Managing Stress during Economic Recession

Work-related stress reaches its peak during the times of economic stiffness across the globe. It negatively affects one’s personal and professional life making it difficult to cope with. The threat of losing the job or have been lost it already is a major reason for stress during recession. It compels one to prove their worth and value to the organization by doing extra hours work or not asking for required leaves or indulging in as many works as they could. These things hamper their social, mental and physical well-being; making them over stressed, more anxious and sometimes even under depression. People start feeling negative and hopeless and have frequent fatigue, chest pains, weight changes and changes in eating habits. They may get refrained from family, become alcoholic and even start smoking to control their anxiety levels

Stress management during such crisis is equally important as to finding ways to overcome it. A person under stress loses the ability to take wiser decisions and it may eventually be responsible for their own losses. There are ample ways in which one can opt to curb stress and work pressure during the critical times. It will surely help them to deal with anxiety and perform better.

How You Can Relieve Stress in Such Times

• Do not Think Too Much: Thinking about future prospects is important in the time of economic crisis but over thinking does more harm than better. Indulging yourself in money calculations all the time, thinking about all the ‘what will happen.’ things, thinking about job and its loss, family pressure, peer pressure etc. will make your condition even worse than ever. Keep yourself calm and your senses composed. Time flies! This too will pass soon.
• Do Exercise and Yoga: It is the time when you need to look after your health at first. Regular exercise and light yoga in the cool morning breeze will uplift your mood, infuse a positive energy in the body and make you more fit to fight the corporate challenges in much better ways. Go for a simple morning walk with your partner, or jog a little with your mates, do exercises that help you stay fit or do yoga in morning and evening in airy environments to feel better than ever.

• Talk to them: If you are feeling distressed and do not see a way out of your problem, talking to others may come as a great help. It may be your spouse, your parents or a close friend that you can confide in. Talking to others about financial issues or a big thing like getting scraped off from the job is tough but it is surely one of the most helpful ways to control stress and depression. You can even seek a counselor consultation if required. People who care about you will definitely help you to get over it.

• Do Meditation: Recession is a time of severe mental hassle to everyone. One needs to soothe their mind, body and soul in order to come through it and what could be more positive than meditation. Meditating for few minutes in peace helps in controlling emotions, mental imbalance and physical pressures. It provides a path to move forward and face all the situations well.
• Manage Your Money: This is a high time when you need to manage your expenses. If you haven’t done it yet, do it now. Start controlling unnecessary expenditures, make monthly expense budget, check your investments and savings, keep a track of trading shares if you have invested in them, you can talk to financial experts if you fear your own company facing the recession wrath. Money management at your personal level will keep you tension free and help you in the longer run.

• Chase Your Dream: If you have ever longed for doing something different than usual this is the time to put yourself forward to do it. If you do not have a job, then go do what you ever wanted to. Pursue your long lost desires, do painting or learn to play piano or do a research of your own. This will help you keep involved in some work and leave you with no time to think about job loss, money crunch and other things.
• Maintain Work-Life Balance: Do not pressure yourself too much at work. Family and personal life is as much important as your work. Maintaining a work life balance help in relieving stress and control depression. It ensures your good personal life, health and social wellbeing.

• Take Intermittent Breaks: Taking off for a long weekend or a day in between does no harm rather it will rejuvenate your spirits and make you more active.
• Eat and Sleep Properly: Change in eating habits is normal when in stress. People tend to eat more sugary foods and less healthy foods. You must eat a proper balanced diet and take ample sleep to combat stress in the work life. Nutritious foods not only provide all essential elements to the body but also antioxidants and vitalizing elements to reduce stress.

• Believe in Yourself: Recession is a time of low self esteem for many. One should never lose faith in self and must remain positive. It is not an easy task though but believing in your work and abilities will boost your confidence to fight the scenario.

Your good health is the key to a sound profession. Stress and pressures only give rise to poor health and not your finances so stop worrying about the prospects of recession and its effects on your life, rather remain calm and try to find possible solutions in the context.