From NAFI

I'm a member of the National Association of Flight Instructors and I get an online newsletter from them. I pirated this short article from them because I think it is of benefit to instructors and school owners. I don't know who wrote it and I'd give them credit if I could.

Running at “Natural SPEED”

Running a flight training program—whether it’s your own, or part of a larger aviation business—can be like riding a roller coaster. Sometimes you ride high on success, other times there’s a drop and you scramble trying to hold on.

That’s a recipe for stress if there ever was one, and certainly, stress is a key component in burnout. But that stress can take a toll, says psychologist Mark Gorkin, author of Practice Safe Stress: Healing and Laughing in the Face of Stress, Burnout, and Depression. To reduce chronic stress and begin your burnout recovery, Gorkin suggests using “Natural SPEED.”

S: Sleep. “If you’re not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, that’s already a warning sign,” Gorkin says. “Because without enough sleep, your cognitive mind isn’t working as well, and you know you’re not making as good judgments, you’re not able to be as creative in your problem-solving.” The answer, of course, is not to take more Ambien; it’s to find better ways to relax.

P: Priorities. “You can’t do it all, and you can’t do it all by yourself,” Gorkin says. He points to the “80/20 Rule,” also known as the Pareto Principle. It says that 20 percent of something always is responsible for 80 percent of the results—for example, 80 percent of your customers will use 20 percent of your services or products. “Think of what’s that crucial 20 percent,” Gorkin says. “If you can’t do that 20 percent by yourself, then basic economics says find someone who can help you.”

E: Empathy. “You’ve got to find some way to make your emotional support systems give and take,” he says. Most people—especially those who are supervisors—help others deal with their stress instead of dealing with their own, acting like Superman, or a pillar of strength. While that’s noble, it’s not particularly healthy. Stress management isn’t a one-way street, Gorkin says, and those people need a person they can vent to, not just absorb stress from. He recommends having a stress buddy you can use as a sounding board.

E: Exercise. “Not only is it important because we know the health benefits—cardiovascular endurance—it also releases mind-relaxing chemicals like endorphins and dopamine.” For some people, exercise is a way of turning off the psychic motor for a while so they can focus on something they want to think about. Plus, it offers the sense of accomplishment.

D: Diet. “We know if you’re loading up on saturated fats, too much sugar, drinking more than you should, it not only compromises your energy level, but obviously in the long run, is a roller coaster formula for an artery-clogged machine.”