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<p>I’m with you on THAT one! My practice is different from yours, but the increase in employment-related claims after lay-offs is amazing. There are crazy allegations and everyone is in constant fear of a misstep. You don’t dare tell someone they look nice!</p>
<p>My own private recession arrived over two years ago, when my employer suddenly and unexpectedly closed down the research site where I was employed. Poof! In one fell swoop, almost 2000 highly educated (and highly paid) scientists and administrators were scrambling for work. I was very very lucky to land a job in this geographic area (DD was a high school senior), but need I mention that the salary of New Job was about 40% that of Old Job? So much for choosing a “stable” career!</p>
<p>Oh, well. Here I am two years later, still employed at Job Two, even though it’s not the best fit (I had to leave my old career field completely and I’m kinda missing it) and even though it’s looking a little shakey right now. Luckily H’s job appears to be more stable. I do not look at my 401K balance and I turn off the TV when I start to hyperventilate, but I still wake up at 3 AM sometimes with a free-floating economic anxiety.</p>
<p>Here’s what I do to cope with stress:
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<p>People like to talk about the “sense of entitlement” of the younger generation, or of those who bought houses they couldn’t afford. But I guess I need to get over my own little sense of entitlement. So many of us did well in school, got a good job, lived below our means so we could save and invest “wisely.” We do feel entitled to a comfortable retirement because we did all the “right things.” Hard to let all that go, but you’re right, we are resilient and capable.</p>
<p>I agree, Missy! I felt almost betrayed when my site closed down - wait, I did everything right, I did well in college and got a postgraduate degree, I worked hard for 22 years, and THIS is what I get?! Tossed aside like week-old lettuce? Sheesh. I have to consciously remind myself that there are no guarantees about anything, least of all employment.</p>
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<p>I guess we should think back to when so many of our ancestors eeked out a living in agriculture. They could do absolutely everything right and after one season of drought, all could be lost. </p>
<p>Jack London wrote about the time he lived in London. That was obviously the era before health insurance, or any employer responsiblity for workplace safety. A father supporting his family through manual labour would break his arm at work and that was it for his family - only homelessness and starvation in the future. Some people complain about the cost of our “social social safety net” but I’m sure glad it’s there.</p>
<p>All of this reminds me why a good marriage, real friends and a sense of humor are all worth more than “stuff.” They can’t be reposessed and they don’t go down in value.</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>07DAD - I so agree!</p>
<p>Missypie-I can relate to your comments about the Rust Belt in the '70’s. I graduated from college in Illinois in '78 and the economic situation was terrible. Like my friends, I took whatever jobs I could get, worked hard and learned to live on a budget.</p>
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<p>Same state. I was a '79 grad. Poor Husband had to just go live at home after getting his masters degree and substitute teach. His dad - who had quit school at 16 to work at his one and only job - couldn’t understand why he just didn’t walk the streets and apply everywhere. H finally got a job a few years later, but had to move hundreds of miles away to work.</p>
<p>scout, I like your summary of stress reducers, and your list looks pretty similar to mine, except my cat is actually a stress generator, because she is still young and spunky. Both H and I work in a field totally dependent on VC funding and very prone to massive company closures and layoffs. I used to stress out about job instability all the time, but I’ve grown tired of it. We keep our networking skills up to date and hope for the best. H keeps on telling me that it would make sense for me to look into IP law as a career with less stressful work environment - LOL. With a couple of clients similar to my former boss, even a very seasoned lawyer will have a heart attack.</p>
<p>I highly recommend the tiny packages of dark chocolate. Only 60 calories each!</p>
<p>New stressor for us: We have two dogs. We usually put Frontline on them, to prevent fleas and ticks. It’s expensive. Well, we foolishly scrimped – after all, it’s wintertime; what fleas and ticks are around here? Heh heh. Guess what . . . . </p>
<p>So today I vacuumed everything, washed everything, and we bombed the house (not to mention the dogs) with kill-dem-flea stuff. </p>
<p>Here’s hoping it works. I must have 25 bites on me – and they are painful!</p>
<p>Things are not bad here…except for our 401(k) accounts, and the fact that I might running out out of work in the next few months. Plus, son can’t seem to find a summer job. </p>
