Recession-Proof Your Attitude

It’s an election year in the states and the economy is questionable, at best. Politicians are presenting bleak pictures or rosy ones, depending on what best serves their goals. Realistically though, the only outlook over which you have any control is your own.

I’ve talked with individuals living in abundance who are worried about losing their wealth, and others in scarcity who choose simply not to worry about it. Which of those is the safer attitude? Tough call, but here are some suggestions for keeping mental balance during economic uncertainty:

· Pay extra attention to your community of support. Give extra care to all important relationships as this will be what sustains you through uneven times. If there are family members or friends with whom you have lost touch, reconnect. They may need you! And if you find yourself ousted out of a once-promising career, this is the first and best place to seek support and connection.

· Adjust your lifestyle for a while. Give up unnecessary luxuries and pay attention to the things you miss and the things you don’t. You will probably find that your life doesn’t change much without certain trappings of wealth.

· If you feel uncertain about the security of your current job, get busy now on your Plan B. If you were to lose your job today, do you have a current resume? Do you know who you would call first to begin looking for a new one? Do you have money tucked away to bridge the gap? Get all of these things into place as if you needed them today, and you will be much better prepared should that dreaded day come.

· If you’re in a difficult career situation but can’t afford to make a change right now, make it better. Find a better way to communicate with a difficult boss; look at how you can make a tough schedule easier; make adjustments in your personal time to better care for yourself so that work doesn’t drain you; create a plan for the future so that you feel that you’re working toward something more fulfilling.

· Just be great, no matter what the circumstances. If you’re the one who remains positive, you will attract a lot more positive people and events into your life.

· Spend a lot more time with people whose company you enjoy. This isn’t the time to be around doomsday thinkers – they can bring you down very quickly. If you’re going to be positive through challenging times, then you want to be around others who maintain the same attitude.

· Reflect on your core values and prioritize accordingly. When you sift down to what really matters and spend your time and energy there, stressful thoughts and circumstances have a way of diminishing. It might even help to make a list of your most important spiritual, emotional, mental and physical values and place it where you will see it often.

Let’s face it – life has ups and downs and you have to adjust or go crazy! But the most successful adjustments are the ones that you can make in your mind. Then positive actions and good things can follow.