Tips for Coping With Economic Turmoil
Tuesday February 24, 2009
Are worries about America's financial crisis making you depressed? University of Alabama at Birmingham Associate Professor Josh Klapow says the key to reducing your stress is to distinguish between "productive worry" and "unproductive worry."
Productive worry, says Klapow, is thinking about situations you can control and should be used to spur you to take action to reduce your stress. Unproductive worry is thinking about those things that you can't control.
On his blog, Klapow offers four tips for getting a handle on your worrying:
- Take action. Doing something to improve your financial situation - like creating a budget or buying a more fuel-efficient car - can help reduce your stress.
- Take a step back. Stay informed, but avoid saturating yourself with bad news.
- Stay connected. Don't let your daily life and connections with family and friends go by the wayside.
- Pay attention to yourself. Throughout the day, engage in stress-relieving activities like meditation and relaxation exercises.
You can read Klapow's blog at http://blogs.uab.edu/drjoshk/.
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Comments
I keep reminding myself that my losses in the stock market are only on paper and as long as I hold onto my stocks they will rebound. I keep saying my mantra, “This Too Shall Pass.”
Wendy Aron
author of Hide & Seek: How I Laughed at Depression, Conquered My Fears and Found Happiness
http://www.wendyaron.com
Appreciate your comment- and it’s exactly on target. This situation is larger than any one of us and is more than any of us can control as individuals. However- the impact is on each of us. So focusing on what we have vs. what we don’t, and what we can do vs. what we can’t is the only way to ride this out… jk
I am happy these days. I feel safe with my Life Alert it helps a lot with anxiety.
very logical points, thanks
im a first year student from South Africa and i recently broke up with my boyfriend i cant forget about him and that makes it aifficult for me to do well on my school work.I dont feel beautiful anymore & that affects my personality.I tried taking my life by using medication and all that those medications do is make me weak…please help?