We cannot fail to notice the credit crisis that is leading, or has lead, (depending on which newspaper you read) to a recession which is expected to go on until at least 2010. January sales started in November, as shops on the High Street struggle to sell their wares, and indeed we have seen a number of big High Street names fall by the wayside already. Car production is being cut, as new cars fail to be sold, and working hours are being reduced in order to save money, with the threat of redundancy never far away.
Times are hard – prices are going up, yet income is coming down, or at best staying pretty static. As an economy we don’t know whether we are coming or going!
This all leads to additional stress for everyone – whether we are looking for a new job, have the threat of redundancy looming, or are just struggling to make ends meet with the rising cost of food, fuel, and the like, an economic downturn is difficult to deal with.
But, there are things that we can do to help us focus on a way through – a survival plan if you like!
If you are needing to change job, because of redundancy etc, then it might be time to think about what you want to do next – do you want to stay in the same area of work or is it time for a complete change? Have the confidence to make the decisions that you really want to make, rather than just the ones you think you should make! Guided visualization can help with this, to help you access the inner strength that will get you moving in the direction you want to be. It might be time to brush up your CV and turn yourself into a very marketable product.
Set new goals – achievable goals. If you had been hoping to save up enough for a fortnights holiday or a new car, reassess realistically…….think about what you NEED against what you WANT. If that means having a shorter break away, or staying in the UK rather than holidaying abroad, then so be it. If you have been looking to change your car, set yourself a budget and stick to it…….get haggling in the showroom, you may be surprised at how much you can get knocked off the price!
Don’t allow yourself to go over your budgets, whether you are doing the weekly grocery shop, or booking a holiday. Spending money you cannot afford is not an option right now – you will regret it in due course.
Focus on the things you have already – do they really need replacing, or is it just that you fancy something new? The old fashioned way of “make do and mend” is very relevant now. Don’t buy new when you can repair old! If it is serviceable, then it will do!
Look at the free things in life and enjoy them! A walk outside in the crisp winter sunshine, or along a deserted beach is a fantastic way of clearing your head and taking some time out. Dig out the board games that are lurking in the back of the cupboard and delight your children with cluedo or scrabble! Invest in a pack of playing cards, and teach your children all those games you learn’t yourself as a child!
The next couple of years are not going to be easy, but the fact is that recessions come, and then they go. With a little effort and realism, coupled with positivity and an appreciation of what we have, not what we can’t have, will get us through, in a stronger position than we would otherwise have been in.
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