Here are this week’s Life Pro Tips.
1. When a Nurse asks you to rate your pain on a scale of 1-10, never say 10+.
The pain scale isn’t necessarily used only to tell us how bad your pain is, it’s supposed to be used to tell us whether your pain is getting better or worse. If a patient says their pain is a 7 in triage, and later says it’s pushing a 9, that X-Ray or CT scan might get expedited. But if you are constantly saying 10 or 1,000 your comments aren’t going to be taken seriously. A (good) nurse knows a 10 when they see it, and if you walked in, you are not in 10/10 pain. That guy from Saving Private Ryan with his legs blown off on Normandy beach screaming for his momma, that dude is in 10/10 pain. Also, Kidney Stones.
2. If you have parents/grandparents that aren’t good with technology, take a picture of their remotes. That way, if you need to talk them through something over the phone, you can guide them to the correct button to press.
3. Pack a go-bag. Throw a few clothes and a few basic supplies (toiletries, granola bars, money) in a duffel bag. Leave it in your trunk.
4. In a job interview when they ask if you want anything to drink, ask for a glass of water and nothing else!
They will most likely ask if you want tea or coffee, which you absolutely don’t, and here is why: Tea or coffee leads down a rabbit hole of sub-questions to what kind of tea or coffee, with or without milk, sugar or sweetener and possibly with people having to run down to the kitchen for your order. It creates an awkward pause at a time when you really just want to get on with the show and will ultimately end up with you getting a piping hot beverage which you have no chance of finishing during a 20-minute interview, where you do most of the talking. So what happens instead is that you burn your hands and mouth and leave most of the cups behind for them to clean up after you leave.
Water is a different story, however! you *do* want to get a glass (or bottle) of water as it will generally be much faster for them to handle (it will most likely already be in the room) and it has a few practical uses during a job interview: water will refresh you, immediately clear up a dry mouth and give you a natural excuse to take a sip and win a few extra seconds to think about a difficult question.
You came here for a job, not a free dink. Drink your coffee on your own terms!
5. The vast majority of people cannot keep secrets. Think long and hard before revealing true secrets to others.
The best-kept secret is one you never tell. To anyone. Ever.
