Dealing With the Stress of a Slow Economy

Change Is Easier Said Than Done

It’s no secret that although change is inevitable, we humans don’t seem to have a strong appreciation for it. Change escorts us into the wonderful, exhilarating and, at times, scary world of the unknown. We can’t see the next step and yet we know we have to keep going. It’s generally always easier said than done. Dealing with the stress of a slow economy, especially for people who were laid off or who had their work hours significantly reduced, may take a few innovative approaches and action steps. 

Winston Churchill said, “To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.” Sounds clever as a quote, but in practice change, at times, takes work, effort that can feel painful, calling forth doubt, frustration and that ol’ friend, stress. Prolonged conditions like those brought on by the 2007 recession, may ask for a different response than that which people confronted other, less harsh, changes. The good news is that people are reaching out for help.  

More People Searched for Psychological Articles During First Quarter 2011

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reported more people searched for psychological articles were during the first quarter of 2011 than for relationship or diet and exercise articles. Relationship articles had previously held the number one spot. Job loss and employment changes likely impacted the shift in the article searches.  

After all, even without a recession, the chances of getting laid off are greater than they were for workers two generations ago. Today’s turnover climate makes a company distributing ink pens to their employees who’d worked 25 years or longer seem like a good deal. Getting a glazed ham or stuffed turkey as a Christmas gift from an employer is looking better too.

Six Cycles of Change for Workers Dealing with a Slow Economy

But that’s hindsight. At the time, those gifts looked like useless tokens unworthy of the workers’ hard labor. Today workers, employees, independent contractors and the self-employed, are facing what may feel to be unending changes. The Inter Change Cycle Series breaks change down into six steps. (Not everyone recognizes when they go through all six steps as they move through change.) The six steps are: 

• Loss (may feel fear and unable to take action)
• Doubt (may feel resentment and eager to fight the change)
• Discomfort (may feel anxious and a lack of energy to get things done)
• Discovery (may feel anticipation and energized)
• Understanding (may feel confident and productive)
• Integration (may feel satisfied and generous) 

Inter Change Cycle Series states that it’s the shift from stage three to four that may present the most challenge for some people. It’s important to continue progressing through the change which, to a large degree, may be an internal shifting forward. It’s important that people care for themselves whether they are experiencing change or not. However, when going through change people are especially encouraged to focus on being patient with themselves and others. After all, what people would expect to walk into a new country, surrounded by people who speak a foreign tongue and, during the first days or weeks of their arrival, expect to behave, feel and think as if they’d lived in the country all their life? 

Steps People Can Take to Ease Through Chance Cycles

Steps people can take to ease their way through change cycles include: 

• Exercising regularly (particularly outdoors to soak up some good Vitamin D from the sun)
• Eat a healthy diet (train your mind to respond to change and stress by eating healthy)
• Gain sufficient sleep each night (not too little sleep and not too much sleep). Sitting down at least one hour before retiring to bed may help one fall to sleep easier
• Deep breathing (sit still and breathe slowly and fully for several minutes, until stress lowers)
• Engage in one or more enjoyable activities (e.g. reading, walking, working in the garden) daily
• Listen to uplifting music
• Laugh (e.g. watch favorite comedy shows, read favorite cartoons) regularly
• Connect with positive people
• Get involved in group activities (e.g. join a book club, hobby group, youth mentoring program)
• Volunteer in the community (doing something enjoyable and not something that feels like a sacrifice)
• Start writing in a journal or diary
• Talk with a licensed, experienced reputable professional if stress levels don’t lower 

The stress of a slow economy may be felt by employees, former colleagues and creative business leaders. After all, no one is exempt from life’s changes, in one form or another. People who understand the cycles of change and incorporate a few daily relaxation and action steps into their schedules may lower their stress levels as they progress completely through the change cycles.  

Get into Spiral online at:  https://www.ebookit.com/books/0000000841/Spiral.html

Check out Long Walk Up online at:  https://www.ebookit.com/books/0000000531/Long-Walk-Up.html 

Sources:

http://www.shrm.org/HRCareers/Pages/0911psychology.aspx (Society for Human Resource Management: Job Searches Take a Psychological Toll)

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fy1055 (University of Florida: Coping With Stress During a Job Loss)

http://www.changecycle.com/changecycle.htm (Inter Change Cycle Series: The Change Cycle Model)

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/heart/articles/2008/06/23/time-in-the-sun-how-much-is-needed-for-vitamin-d (U.S. News: Time in the Sun: How Much is Needed for Vitamin D)