Is The Economy Stressing You Out?
by A new study finds that women are increasingly stressed over money and the economy. I can't say this comes as much of a surprise to me. You only have to tune into the national news for a few minutes to understand the gravity of our failing economy.
If you haven't already lost your job, you are probably worried that you might. If you aren't already struggling to pay your mortgage, you may worry that at some point you will struggle. If you are married, you may find yourself fighting with your significant other over money much more often than you had in the past. And if you're single, you may be wishing you weren't alone in your financial struggles. It seems we are all affected one way or another to this poor economy.
Are you feeling stressed about the economy? Is your stress making you sick? If so, you're not alone.
From My Little Cottage In The Making...
We have all felt the pinch of this tight economy lately.
People are being laid off of jobs, business after business is closing,
house values dropping and even the cost of eating healthy has gone sky
high.They say this bad economy has even had a tole on our bodies.
Tammy Garcia at Git' T Fit has five tips for managing stress...
Stress is the number one contributing factor to physical
conditions like obesity, heart disease, chronic fatigue, muscle pain
and depression.So what are you doing to manage your stress?
Most people who follow these strategies find it really helps them decrease their stress levels but some don't.
For most people implementing these strategies has given them a new lease on life.
Women bearing brunt of nation's stress...
According to data from the American Psychological
Association’s newly released 2008 Stress in America survey, women are
bearing the brunt of the nation’s stress. Compared with men, women
repeatedly report being more stressed about money, the economy, job
stability, housing costs, and health problems affecting their families.
Mature women (+63) reported the most dramatic increases in stress, in
some instances up as much as 18% from the prior year.Women were more likely than men to report physical symptoms
associated with their increased stress. Their symptoms include such
problems as:* fatigue
* irritability
* headaches
* feeling depressed or sad
* disrupted sleeping and eating habits
The Ailing Economy Is Making People Sick...
In hospital wards and medical clinics across
Massachusetts, doctors see growing evidence that the ill economy is
making patients sick, spawning headaches and churning stomachs, and
even causing bouts of anxiety and depression among people who never
before sought psychiatric help.
-----
My number one tip for avoiding stress over the economy...
If you're feeling stressed over the economy, try to avoid watching and reading the news as much as possible. Sometimes a little ignorance is bliss.
Are you feeling stressed over your personal finances? If so, what do you do to combat your stress? Do you think your stress is having a negative affect on your health? Let me know in comments.
Also See:
Is The Bad Economy Making Us Fat?
Staying Healthy When The Economy Sucks
Low Or No Cost Ways To Reduce Stress
How do small cuts in your family budget affect the kids?
Develop a stress support system
Contributing Editor Catherine Morgan
at Catherine-Morgan.com and Women4Hope
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Comments
So true
I find I get way more stressed out when I watch the news than I do when I dont lol!
I do think that the economy is stressing me out more so than I was prior to the downturn. I sometimes wonder how long we will feel this effect for too, even after the tides turn (I wrote about this in comparison with Japan, where they still wash clothes in old bath water even though they have been in better financial standing for a while since their troubles in the 90s.)
I think that this turn in economy may continue to be on our minds long after things get better again - and so one way I deal with that stress is by making small changes i know I can continue over the long run (second and third guessing purchases, cooking with my mind on my budget, not following the latest 'trends' but going with what has been tried and true for a long time).
Thanks for the post and links! I'll definitely be reading more.
Kathy
Allbusiness:Working Mothers
Mama Marathoner
Gah!
Gah! So stressed!!! I wish it were as easy as ignoring the news, but my husband and I run a small computer animation business and, while work isn't slowing down, it's increasingly difficult to get paid!
April
www.AprilsLittleFamily.com
Accepting that you can't control
everything...
... is one of the most difficult things to do! And there are few things in life that we all have less control over than the state of the economy. I'm not sure that I agree that avoiding the news is the best response, but that might be because I'm a bit of a news junkie and finance nerd.
For me, the best way to curb my stress about the economy is to remember that EVERYONE has it tough right now and to remember that I've made it through tough times before. This is certainly the worst recession that I've ever been through, but I have been through them before and survived. Remembering that helps me put it all in perspective.
This too shall pass...
http://www.NextRichGirl.com
Of course I'm stressed!
A friend of mine declared that she won't watch the news for the next 45 days. She said she can't allow the media to put these terrible fears in her head anymore.
She's a smart woman.
----
A Mommy Blogger and a Blogger For Hire
You're right
I got hooked into watching the news again after a very long period of ignoring it for mental health reasons because I was so excited to hear everything about Obama. Now that the election is over, I need to go back to a no news policy. I feel less stressed already. Ahhhh.
Virginia DeBolt
BlogHer Technology Contributing Editor
Web Teacher
First 50 Words
Good post
Everyone has a different way of dealing with stress during this time. Mine is denial. Even though my 401k has lost about $100,000, I still fantasize that I am going to retire in a couple of years. "A couple of years" is vague enough so I can keep that dream intact while I continue to work. I feel relatively secure in my job (lucky me) so at least I don't worry about being out in the cold with nothing. But I feel terrible for all the people who are.
Stress Over The Economy
Karen Chaffee
Yes, very stressed. I wish it was as simple as not watching the news (good advice, btw) but the costs vs. income are far more personal and direct a hit, especially for someone with chronic health problems who can no longer afford health insurance.
Good post.
Oklahoma
I don't even have TV; all I have is netflix, and I'm still super stressed about the economy. Oklahoma has got it bad. People are getting laid off all over the state. I can't find a job working for anyone but my parents, and the longer I work for my parents the less likely it is that anyone else will hire me. Never mind that they need the help b/c their indispensable secretary is about to have her first baby and won't be coming back. And never mind that I could sell anything to anybody. Nobody wants me. Can't say I blame them. I've been sick my whole life with maladies no doctor can ever help me with. They all are so concerned with my depression, though. They feel like it's their responsibilty to make sure that I'm not going to kill myself. If they cared so much, why won't they listen to me when I tell them that something is wrong? I wouldn't want to die if I ever got to see my friends, the few I have left after being sick my whole life. I wouldn't want to die if I had a day without pain. I wouldn't want to die if doctors would do their *bleep* job and fix me. But they don't want to help; it's not their profession. Their profession is to keep me coming back to them, so that I will give them my money for nothing. If they can't cut on you or pump you full of chemicals to fix you, then nothing is really wrong. Or so they think. It will be their own downfall though, because, sooner or later, computers will be able to do their jobs better than they can, unless they actually start doctoring, though I wouldn't hold my breath.
affected I guess
I have to admit that I am exhausted. No kidding. I find that I sleep less and when I wake up I am restless. More tensions with my husband as well which does help at all.
Not watching the news doesn't help
It doesn't make a difference whether you watch the news on tv or not. The constant reminder is right there when you get bills in your mails and when your creditors constantly calling you in the nights even when you have made arrangements. I say for those who are more spiritual just keep praying.
www.dealio.com