I have spent a lot of time lately talking some folks out of a tree as it relates to this latest recession.  I empathize as recessions have real impact on real friends and families.  As I found myself talking to more and more of them, I thought it might be valuable to share with you what I shared with them.  While it wasn’t easy, since graduating from college, I survived two recessions.  These aren’t tips on how to save money and hunker down, but more how to cope.

Stay calm, don’t panic

Since 1854, the U.S. has had 32 cycles of expansions, with an average of 17 months of contraction and 38 months of expansion.¹ This recession is sounding bad, but as history shows, it will blow over in due time.  If six generations of your family can hack it since 1854, you can, too.  Panicking by quickly changing circumstances many times results in jumping from one frying pan to another.

Stay close to friends, family, confidants

Recession-time is stressful, especially when your way of living can be on the line.  Don’t hold it in… open up to your trusted advisors.  Sure, adjust the message depending on the audience and don’t be a whiner, but “gutting” through it alone usually results in an explosion of emotion at some point.  Your advisors may not have all the answers, but just getting it off your chest helps.  Odds are, they will have many of the same concerns and you can help each other out just by leaning on each other.

Do a personal inventory

Prioritize the things in life which bring you the most joy and happiness.  What many people find is that their “joy list” is mostly unaffected by these temporary recessionary times.  Amazing how little control a recession has on the joy you can get from your faith, spouse, children, friends, parents, a sunset, a walk in the park, an ice cream cone…… you get the idea.

Stay positive

Positive attitudes are key during these times.  As attitudes are contagious, those around you can benefit or be damaged by them.  A positive attitude almost becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in the house and at work.  I am not advocating sticking your head in the sand and ignoring realities, but rather realizing that you have the power to change what you control, and not to spend time/cycles worrying about the things you don’t.

Become indispensable at work

Now is the time to put the pedal to the metal and accelerate.  Your company needs you now more than ever.  You may think that the right thing to do is duck for cover and hide… it’s not.  Take that measured risk that can make the big difference at the company… you know the thing that you have been recommending for so long to cut costs or improve revenue!!  Forget the fact that no one may have listened before, they will now.  Become a better team player if you aren’t now, because good leaders know that teams, not individuals get big things executed.  Where there is chaos there is opportunity, and at the corporate level, seismic shifts are where the new winners and losers strain out, and recession is a big shift.  Go for it, take the shot, and become the employee that would be hard to do without.

Good luck to all of you who weathering the storm, and for those whose ship has capsized, I will pray for you and your family for strength, patience and perseverance.  The sun will come out again as it has for millions of years before you were even on this planet.

1) Wikipedia’s History of Recession

Pat Moorhead is Vice President of Advanced Marketing at AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.