Almost every issue has two sides to it. Its enlightening when you see both at the same time and get to figure out which side you fall on. For example, you would assume that the financial crisis is negatively affecting our health. Jane Sarasohn-Kahn agrees and just yesterday posted stats on the key sources of stress and how to manage them.Opening up my RSS reader this morning, one of the the first articles I saw was by Jason Shafrin talking about how the bad economy may be good for our health. This is mainly because people eat out less, drink less and go to the doctor more. There are more interesting details in the post.
Overall, I believe what the source of the financial crisis argues for is more real value. Building on equity not debt, growing our savings acccounts, holding others more accountable for their actions. Just as there was a free-riding debt-laden groupthink surrounding the nation prior to the crisis, now there's more agreement around growing a solid foundation for the country.
Bottomline: Recognizing we're stressed and why lets us handle it better. Realizing the benefits of stepping back from the rat race and taking time out for ourselves and our families is equally as beneficial. Perspective will make all the difference in the coming years.