Top 4 Things You Can Do To Manage The Tough Economic Times

Top 4 Things You Can Do To Manage The Tough Economic Times

4. You can Panic!
I have seen people depressed, angry, anxious and frustrated over the state of the economy. A lot of people seem to be doing this, and it doesn't seem to be working very well with them.

3. Stick to your job and pray that you don't get laid off. Or, conversely, you can keep your eye out for new jobs in the event that you do get laid off. This way you are prepared and ready in the event something occurs.

2. Have a plan. Having a plan in place in the event disaster occurs can help you stay one step ahead. For example, having a savings account with some cushion money might be helpful, or deciding what areas of your life need to cut back in order for you to survive and meet your needs.

1. Keep it real and stay calm. Remember that with the news "If it bleeds it leads!" The news will always report bad news, so if you allow it to affect your emotional state, this could lead to panic, which is #4. How is the economy in your state? In your city or town? How are things with you and your family personally? This might allow for a better perspective.

Remember that you can only affect your own sphere of influence...meaning that you can only change your thoughts, feelings, actions and words. Everything else is out of your control, until it becomes an area in your control through opportunity or some other shift. I encourage you to use your energy to stay focused on what you can control and what you can't. And maybe, just maybe it will allow you to breathe a bit easier too.

www.NewHopeCounselingOnline.com

"Tough Economic Times"

Its become a catchphrase among the newscasters as of late. "We're all suffering from these TOUGH ECONOMIC TIMES." I hear it from clients every day. "There's no jobs, so why bother looking?"

Its this kind of defeatist attitude that continues to fuel depression in so many people. Without a doubt, there have been some serious job cuts, losses in 401K's and bank losses. Yes, there have been losses on so many levels, but to allow those losses to overtake our emotions and cause us to lose our minds can lead to further losses.

We must keep focus on the areas of our lives that we can control and improve upon. I encourage you to defy the "tough economic times" and go out there and find employment, cut back on things that aren't as important in your life, and get frugal!

Sure the times are tough, but you can get through them if you keep your wits about you.

www.NewHopeCounselingOnline.com

Removing The Stigma of Mental Illness

It has come to my attention that there is a group of celebrities out there trying to remove the stigma of mental illness! The organization is called No Kidding, Me Too! and it seems as though they are making educational movies and what have you, attempting to normalize mental illness in every day folks.

This is something that I personally am passionate about. Why? Because a lot of the training in the mental health field says that some mental illnesses "just can't be treated" and that some treatment options involve either telling directly what the client should do, or not involving the client in the process of collaboration.

Simply put, I think its going to take Celebrity muscle and cash to get people to change the way they treat and see mental illness. And they already have some heavy hitters! Check out the Host Committee of This Event!

I think its an admirable goal, and I'll be posting more information about their events and other information here as it comes up.

Excelsior!
Jim Valeri, LMHC
www.NewHopeCounselingOnline.com