Mental Health Tips for Surviving the Recession

Submitted by Kevin Kielty

As more and more people are feeling the stress of the recession, it can be more important than ever to take care of your mental health. These tips can help you keep the recession blues at bay.

Take time out

Prayer or meditation can be very relaxing. Take time out in the morning and in the evening to practice rituals that soothe your soul. Nature can have some powerful healing qualities as well. Visit a local park or lake or take a hike in the country. Take your dog along with you too. Pets can be very soothing, and studies have shown that they can bring a person’s anxiety level down.

Take it easy on yourself

This isn’t the time to beat yourself up. Many people are in the same boat, through no fault of their own. Be careful about the self-disparaging remarks, the one thing you can control is your attitude. Practice positive thinking to encourage your self every day.

Spend time with friends

Healthy positive relationships with friends and family can go a long way towards chasing away the blues. Human beings are social, and we require good relationships to be at our best. That doesn’t mean chatting with someone via e-mail or text message, we need personal contact with one another. So call up a friend or family member you have not seen in a while and make plans to get together.

Volunteering can be another way to get more social interaction. When you volunteer not only will you be helping yourself, you will get the good feeling of helping others.

Exercise

Exercise can invigorate you and make you feel better about yourself. Especially if you see a few extra pounds coming off in the process. Exercise is also a great stress reliever, so don’t let your exercise routine slip during this time. Try to find some activity that you enjoy so that your exercise routine can be fun as well. If your old routine is getting boring, sign-up for some classes, try yoga or tai chi for example.

Eat a healthy diet

Find out what the correct calorie intake is for your age, height and sex and try to eat the right amount of calories each day. Fill up first on healthy fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Save the high calorie sweets for last and remember to drink plenty of water.

Get your rest

Get plenty of sleep. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep goes a long way towards improving mental health. Most people need around eight hours a night, some more and some less. Having an evening routine can help you to gear-down and get to sleep at night and avoid any caffeine after 2:00 p.m.

Seek help

If you have followed these tips and are still having difficulty coping, seek out professional help. Talk to your clergy or a trusted friend or seek out a qualified mental health professional. If finances are a problem, look for a local area mental health center where they have a sliding fee schedule.

Remember that we will eventually come out of the recession. To weather the storm however, a healthy outlook will be necessary. Taking care of yourself physically and emotionally during this rough time will ensure that you will be best able to weather the storm.