There IS NO recession....

Well, all right, maybe that's not entirely true.....

But I titled this blog entry "There IS NO recession" because I wanted to jolt readers into evaluating how the words they say to themselves impact how they feel. In a direct way, concentrating on the "R-word" creates a layer of stress that just doesn't need to be there.

Imagine for the next several minutes that there were no recession. How would your life be different? What would you be doing differently today? How would you be feeling?

Even if you, or your spouse, has lost a job or had to reduce work hours, does blaming it on the recession really help? Does it help you find another job, or figure out how to generate more income?

No disrespect to anyone who has suffered a job loss, by the way! It is a serious and devastating experience, particularly if your savings has also taken a hit.

However, wringing your hands and lamenting about the economy making it harder to find another job simply adds insult to injury.

Release thoughts about the recession and economy. They become distractions, they pull you away from your goal of getting back to work or earning more money. Even if your situation hasn't been affected by the economy, having a "recession-orientation" can have no other result than to make you stressed and worried.

Those thoughts make you feel lousy, bottom line. If your situation is truly bad, then don't make it worse by absorbing the weight of the entire economic picture on your shoulders.

Be in problem-solving mode. Rather that repeating, "The economy is so bad, I can't find a job or make more money," shift to a position of "Where can I look next, where are opportunities I've passed by, what options exist that I've not ever thought of before?"

In no way does this minimize or undermine the hard work and transitions you will have to go through. But you can maintain a lower level of stress and overwhelm by narrowing your focus to the things you have true control over.

To your balanced prosperity,
Anita