again. After looking at my test results, he said everything was perfect.
I realize that most people cannot sleep when they want and for however long they want. But like other lifestyle changes, with some effort there is usually some way to make a positive change.
Improving Productivity
For many years, I used to start the day focusing on income-generating activity. Primarily on systems development and new project ideas. This was before I’d even look at email or check my voice mail. Even though this had worked well for me in the past, I had gotten away from it. I got sucked into “immediacy” issues.
I used to waste a lot of time jumping around from one work activity to another. I’d do a little of a lot of different things during the same day. This in itself contributed to my stress because I found that I let things that came up take control of my day.
A timer has become my new best friend. My trusted companion who is always at my side. I use the timer feature that is standard on the iPod Touch.
For tasks that are related and defined, I will set aside a single block of approximate time to handle them each day, each week or each month. For less defined work – for example a large scale project – I block out specific amounts of time at set intervals.
In the past, I could have easily spent 5 or 6 hours a day on email! Now I spend 3 x 10 minutes per day on email. I spend no more than 2 hours per day on Twitter-related activities. Most days it is between 60-90 minutes.
For the most part, I try to block out interrupts. Nothing can happen that really needs me to stop what I am doing to deal with.
One big thing I am doing that is working quite well: if I need to work on something creative and after 15 minutes I feel I am getting nowhere, I will stop and do something else or take a break from work entirely. Last week I fought against what is my new norm and was hitting the wall when writing something. I ended up wasting 6 hours and had nothing to show for it. I’d have been better off to move onto something else or to take a break.
Better Project Management
For many years, work that I had to do for clients pretty much dictated my schedule and timeline for getting things done. The only real decision under my control was whether or not I took a project on. I’d fit my own projects in around client work. Over the last year I gradually started to phase out taking on work for clients to allow me to focus more of my creative energy to my own projects.
A big change I’ve made has been setting benchmarks at reasonable points – mini-deadlines. I’ve given myself buffers in case something goes wrong so I can still meet the overall deadline.
Doing this has forced me to be more cautious about taking on more work than I can comfortably handle. While before I would have said yes to doing something or jumped forward with a new idea, now I’m saying yes much less frequently. The end result is a lot less stress and not overburdening myself with too heavy of a workload.
Good Eating Habits & Exercise
When it comes to eating, I try to stay with healthy options 90% of the time. I try not to go more than 3 1/2 hours between meals. If I’m full, I stop eating. I remind myself when it comes to the 10% “junk” component – there is always tomorrow or another meal rather than having too much now.
Getting some form of daily exercise is also important. I like variety so I try and mix up what I do from one day to the next.
When I find myself getting stressed or wound up about something, if I haven’t yet worked out that day, I will do it then. If I’ve already worked out, I take 5-10 minutes to do something physical. It helps me to clear my head and regroup.
I also try to not sit at my computer for longer than 90 minutes at a time. Even if it is just to get up and walk to the kitchen to get a drink, I will get up and move a bit.
Taking “Me” Time
I try to take at least 30 minutes each day on things I enjoy doing – away from the computer. This may be reading, watching something on television, talking to a friend about things other than business or a variety of other activities.
For the past few months, I’ve been hosting a Wii tweetup where we play a racing game every Saturday night called Mario Kart. Note: A tweetup is when Twitter users get together.
Every weekend I take a full 24 hour break from work. Sometimes this is from Friday night until after the Wii tweetup is over, other weeks it starts with the Wii tweetup.
I also take at least one half day off during a weekday every other week. I typically do this when I feel I am about to hit the wall.
I really try and consider what I need to do to recharge myself. Sometimes the time is best spent alone. Other times not. Sometimes I need to do something to “rewire” my brain like a game that involves concentration. Sometimes I need to tap into the spiritual side so I may read something on that side. Sometimes I just need to let my brain rest entirely so a movie, TV or a fiction book is in order.
The end result of “me” time always seems to be improved productivity and creativity and lowered stress.
Temper Issues
I used to get upset at staff and business partners very easily before. Often over insignificant issues because of the build-up. You’d think that I had to consciously do something to change this but I really haven’t needed to. I think the other changes I have been making have really changed my temperament.
Yes, I knew I should be doing all of these things before. But there’s a big difference between knowing – and often helping others fix problems/reduce stress – and taking action.
Every day is a struggle for me not to revert to my old negative behaviors but it is getting easier. I am already feeling the health benefits. Friends I talk to say that I seem much calmer now and less hurried/stressed.
Are you a current or former Type A? What have you done or tried to do to overcome it?
Photograph by Scarleth White
