ArLyne's Diamonds

A running commentary of ideas

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Staying Up During Down Times

Yesterday, I spoke with a group of people at the Jewish Family Services. They were out of work and seeking employment. We talked about strategies for staying up, while having been out of work for so long. Among the things I suggested (this is only a fraction of the list):

1: Don't let yourself sink deeper into depression. Grab a toe hold NOW. Do things that will make you feel better - these include: nurturing yourself, pampering yourself, having fun, and taking care of your appearance (so you feel as though you look good.)
2: Reducing unnecessary stress by doing the obvious things, such as sleeping, eating, and exercising. But also:
a: Clarifying your own ethics - do what you believe to be right and don't do anything that you think you would be embarrassed to be caught at.
b: Be realistic in your expectations of yourself - yes, make the to do list, but don't expect to get it all done at once. Learn to be realistic and to prioritize.
c: Treat people with kindness - how you treat them is most often how they will treat you.
d: Assume the positive - not the negative. No one is deliberately trying to hurt you, if misunderstandings happen, that's all they really are. Don't get caught in the blame game.
e: Words are just words - don't over react to the so-called dirty ones - they aren't.

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