Struggling with the economy, layoffs and other worries hitting families today

Yesterday was a day filled with excitement, joy and history in the making. But today many people have awoken to the same fears, doubts and stress that they had before where their bank account is concerned. No matter if you are a Democrat or a Republican the bills still have to be paid, the kids still need to be fed and hard decisions are starting to hit American families at home. The news isn’t about some place far away anymore; it is about us, our friends and our family members.
Layoffs are happening at an excessive rate raising the stress level for employees all across the globe. Rumor mills at work make it difficult to concentrate as the rumors become reality. In this current economic climate it doesn’t matter whether you are a hard worker or the length of time you’ve spent in your current position. It comes down to dollars and cents. Taking the layoffs personally would be wrong unless you are a poor employee, especially since it is hitting across the board. Warehouse employees, auto part plants, high level executives and middle management are all feeling the pinch within this economy.
Reducing stress in times like this is very hard. We struggle with guilt, depression and loss of material items that took so long to accumulate. All of these emotions snow balling into a bigger problem that loosing ones job. We need to do our best as families to support one another, help each other out and get through these tough times. To achieve this it will take stepping back and realizing that the accumulation of personal items is what has gotten us into this mess. Prioritizing our lives to put the most important things at the top will help each of us keep our judgments clear. Family, friends and time spent should be foundation of every ones lives. Luckily for all of us these items don’t cost a thing or if they do a very small portion of our budget. Send a letter, call a friend or spending time with your children are all activities to reduce stress and lift your spirits.
Times like these are also wonderful for getting back to your spiritual center. God is there even though many of us haven’t had time for him during the good times. He will take all of us back if we just go and ask. He loves us and our relationship with him will be there whether there is money in the bank or not. He doesn’t care what car we drive, what neighborhood we live in or how many pairs of shoes we own. He only cares for our heart and whether we allow him inside.
Stressing over the little things will not get any of us anywhere. We need to create a plan, put our prioritizing our lives and live for a bigger purpose than our own.