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Welcome to the January 2006 issue of the Inner Brat Newsletter. Welcome, new readers. If you enjoy this newsletter, please forward it to your friends and encourage them to subscribe. All they need to do is to send a blank email message to innerbrat-subscribe@topica.com. If you have comments or questions, feel free to email me at drwallin@drwallin.com.
	IN THIS ISSUE • 15 magic minutes • Inner brats in the news • Improve your Internet savvy • Distribution information
• 15 MAGIC MINUTES •
This morning while I was out walking I realized, after the first mile, that I shouldn't have had all that water beforehand, if you get my drift. And I had four more miles to go! I suppose I could have ducked into a neighborhood gas station restroom, but I was too embarrassed. So I walked and walked and walked, my bladder feeling fuller by the minute. Why am I telling you this? Because the way I got through it was 15 minutes at a time. I kept telling myself that I could tolerate discomfort for 15 minutes. At the end of that 15 minutes I signed up for another 15 minutes. And pretty soon it was just 15 minutes to my house and my bathroom. The 15-minute rule works for all sorts of discomfort, including that generated by your inner brat. It's equally effective for: a) When you have to take action on something, such as exercise, cleaning or other activities that require effort. I'm using the 15-minute rule as I write this newsletter. b) When you want to ignore your inner brat's nagging for immediate gratification such as junk food, cigarettes or alcohol. Why 15 minutes? I've found that for my clients as well as for myself, 15 minutes is all that it takes for the anxiety to diminish and for your inner brat to calm down. For example, suppose you want to accomplish something that you've been procrastinating - such as organizing your closet, finishing paperwork or following through on a project. The first 5 minutes are the hardest. You feel antsy, unfocused. Your inner brat complains in the back of your mind that it really doesn't feel like doing it right now. But if you ignore your inner brat's protests and focus on what you are to do, something almost magical happens. You'll find that you gradually become calmer and your ability to concentrate improves. Before you know it, your 15 minutes are up. Now it's up to you to decide whether to continue for another 15. This time it's a lot easier. What about those times when you have to refrain from something? Suppose you're thinking about that chocolate in the next room; or you know that you must stop playing computer games? It's the same thing - get busy for 15 minutes. But make sure that you're busy enough to not think about what you're craving, because thinking about it magnifies the craving. Again, the first 5 minutes are the hardest, but surely you can tolerate only 5 minutes of discomfort, can't you? When you break life into 15-minute chunks you can do (or refrain from) just about anything. How are you going to spend the next 15 minutes?
Need a speaker for your next conference, luncheon meeting, or event? Send an email to: drwallin@drwallin.com or call me at 717-761-1814 for more information. In my book, "Taming Your Inner Brat: A Guide to Transforming Self-defeating Behavior" you'll find out several ways to calm your inner brat down. There are 3 ways to buy this book: ~Visit your local bookstore ~Order online from my web site: www.innerbrat.com ~Click here to go to Amazon.com
• INNER BRATS IN THE NEWS • An Arizona woman unsuccessfully argued in court that she should not be fined $367 for improper use of a carpool lane, which is reserved for two or more vehicle occupants. She had been driving alone, but claimed that because she was pregnant, her fetus constituted the second "person" in the vehicle. According to a survey by the psychology magazine Riza Psicosomatica, more Italians feel guilty about overeating than about cheating on their partners. Some recent frivolous lawsuits in Switzerland included a man who soiled his trousers because (he claimed) the bus station restroom was closed; a shoplifter who sued when she fell down some stairs while trying to run away from the scene of the crime; a trash man who claims he was traumatized when a dead badger fell out of a bag. A father and stepmother left their children aged 10 and 5 alone with a cell phone and a stack of packaged frozen dinners, while they vacationed in Las Vegas. After the father was arrested he had no comment, but his attorney said that it was "not nearly as bad as it looks." For more stories about brats in the news visit my website.
• IMPROVE YOUR INTERNET SAVVY • Join my new, free list: Pauline's Internet Picks I recently started a Yahoo! Group called "Pauline's Internet Picks." Since I spend a lot of time online, I often come across something worth sharing, such as a specialized search engine, free articles or mental-health related content. If you'd like to get on the list, join here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Paulines_Internet_Picks   Want to learn even more about the Internet? Sign up for my 8-week Telecourse (via phone conference call), "Internet Techniques for Mental Health Professionals." The Internet is vast. There is so much to learn. I've already done thousands of hours of research and distilled it into an 8-part telecourse for you. Click here for audio samples of what you can expect: Click here for details and registration. Psychologists and Counselors get 8 CE credits. The Telecourse above is mainly for Mental Health professionals. However, I can customize a single lesson or a multi-part course for you and your friends or coworkers. Email me for a quote: drwallin@drwallin.com • DR. WALLIN IN THE MEDIA• In the past month I've been quoted in the Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Newsday, Hartford Courant, Kansas City Star, Philadelphia Inquirer, Biloxi Herald, US Weekly and 22 other publications. It's been a busy season for the Inner Brat!
Until next month, Pauline Wallin, Ph.D. www.innerbrat.com Copyright 2005
• Distribution Information • This newsletter may be quoted, reprinted, or forwarded to others as long as the content is not changed and the subscription, copyright, and contact information is included. If you would like to post this newsletter on a website, please contact me for permission at drwallin@drwallin.com. NOTE: The content in this newsletter is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for personal consultation with a professional, or as any type of psychological service. The inner brat is NOT a psychiatric diagnosis. If you are having difficulty just getting through the day, this is more than just your inner brat. In this case you are advised to consult a mental health professional. This newsletter is hosted by Topica.com. Topica may include advertisements for unrelated products. I have no control over these ads, but they do help pay for the expenses of distribution, which keeps the newsletter free of cost to you. Copyright 2005 Pauline Wallin. All rights reserved.