Beat The Emotional Recession!

The economy, like the tides, will always be on the move. Sometimes changes in the financial environment make it feel like a rollercoaster – which it is. It goes up and down. However there is no good reason to permit it to do the same to our moods.

If we listen to the news, read the papers and participate in the daily worry-mongering, we are destined for depression – not necessarily of the medical kind – but a depression that is unpleasant and not conducive to health, wealth and success.

Here’s the way to avoid descending into the valleys of doom with the Ftse, Dax and JSE:

• Take a break from worry – you can, if you give yourself permission! Give yourself five minutes a few times every day, to switch off. Tell yourself, “I can stop.” Repeat it often. It is a powerful mantra that, coupled with deep, relaxed breathing, will help you to lower the pace of your heart, your thoughts and your general ‘tension’. Try it now. Sit comfortably, take a few slow, deep breathes and tell yourself you really can ‘stop’. Feel the tension drain as you breathe out. It works with regular practice.
  
• Eat proper food. You know what I mean! Give the stimulants a miss. Crunch through some muesli or oatmeal and take a good supplement. Skip every second cup of tea or coffee and drink water.
  
• Insist on positive conversation. Try to steer every conversation towards something bright – if all else fails, have you noticed how beautifully different the sky looks every day, every hour? I love contemplating the clouds and just being amazed that they always look so different.
  
• Do some exercise every day. You don’t have to train for the Comrades, just do 20 – 30 minutes of exercise that raises your pulse rate and gets you breathing heavily. Yes, you can do it with another person!
  
• Be grateful. No matter how bad things get, there are always positives. You should spend the last ten minutes every night, going over the good things that happened each day. It’s a really positive way to settle down for a peaceful sleep.
  
  

It really is as easy as that. As my friend Claire Newton the psychologist says,

“In life, no matter what the category (wealth, ability, good looks etc), there will always be those who are better off than us, and there will always be those who are worse off than us. Most people only compare themselves to those who are much better off than themselves and so end up feeling discontented and hard done by. Try comparing yourself to those less fortunate, and you will realise just how privileged, blessed and ‘wealthy’ you really are.”

What has all this to do with ‘connecting’? Simply this – you need to be connected and centred within yourself to ensure a viable foundation for good connections with others. Nobody wants to be connected with somebody who is negative, confused or just plain miserable. I mprove your mood and you’ll build and develop better connections for life and for business!