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Staying Up While Economy Goes Down Not Impossible

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Feb 12, 2009 10:00 pm US/Mountain

Staying Up While Economy Goes Down Not Impossible

Good Question: How Do I Beat The Recession Blues?

Written by Alan Gionet

Reporting
Alan Gionet
DENVER (CBS4) ― The pressures of worrying about our jobs, our homes and the future for our families are high during this recession.

We're grinding our teeth and biting our nails. But there are a few proven ways to chill out, according to Prof. Mary Coussons-Read, a psychology professor at the University of Colorado at Denver.

"We have some choices about the way we think about things. One thing you can do is you can say 'You know what? I'm going to make a choice and I'm going to do something different,'" she said.

But how, you ask?

"You can do some things that are fun. You can do some things that don't cost a lot of money," Coussons-Read said.

"One thing you can do is you can say ... 'I'm going to spend some time thinking about what's good.' And even if that means sitting down and writing in a journal about that vacation last summer and how great that was and how 'I'm looking forward to doing that again sometime.' Those are all things that can help you improve your psychology and help you stop focusing on the negative so much.

"So if you sit down and you write down all the feelings and the frustrations that you're having and then actually go through the act of shutting the journal and putting it away and saying, 'OK that was my time to be frustrated and grouchy and now I'm going to move on' (then you can) try to have a more positive attitude."

You will need to keep in mind that unless you're a failed, overpaid investment banking CEO, the recession is probably not your fault. (And even then, you have your defenders ...)

"So if you can't control everything in your life it's really good to think about the things you can control," Coussons-Read said.

To gain some control, set some goals but make them reasonable.

"You're making progress toward a new goal and having that written down and holding yourself accountable. (That) can really help you feel like you're in control of something that's happening."

Exercise is terrific.

A breath of fresh air is called just that for a reason.

"You can do some things that are fun. You can do some things that don't cost a lot of money."

There's a lot to volunteering, according to Coussons-Read.

"One of the things that's really helpful when you're really feeling down is to try to help other people. One of the things that can be really helpful is if you're feeling isolated, feeling like things aren't going well ... socialize."

Remember, we're all in this together. A little company amid our misery can go a long way.

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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