How to Deal Wi=
th
the Constant Stress of a Battered Economy: 80% of Americans Stressed About
Money, Economy
John Schinnere=
r,
Ph.D.
Which comes fi=
rst
– fear or economic chaos? Companies as varied as Yahoo, American Expr=
ess,
and Time Inc. are laying off employees. Corporate profits are dropping. The
stock market is in a chaotic panic. Housing prices have plunged. Consumer d=
ebt
is on the rise. The U.S. economy is in a full blown recession, and possibly=
, a
depression.
Money and the
economy are at the top of a long list of stressors for Americans as reporte=
d in
a recent study by Harris Interactive and the American Psychological Associa=
tion
(October, 2008). Eighty percent (80%) of Americans are stressed about the s=
tate
of the economy.
Identify Fear, Anxiety and Stress
The first step=
to
overcoming stress is to correctly identify it. When you are afraid, your
blood gathers in the large muscle groups such as those in your legs, prepar=
ing
your body to flee. Your body freezes for a moment to gauge your possible
reactions such what is the quickest escape route. The =
brain sounds the ala=
rm
to put your body on alert, making it edgy and ready for action. Acc=
ompanying
this is an overwhelming flood of anxious, fearful thoughts which seem to be uncontrollable. This int=
ense
cycle of fear and worry can paralyze you. It also paralyzes the rational mind, making it di=
fficult to=
think
clearly.
Fear and stres= s are closely linked. When fear is sparked, the emotional brain begins its dance = of anxiety, forcing the brain to focus on the perceived threat. The fearful mi= nd spins in an endless loop of negative thoughts. Fear lies at the heart of al= l stress<= span style=3D'font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial'>. <= o:p>
Stress is Chronic, Low-level Fear
Stress is fear=
extended
out over time. It is the general alarm reaction sounded by the nervous syst=
em
when you perceive that a demand is being made on you that you cannot handle=
. Once
the alarm has focused your attention, the negative thought spirals, the rac=
ing
heart, and the muscle tension are of no further assistance to you. On the
contrary, long-term stress causes damage to your body on a number of levels
– difficulty thinking clearly, damage to arteries, killing brain cell=
s,
and limiting the number of options open to you.
On the bright
side, stress and fear can be managed depending on how you approach them. No=
thing
is more important right now than learning to manage your stress – the=
fate
of the entire world may depend on a critical mass of people staying calm and
overcoming stress.
Turn Off the Alarm
Once the stres=
s is
identified, the second step is to turn the alarm off. This is done through
exercise, deep breathing, meditation, prayer or other means to clear your m=
ind
of negative thoughts. If you have not yet learned to clear your mind, a good
place to start is Guide To Self:=
The
Beginner’s Guide to Managing Emotion and Thought.
Courage, Bra=
very
and Heroism
The
third step is the realization that courage is the antidote to fear. =
Courage is no=
t the
absence of fear. Courage is overcoming fear. This step involves taking conc=
rete
actions to k=
eep
moving forward in a constructive direction. By reframing the question as, “What am I willing =
to
try?” you can make change exciting, rather than paralyzing. Courage is n=
ot the
absence of fear but the exorcising of it. Feel the fear and push through it=
anyway. It=
is
the conquering of the fear that makes one courageous. One cannot be brave without fear. Think of courage as a
virtue to be exercised daily rather than imagining it as expressed only in =
acts
of heroism.
Focus on Gratitude
Another way to
bounce back from stressful times is to direct your thoughts daily to those
things for which you are grateful. This simple act connects you with your
higher, more centered self. To do so, think about the following:
You are alive.=
You are loved =
by
others.
You can see, h=
ear
and breathe on your own.
You can read a=
nd
comprehend these words.
You can vote i=
n a
country with freedom of speech and of religion.
All of these a=
re
basics which are often taken for granted. Make your own daily list of things
for which you are grateful. By cultivating gratitude, you consciously move =
your
thoughts away from the thousands of voices adding to the environment of fear
and begin to stem the tide of stress.
Look for the Positive Meaning Amidst the Rubble
Finally, look =
deep
into your current situation and seek any and all positive meanings that may=
be
pulled from it. Every situation exists to teach you something. Your best
strategy is to uncover those life-altering lessons in difficult times and u=
se them
to motivate you towards positive, constructive action. An example of a life
lesson in this situation is the realization that you are resilient, you will
survive. And with that knowledge comes power (“If I can survive this,=
I
can survive anything.”). With complete awareness, allow yourself to
calmly and rationally consider what options are available to you to create =
your
best possible future.
Remember that we have survived such economic hardship=
s in
the past and we will survive this one. Human beings are highly resilient. =
We will bounce back from this reces=
sion
with more energy, greater innovation, and more wisdom than we had prior to =
it. That
is what we do, for we are human beings.
We don’t just roll.
We bounce.
About the Author
John Schinnerer, Ph.D.
Dr. John
Schinnerer graduated summa cum laude from U.C. Berkeley with a Ph.D. in
psychology. Dr. Schinnerer has been an executive and psychologist for over =
10
years. Dr. Schinnerer is also President of Infinet Assessment, a psychological testing company to help firms select the best
applicants. Infinet was founded in 1997 and has worked with companies such =
as
UPS, CSE Insurance Group, McQuay International and Schreiber Foods. Dr. John
Schinnerer is President and Founder of Guide To Self, a company that focuses on coaching individuals and groups to
their potential using the latest in positive psychology. Most recently, Dr.
John Schinnerer hosted over 200 episodes of Guide To Self Radio, a prime ti=
me
radio show, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Schinnerer’s areas of exp=
ertise
range from positive psychology, to emotional awareness, to moral developmen=
t,
to sports psychology. He is a noted speaker and author on topics such as
emotional intelligence, happiness in the workplace and executive leadership=
. Dr.
Schinnerer wrote, “=
Guide To Self: The Beginner&#=
8217;s
Guide To Managing Emotion and Thought,” which was awarded the “Best Self-Help Book of
2007.” He has written articles on corporate ethics and EQ in the
workplace for Workspan magazine, HR.com, and Business Ethics. He has given
numerous presentations, radio shows and seminars to tens of thousands of pe=
ople
for organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, NCHRA, KNEW and KDIA.
John
Schinnerer, Ph.D. &n=
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p; Infinet Assessment