How do you guys cope with stress in this recession?

do you have any tips for moi ? high gas prices are stressing me out.

Fuel prices are high, no doubt about it. But, having been thru two different sessions of NO fuel (or very little), meaning gas lines, gas rationing, odd and even fuel days, working graveyard shift, going to court all day, then sitting in gas lines for hours every other day, just to get enough fuel to make it back and forth to work for a couple more days, I am not all that stressed out now. Sure fuel is expensive, sure I am retired and the state of CA doesn't give out COLA raises very often (I just got my whopping $20 raise, first in two years), sure my ex gets 44% of my retirement, but at least I ain't sitting in those damned gas lines...

my favorite method of dealing with stress is to [edited due to inappropriate subject matter] a few times a day, or go out with one of my swords and show the local shrubbery why it should fear my wrath.

I cope by economizing, paying off and/or avoiding debt, and exploring the various low-cost and free alternatives.

This also works on a psychological level. Parks, forests , museums and libraries are all free, quiet, relaxing, and a good place to meet people. If you trade services or work special offers right you can get free coffee at many local coffee shops and can take a date for coffee and a danish for all of about $2 and spend a relaxed evening sipping coffee on the veranda.

Using a bicycle is low cost and good exercise. The exercise is a good counter for stress. Cutting cost removes pressure from the wallet and this further cuts mental stress.

Riding a bus is also good. Instead of stressing out over traffic riding gives you time to think, meditate and read. It gives you a chance to decompress and meet people.

Meeting a wide cross-section of the population also relieves stress. Sure there are the occasional dorks and duds but the great majority of people, of all colors and class, are decent. This removes a lot of uncertainty. Seeing a huge, rough looking biker dude patiently and politely holding the door for the frailest old black lady I have ever seen tells me that people aren't stereotypes. That even scary looking people can have a good heart.

I don’t get stressed out by things I can’t change. No point to getting wound up because it changes nothing.


Action cures lots of problems like this, make extra money to offset the fuel prices. Sell things on e-bay, handy with your hands and can build craft items? Make something you can sell. Or if you have a marketable skill, use it.


Extra money from a few hours work goes a long way to solving the higher fuel prices.


Developing these skills now can pay off down the road if it ever hits the fan. Bartering your abilities to make things or fix things can get you items you could use.


I do a lot of bartering now. I also make a lot of things for a local lumber yard that they don’t have the time to do themselves.

I have always been able to make my hobbies support themselves and then some.

First off don't sweat the big stuff, you can't change it. Sweat the details and keep them from becoming the big stuff.
I like playing video games and going shooting at the range, both stress releivers for me. Both cost money. By frugally spending money you keep a flow of it going into the economy, which helps it. Reward yourself for your hard work. Want that new cd? Buy it. New movie comming out that looks good? Go watch it.
Allocate a little bit of scratch for "mindless endulgence" if you can. Something as little as 20 bucks a week can go miles as far as doing things or buying stuff that can help in releiving stress.

-Bill Liptak

well exercise is mine way to get rid of stress, fitnes at work, bicyle, running and climbing in mine own time.

But thats not stress due to finacieel problems...

And if you think gas prices are high, well we are paying the equivilant of 10 US dollars a gallon here. Good thing i don't own a car and mine boss is paying for mine public transport and i can get a car and diesel to drive it from the boss when i need to drive for work.

i'm not formiliar with you situation, but there are many ways to reduce the cost of transport and some bosses (like mine) offer good alternatives. And you can also find many ways to safe money yourself, by using less fuel or selling stuff on ebay.

I am experiencing financial ruin, business failure and likely home foreclosure; it comes with a lot of stress. Here's what I tell myself everyday:

Take a moment to identify, and fully own and acknowledge, your stress. Indulge your irrational fantasy about the horrible possibilities. Rub it all over yourself; roll around in it. Experience it fully. Tell yourself the truth about it; tell a trusted friend if you can.

Then tell stress to go to the back of the bus, to the far end of the board table of your advisors, that you'll get back to it later - or maybe you'll just permanently fire it. Or whatever way works to remind you that stress is a reaction you are choosing and you can make a different choice right now,.

Meditate, get in touch with spirit, or pray or whichever of those are working at the moment. Open your self up to help and your own strength to let your stress go for now, give it like a true gift to the universe or deity to mind for you for a while - maybe forever.

Then, humbly, but playfully, with minimum ego return to the path of your life. Give the gift of yourself where that works. Invest in your close relationships; go out of your way to share a laugh - especially at your stressed self. Post on a couple websites. Think about what a great story this character building experience will make later.

Be sure to include movement, physical and otherwise, in today's routine. Walk, run, fish, take a drive, ride your bike, play golf, go bowling, go visit a friend or the mall.

Remind your self that you are a member of the dominant species on the planet, that you have incredible power over your environment, and that chances are you live better - whatever your circumstances - than 99% of everyone who lived on the planet before you.

Don't worry, you can create plenty of stress later if you want - and there are plenty of others who will seek to visit stress upon you. It is not yet an endangered species in your life, but maybe it should be!

It didn't work? Stress still there? Forgive yourself for being human and, when you are ready, work at it again. It's a survival skill; it's no surprise you're going to have to practice, is it?

Exercise regularly and vigorously. Makes a big improvement in soundness of sleep.

Do improvement chores around the house. (Painted it during job search following layoff) Improving things feels good.

Play guitar. Cheap comfort. I already have it and changing strings is pretty cheap. Internet guitar lessons are pretty much free depending on what you choose to work on.

I definitely feel the stress of the economy. I have 17 week old baby boy. (Can't wait till he is old enough for camping!) You want to talk about a drain on finances when your wife isn't working for several months. ;-)

I just try to budget very very carefully. I tried the cutting everything out bit, but that didn't work. I agree with BillLiptak in that you need to put aside a little bit of "play" money to help keep your sanity.

I like to play video games myself. Play some old titles online for a bit of freshness. I will pick up some new books I want to read. Relatively inexpensive as far as things go.