Don't Let a Bad Economy Be Your Lousy Excuse

Sure, it’s a bad, bad economy out there. People are losing their homes and their jobs. If you haven’t lost your job or place to live, you could be next. That’s the kind of stress that studies show are causing people to slip back into their old habits.

The national public health think tank, the American Legacy Foundation, reported the results of a new survey this year that linked stress over the current recession to more smokers increasing the number of cigarettes they smoked. And the foundation reported that many who had quit smoking took up smoking again.

Is this your excuse to go ahead and put your plans to quit your addictions on hold? Until things get a little better? Is this your excuse to say, well, look at all those other people who are falling off their wagons; why shouldn’t I light up, take a drink or scrap the diet?

To put it bluntly, what a lousy excuse!

Addictions are bad for your health and cost a lot of money you should not be throwing around in a bad economy. Cigarettes won’t pay your bills, and candy bars or six-packs won’t put more money in your bank account. Addictions can get you fired faster, and they certainly won’t help you find a new job.

So don’t even think about it. Arm yourself with the knowledge that bad economies can cause you a lot of stress. Then do something about the stress that you’re feeling. Exercise or meditate. Or both. Hit the job boards instead of the bars to find a part-time job or other ways to make more money. If you already fell down, pick yourself up and move forward right now. You can do it!

Respond to this blog with other ways to get rid of the stress, and I’ll share them in a future report.