We have all been feeling the hit from this economy to some extent.  Are you stressed out about your finances?  Afraid of losing your job?  Your house?  In the current economic crisis, many people are living in a constant state of worry and stress.  The weight of this psychological stress can be overwhelming at times and living in this constant state of worry can wreak havoc on your mind and body in many ways.  Problems may rise when we are no longer able to control our worries, but our worries control us.  This may result into anxiety and/or depression. 
 
 Recession tension/worry can develop into persistent anxiety and/or depression. How do you persevere through such trying times?  It is important in times like these to keep our mental energy focused on what is most important to you.  Here are a few tips to assist us during these times: 

Check in, not out. 
 It is easy to come home after a long day at a job that you feel is unstable and zone out in front of the TV, play video games, watch movies, surf the internet, or enter into any other of the wide gamut of technological media that has taken over our culture.  While all of these activities can be part of a healthy, balanced life, too many times we use them as a way to check out from reality.  This keeps you stuck in a pattern of avoidance and keeps you from moving forward.  Instead, find a way to check back in and problem solve.  Identify your key stressors and find ways to work through them.  You will find that working through your problems is much more stress-relieving than trying to live your life around them. 
        
Live in the present
 Many people live in a state of constant catastrophic fantasy that, if allowed to run untamed in your mind, can multiply tension far beyond their current situation.  Try to see the difference in these two thought processes and how re-directing stressful energy can help to ease its weight:
1. The economy is really bad.  I could lose my job.  How would I provide for my family with no income?  Our house would go into foreclosure.  I knew that would happen, it happened to everyone else.  It was really just a matter of time before it happened to me. 
2. The economy is really bad.  I could lose my job.  I wonder what else I could do?  Very few businesses are hiring right now.  Maybe I could go back to school and get that pharmaceutical degree I’ve always dreamed of.
The important difference between these two is that the first person is enduring excess stress from circumstances that have not happened, while the second person is re-directing stressful energy into constructive problem solving.  


Most of all, remember to have fun with your family/friends this summer.  There are plenty of fun (and yes even free) activities for you and your family/friends to do in Greenville!  Be creative!

Danielle N. Wunker is the owner/CEO of Comprehensive Counseling and Evaluation Center, PLLC.  She earned a dual Master’s Degree from East Carolina University’s school of Allied Health Sciences in Rehabilitation Counseling and Substance Abuse and Clinical Counseling.  She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, and Internationally Certified Advanced Alcohol & Drug Counselor.  She is a Professional member of the American Counseling Association, The Association for Addiction Professionals, and the Professional Association of Rehabilitation Counselors.  She treats children, adolescents, adults, couples and families.