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The Unwelcome Visitor

There is absolutely no question that the current economic crisis is impacting us personally. It intrudes into our lives as a generalized sense of anxiety, of fear. We tune into newscasts and turn to economic Web sites and blogs to try and understand the complex tangle of events that got us into this mess, events that even our commentators and financial wizards find difficult to unravel and explain. We lie awake at night worried about keeping our jobs or whether our kids will be able to attend college. We fret about saving for retirement, about our ability to meet our mortgage payments and pay for gas and groceries. We’re afraid for our country’s future and for the legacy we’re leaving our children.

Just how anxious are women about the economy? A recent online economic survey of women across the country conducted by BettyConfidential.com found that the vast majority of respondents — 75 percent — indicated that on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being “not at all” and 10 being “extreme”), their anxiety about the economy rated a 6 or higher, with 20 percent choosing 8 and 21 percent choosing 9.

The economy, the survey showed, is a major factor for women in deciding whom to vote for in the upcoming presidential election. Women are counting on the next president to clear up the crisis.

And it’s not just about anxiety. The economy is affecting our career plans, our retirement plans, our home-owning decisions and our wedding/honeymoon arrangements. In many families, women are taking on second jobs or working more hours. We’re scrimping on basics and cutting out extras. We’re buying groceries based on cost, instead of nutrition. We’re limiting the use of appliances like dishwashers and dryers and — more seriously — forgoing needed medications and trips to the doctor.

Our children too are impacted. We’re deciding whether our kids can play a sport or participate in an activity based on the amount of gas it will consume. In some cases, mothers have had to take jobs that severely limit time with their families.

Without question, the economy has become a heavy burden, an unwanted visitor in our lives. So how do we ease that weight? There are some simple, affordable things we can do for a start. We can de-stress through exercise, even if it means just taking a walk on our lunch break and eating a salad later at our desk. We can find comfort and joy in the company of family and friends. Potlucks are practical and fun. We can play board games with our kids, check out books from the library. We can share our concerns with one another, talk them through. Who knows? Maybe we’ll even emerge from this current crisis as healthier, happier human beings.

Karen Reed-Matthee
Editor and Co-founder

©November 2008 Caliope Publishing Company