I find myself incredibly frustrated and even sad by the current state of the economy. The agency I work for is giving everyone two unpaid days off a month. I will miss the money, but on the other hand, I’d rather see this happen and keep everyone working. The small sacrifice will help us all.
My husband has told me to look upon this whole scenario as a positive thing. With two extra days off, my husband and I can enjoy a long weekend together, I can tackle all those tasks I’ve felt I never have time for, I can sleep in, and my husband and I can enjoy breakfast together. I can catch up on all my reading and the movies I have yet to watch. I can hit the gym at a time when it’s not so busy and have a nice, long workout. I can clean out my closets, gather up clothes for charity, bake, and cook now that I have some time to do it. I can practice my guitar, listen to music, allow myself some time to think and daydream. This might even be a good time to journal and really put things in a proper perspective.
I am already getting into the mindset of having less funds. I felt a need to go shopping a few days ago, but rather than blow a bunch of money, I went to my favorite little thrift store for several hours and spent less than $10. I got some great finds including some cute little blouses. I had the rush of shopping and it was much like a scavenger/treasure hunt searching for something special.
I went grocery shopping a few days ago and stocked up on staples and filled up the pantry. I used a bunch of coupons, found some great deals on cleaning supplies and personal items, and set those aside for future use. I know I’ll use them eventually and the savings were so substantial, I couldn’t resist stocking up.
I also started thinking about taking better care of myself. If I eat better, exercise more, drink more water and green tea than sodas, I’ll be healthier. Better health, less visits to the doctor’s office and better performance in my every day life both professionally and personally. I’ll feel better and the stress of things beyond my control will be easier to cope with.
I know there will be plenty of adjustments ahead, but I figure we just have to hang tough. There are some things out of our control. We may not be able to control certain things, but we certainly can control how we react and approach situations in life.
