I recently visited with an Operations Manager in a factory who was clearly distressed. “But I learned something long ago that serves me well in times like these,” he said. “Never get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, or Scared. As long as I manage H, A, L, T, and S, I’ll be fine.”
Knowing that few things in the universe are ‘original,’ I Googled this acronym and discovered it originated as a mnemonic in the treatment of substance abusers, be they alcoholics or drug addicts.
Whomever it was originally designed to help, I love its simplicity, ‘memorability,’ and relevance.
Indeed, when we are too hungry – be it for food, drink, or practically anything, we make poor, immediate, irrational choices that we predictably regret later.
When we act out of anger, we are really re-acting.
When we become too lonely, we succumb to poor choices, depression, and thoughts of failure or inadequacy.
When we get tired, everything collapses. We become agitated, distracted, and shadows of one’s self.
And when we get scared, we convert shadows into monsters and make big decisions in belittling ways because fear reduces us to fight or flight instincts.
H.A.L.T.S… I just love this handy little reminder, and hope that – while ideally you would never require it – perhaps it will serve you well in a needing moment.
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