By Dr. Daryl D. Green
Do you know what the future holds in 2014 for you?  Are you now dreading the holiday season with more demands on the job, an unconcerned boss about your personal welfare, and new threats of pending layoffs?  All of these things create stress and anxiety for working professionals as the holiday season approaches.  Many smart buyers do not want to overspend in this economic crisis, creating a situation where the economy recovers even slower.  Leadership strategists offer advice to working professionals during the holiday season to reduce stress related to all the uncertainties in 2014.
Sadly, our standard of living is eroding.  Families cannot make ends meet despite working multiple jobs.  Companies are demanding more.  It is no surprise that folks are stressed out.  According to the third annual Work Stress Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Everest College, more than eight in 10 employed Americans are stressed out by at least one thing about their jobs.  Additionally, the study showed poor pay and increased workloads were top sources of concern for many employees (1,019 surveyed by phone).  The results produced a significant increase (73% to 83%) from last year’s survey, which found that more employees were stressed at work.
Another holiday season has come.  After the presents have been given out and the year comes to a close, many people will reminisce about the past year.  Sadly, some people’s lives will be filled with many defeats, broken relationships, and unfulfilled dreams. These many setbacks may be relatively minor in nature.  Pastor Richard S. Brown of Knoxville notes, “For many people, the holidays season bring great pressure and stress…We stress that we can’t get everyone something for Christmas?” or they may be much more serious.
Depression can happen to anyone.  Christian Maslach and Michael Leiter, authors ofThe Truth about Burn-out, explain how stress can burn out people and impact their mental state.  In fact, many professionals are succeeding in the corporate environment while failing miserably at their own personal relationships.  If you are human, you will experience some disappointments.  It does not take a genius to understand how someone can get depressed.  Some call it a “Pity Party.”
With the ongoing global crisis and individual financial struggles, more and more Americans need to find better coping tools for survival.  Individuals should not lose hope.  The following positive tips are suggested:
- Become a good steward of your finances. Do not attempt to spend more than you have.
- Evaluate your current situation at work and home.  Are you moving forward or just standing still?
- Consider how to improve your individual condition with self-learning, trade/professional certificates, and newer job strategy approaches.
- Seek out mentors who can assist you with your personal goals.
- Get rid of unnecessary stress in your life and negative people.
- Surround yourself with a positive network of individuals.
- Consider a hobby, interest, or a community cause which requires going outside your comfort zone.
2014 and beyond are full of a lot of uncertainty.  You can spend the holidays in despair or you can take control of some things to have a more successful life.  This does not happen by chance.  Certainly, depression sets in for some of the 15 million unemployed Americans, causing some women to grow weary and some men to grow angry.  For millions of individuals, a pity party is a regular affair.  However, individuals must be persistent during the current economic crisis and a good outlook goes a long way.  Your attitude will greatly impact how you retool your life so that you can be successful in the future. Â
About Daryl Green: Dr. Daryl Green has done extensive research on cultural issues impacting today and future leaders. His last book, Job Strategies for the 21st Century: How to Assist Today’s College Students during Economic Turbulence, has been rated number one on Amazon.com. For more information, you can contact him atwww.darylgreen.org or www.nuleadership.com.
