How is the Economy Impacting Your Relationships?

I had the pleasure of being a guest on "Update with Doris Bailey" this past weekend with Guest Host, Philip Lowe. It was a great conversation discussing how the current economic crisis is impacting relationships...and what can be done. I shared three of the five things I think couples can do on the radio show. Here are those three plus the two I didn't have time to share...

‎1. Don't deny you're in a changed financial situation. I've seen a lot of people fail to come to grips with the fact that things will be different financially when one or both lose employment or have their income otherwise reduced. They keep going along as if nothing happened.

‎2. Re-embrace deferred gratification as a financial strategy. Waiting is a good and necessary thing. Get the children involved if you can. You'll be surprised at how willing they will be to help the household make THIS vs. THAT decisions...or the NOW vs. LATER decisions.

‎3. As I learned from my old corporate days, when you have to make cuts, CUT ONCE AND CUT DEEPLY! It hurts your psyche more to bleed, bleed and bleed continually over a long period. It's best to cut as deeply as you can (more deeply than you might think is reasonable) and do it all at once. Examples will come to your own mind, I'm sure. Here's one...don't just cut the extra channels from the cable package...cut the cable! Don't just cut down on going out to eat. Stop it all! Even (especially?) the fast food!

‎4. Double-down on building up your relationship skills. Change is stressful. Become more intent upon getting through it together. Sit down and talk strategy and roles. For some couples this may be the only time they've had such a discussion in years - maybe ever. When better to do than when trying to navigate a path together?

‎5. Only speak what you want manifested in your lives! No "woe is us" talk is allowed. Remain confident that you'll come through it, come through it together and be better on the other side of this temporary situation. Oh...that's the other thing to remind yourself. It's temporary. Everything on this side of eternity is temporary. Be encouraged!