Often personal value is based on the title or job you hold, your income level, and/or the level of investment you have accumulated.  These elements are all facing uncertain
futures and so the development of personal value beyond work and money is
crucial for maintaining health and personal wealth. Particularly in the current
economic climate, it is vitally important to build a practice of reducing stress in the moment.  Stress takes its toll on your emotional, physical, and mental health.  In this way stress and self-worth are related: valuing you and self-care are both based on giving yourself permission to relax and be present.

Face Stressors Head-On!

This is not a battle cry; this is in opportunity.  Stress accumulates in places of avoidance.  This means that when you try to run away from, ignore or ‘put off’ confrontation, communication, emotional situations and personal fears, you feed and exacerbate the experience of stress.  Deal with issues as they arise from a place of calm, focus and compassion. Action taken in haste [reaction] will lead to increased stress.  When faced with something you identify as a stressor: pause, let go of the story line and view the facts of the situation, unrelated to you personally.  Then refocus on how to take skillful action. Remember this method is not about ‘fixing’ others.  Take action in your life as it applies to YOU.

Live Today:

Time and energy are wasted when you focus on what might have been, what you had, and what might happen. Stress accumulates when you build a life on a projection of what might be in the future.  Live today.  If your portfolio has dropped in value, or your job is in jeopardy, take the steps you need to ensure your future.  Develop an action plan and implement it.  Spending time dwelling on ‘what if’ is frustrating and leads to feeling overwhelmed.  Apply your efforts to the things you can control.  Leave the unknown as just that: an unknown variable.

Developing Your Action Plan:

It is important to know where you are going!  Sitting by and doing nothing while the
economic alarms are sounding around you, is counter productive.  Decide what your highest priority is.  Sit down and list the steps you can take; list only steps that rely on you alone. Organize them in a way that makes sense to you.  Be gentle with yourself.

A great tool when developing an action plan is to discontinue using the word ‘stress’ when describing how you feel.  Many people have come to use the word stress
as a blanket label.  Whereas you used to identify ‘I have a project due in two
days that is frustrating me‘ now you might simply say ‘I’m stressed-out‘.  You are
robbing yourself of the facts of the matter. You are forgetting or neglecting what is ‘stressing you out’.

Write YOUR Résumé:

Often value is judged by what others want.  What do you want in your life?  Write a résumé for you, that reflects all the experiences you find worthwhile. Many personal assets may be viewed as irrelevant to your work.  Yet when unearthed through conversation, it may be the things not reflected in a résumé that ultimately land the position, client, or account.  Build an easily accessed list of ALL of your strengths and let it fuel your confidence.  You may be surprised by all the truly amazing things you have done over the course of your life.  This can help in developing a sense of personal wealth, value and pride.  Refer to and up-date your personal résumé once a month.  Remember to carry your accomplishments with you, throughout your days and weeks.