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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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?
Kamogelo,go wash that man right out of your hair!
I mean it. Get into the shower and visualise all those negative feelings caused by this break-up washing down the little hole and out of your life.
I try to gain control over negative,anxious and depressive thoughts and ideas by “washing them away” or pouring my heart out on paper and then burn it.
Deal with finances in small chunks.daily expenses today. Weekly tommorrow etc. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
A good laugh does wonders. I bought a cd with laughter tracks and pop that in every now and again. Sometimes I’m so down I only manage a little smile but even is guaranteed to start lifting the mood. Try howling with laughter with these tracks and see how you take control of your own thoughts and feelings!
I love About.com and this idea of a suicide plan is great and I really like it. In this weeks news articles on depression I would add (nothing personal here) I am sick of the how to cope with economic worries articles. Tell someone who lost their job and can’t afford COBRA or if they could ran out of COBRA or someone living on just SS to go get medication or to buy a fuel efficient car. Doesn’t work for worry. Someone who has made it on nothing out of necessity needs to write those column’s. Or someone with Part D Medicare which pays for few medications should write these column’s on how to cope.
I agree about the comment on meds and fuel efficent car. I am driving a 96 Van and the transmission is going out and I do not have medical coverage and do not have any income! My worry is legitimate. My depression is legitimate…meditation and breathing do not help when you literally do not know where your next dollar is coming from!
This economy is the wsorst I have seen it and it is getting worse by the day.