<p>I do yoga. I run (light jogging is a better description given the state of my knees - and with the snow and ice, it’s been on a treadmill). </p>
<p>I pick up my Louise Hay book “How to Heal Your Life” and page through it. It’s a bit “out there” for most but I find it helpful. The main point is that the quality of your life is influenced by your thoughts. If you think you’ll be a failure…you will be. Calming the negative “chatter” helps.</p>
<p>The winter makes it harder to deal with stress. I love the outdoors and can’t wait till spring. And the tulips… I LOVE tulips.</p>
<p>toneranger, have you ever been to Skagit Valley in April? The tulips fields are fantastic! Thanks for reminding me about something to look forward to.</p>
<p>I thought I was doing pretty well with the stress until this afternoon when college freshman D emailed me that she will need to buy Photoshop for an upcoming class art project and I snapped back: Photoshop is over $500!!! (except with more exclamation marks). I was not very understanding and I haven’t heard back from her. </p>
<p>I work as a high school teacher and our district is getting ready to send out pink slips in the next week. The only question is how far back will they go (they are based on lack of seniority). I was hired in 2000, and I’m just hoping they don’t go that far back. But also, I work with some amazing younger teachers who will for sure be pink slipped and possibly lose their jobs. It’s very stressful. (On top of the 45% loss of home equity, the 50% loss of 401K money and the new tuition bill for D’s 3rd quarter). </p>
<p>I keep thinking of the positives: friends, family and health and a roof over our heads. We will get through this.</p>
<p>momof2inca, if I recall it correctly, your D’s school is located directly across the ship canal from Adobe’s headquarters! Is there any software discount offered by her school? If not, I’d march right into the Adobe offices and demand it!
My D bought the entire Adobe creative pack (Photoshop and much, much more) for $500 through her college software purchase plan. Photoshop alone was $300.
Mine just texted me that her computer charger died, and she needed a new one. I ordered her a cheapo knockoff version because when I saw how much Sony wanted for a charger, my stress level went through the roof!</p>
<p>I am in PT and putting myself in the home traction contraption…three times a day now…just a few months ago I thought we could squeeze by putting uber worthy and good hearted second son in a private college like son number one who happened to go to college in a sunnier financial climate…so second son applied to plenty…and we took him around to several wonderful colleges twice
Now I don’t believe we can field our EFC safely. And merit money should be a real pile on this year with so many students with parents losing jobs etc.
blessings
a. we have wonderful state colleges where he is wanted, and although they are not everything I want for him, he is not fragile and could extract a fine education from them
b. son graduating from college has a job.</p>
<p>busnenburner: I googled Sgagit Valley and it looks wonderful…we’ll have to put it on our travel schedule when we feel like we can spend money again. For now, we do Longwood Gardens here in PA for our tulip display…beautiful. Lots of folks around here go to the Flower Show (this week) but crowds just make me more stressed so I stay away.</p>
<p>But I am soooo happy that it’s staying light till about 6pm now and DST is right around the corner. Yay. Small things really help and it makes sense to find things to be grateful for…instead of complaining about all the things that are wrong (although there’s lots to pick from there).</p>
<p>Hey, bunsenburner (like your name, by the way; I used to be a chemist)- give that young spunky cat some time. Before you know it, he/she will have mellowed into a purring blob of stress-reducing contentmnet…</p>
<p>Toneranger, I think your comment about the small things is exactly right. I love the fact that the days are getting longer, and soon I’ll be able to turn off the heat and open up the windows. </p>
<p>I’ve also decided - less TV news/CNN/etc., more Netflix. I just put some George Carlin and Richard Pryor on my queue.</p>
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<p>Zoosermom, years ago I heard a humorous piece on the radio that proposed that everyone be paid according to their value to society. I don’t remember much of it, but I do know that professional basketball players were at the very bottom of the pay scale and garbage collectors were at the very top.</p>
<p>“Plus, we did it right this time, pulling a significant amount of money in cash before April 2008. Our fix expenses are low i.e. the mortgage is less than $1400 (including insurance and tax) a month. Our reserve is for years rather months.”</p>
<p>Wow, that’s great, Dad II! Such a change from a month or two ago in which you weren’t sure you could pay dd’s tuition on time! Glad your financial status is improving. And lay off the booze :-)</p>