Denver Stress Relief Get Control of Financial Stress

Christine Chang, Channel 7 Morning News Anchor in Denver, Colorado, interviewed Dr. Thomas R. Giles, our director, about getting control of financial stress. We describe and elaborate upon this feature just below, but as long as the link is active, please feel free to take a look at the article on the Ch 7 Website, http://www.thedenverchannel.com/health/16984182/detail.html.

The subtitle of the article was: Clinical Psychologist Gives Practical, Psychological Tips, and this is the gist of what one must do to address financial stress during hard times; i.e., there are common sense as well "mental wellness" areas to consider.

I. The Practical

Here the emphasis is upon action, what one can do and what one can plan. This includes a wide range of possible activities; e.g., looking for a job or career change; obtaining job retraining or further education; looking for a job recruiter; looking for a different job location, which sometimes can entail moving to another section of the state or country...or in some cases just across town; engaging a support group; involving nonjudgmental friends and family members in brainstorming sessions (getting as many minds involved as possible); updating and posting one's resume; looking for a region with a booming economy; considering the start-up of one's own business; networking; and searching the internet, paper, and other sources for job postings and career news.

Another emphasis of this stage is upon patience and judgment; in other words, it's best to carefully consider one's options, as opposed to jumping at the first opportunity whether it appears to be a good fit or not.

We should add here that there are certain cognitive styles which also ease the stresses of one's practical endeavors to manage financial stress. One of these, looking for the positive aspects of one's current condition, is a great strategy to practice on a regular basis and works for nearly everyone. Another, however, the attempt to minimize the import of the situation, is only effective if it isn't used in the extreme: Some people are so good at denying their problems that they cannot face things realistically enough to arrive at a solution.

Under the category of practicality, there is the use of stress relief activities, which should be matched to the individual's tastes and interests. For example, some people find relief from yoga, meditation, relaxation exercises, and massage, while others find relief from music, TV, regular exercise, hanging out with friends, or working on the computer. We heartily recommend such activities because they not only provide stress relief but distraction as well: It just isn't good to obsess about or work on one's problems 24/7.

II. The psychological

This aspect of managing stress is at least as important as the practical issues discussed above. Why? Because if one has a tendency toward emotional difficulty, this difficulty is likely to come to the forefront during a time of stress.

Thus a good stress management step is to keep a lookout on oneself for counterproductive emotional reactions which make things worse if not recognized and dealt with appropriately. Some examples include:
Adjustment Disorder
Alcohol Abuse
Losing One's Temper
Taking Frustration Out on One's Spouse
Becoming Overwhelmed with Anxiety
Becoming Depressed
Eating Excessively
Suffering Grief
Insomnia, Tension
Abusing Drugs
Becoming Suicidal.

If one notices any of the tendencies or disorders noted above, it is wise to seek the services of a mental health professional who specializes in the problem observed.