The most interesting concept that I have found so far in COMM 292 is the Type A and Type B personality theory. According to the textbook, Type A personality stands for people who are obsessed with achievements and instant recognition, and do not mind to step on others. Conversely, Type B personality represents people who rarely feel the urge to achieve more in less time; they have patience with themselves. To be more specific, below is a list of comparison:

Type As

• Always multitasking
• Cannot enjoy themselves or truly relax
• Frequently, if not always, using numbers to measure their success

Type Bs

• Feel no need to display or discuss their achievements or accomplishments unless such exposure is demanded by the situation
• Can relax without feeling bad about themselves
• Never suffer from a sense of time urgency with its accompanying impatience (Langton 51)

Generally speaking, Type B people would be more successful in the workplace. I completed the exercise at the end of the chapter and found that I am a relatively easy Type A. This result should not be surprising, given the fact that I could hardly relax or do one thing at a time. The only reason that I am not a hard-core Type A is because I would not base my achievements at the expense of others.

So how could a Type A person transform into Type B?

Personalities are not 100% inherited and it should be changeable. On one hand, I somehow know that my irritable, easily-anxious personality is inherited from my family. On the other hand, there are certain tactics to ease out the clouded emotions and moreover, be patient with oneself. Below are some of the possible ways to be a relaxed, satisfied individual:

• Know the key points of assignments/tasks.

One of the reason that Type A people is always rushing is because they want everything to be perfect. However, time and energy are inevitable constraints on humans and we can only focus on the most important goals. Hence, if people could get a better picture of assignments/tasks and know the criteria well, it should not be hard to find the key points and prioritize them.

• Give yourself sometime every day to plan and reflect.

As a busy university student, set aside sometime to examine long-term goals every day can be a challenging task. Nevertheless, haste makes waste and planning ahead is usually the best thing to do to reduce anxiety. Plans are not intended to be perfect, but having some general timelines in mind can make life smoother and more meaningful.

• Get enough sleep.

Inconsistent sleeping patterns lower productivity, and the lowered productivity causes more anxiety, and more anxiety disrupts sleep. Disrupted sleeping pattern usually begins with some unresolved stress during the day, so in order to sleep well, one should find some way release stress, such as exercising daily or hanging out with friends. According to the National Sleep Foundation, “7-9 hours of sleep” is suggested for young adults (National Sleep Foundation 16). Sleeping well is such a crucial factor to become the calm and intelligent Type B person that it should be the priority in our daily life.

See you in the Type B squad someday!

 

Work Cited:

Langton, Organizational Behaviour, 4th edition, p. 51

National Sleep Foundation. (n.d.). How Much Sleep Do We Really Need? Retrieved February 06, 2017, from https://sleepfoundation.org/excessivesleepiness/content/how-much-sleep-do-we-really-need-0