Frazzled by Financial Fluctuations?

by Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., RN, CNS, D.CEP

Are you frazzled by all the news reports about financial crises? The media seem to be awash in conflicting reports about the depths of the recession and its impact on all aspects of the economy. Although the best advice in times like these is as always, “Don’t panic and sit tight,” most news reports accomplish the opposite: many people get more anxious as they listen and watch.



Energy psychology self-help to the rescue!

For the past twenty years I’ve use the techniques of energy psychology to help myself and my clients in troubled times. Now is a time you may wish to know what you can specifically do to help yourself besides biting your nails and wishing the nation’s financial woes would go away.

Here are some practical suggestions:

1)Affirm your strengths and resources by stating, “I have always had enough to love and money to sustain me... I affirm I will continue to have enough love and money to sustain me.” (Notice love and connection with others is more important than mere money.)

2)Gently rub the tender spot on the upper mid-chest (about where Americans would say the Pledge to Allegiance) while stating, “Even though the markets are fluctuating, I deeply accept and honor myself and choose to keep myself calm.” Repeat 3-5 times each time negative thoughts are activated in you.

3)Note how strong your future anxiety is by rating it on a 1-10 scale. Tap gently 10-15 times on meridian acupoints at the junction of the nose and eyebrow, the bony rim of the outer eyes, directly under the eyes, under the nose, at the collarbone points, and at the side of the hand while stating, “I release fear and anxiety about the financial future” at each point.

4) Install positive beliefs about your strengths and resources by giving thanks for your loved ones, your gifts and talents. Tap the same sequence as in step 3 while stating your positive beliefs. Sample, “I have the strengths and resources I need to get through this critical time.” (If you’re not sure about having those strengths “invite them to come to you by stating, “I now attract the resources I need to get through this critical time.”)

5)Note any difference in the anxiety with your rating scale. Even if nothing has changed in the external world, affirm that you are effectively in charge of your life and the quality of life you value. No one can take away your soul’s essence. As wise elders have said in other perilous times in history, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”

Continue to count your many blessings. Despite the financial upheaval or “current market readjustments,” we are very lucky to live in this nation and to have the lives we have chosen. Remain as positive as possible and trust in the beauty of loved ones around you and the many gifts you have. Notice how real values don’t fluctuate even while markets do.

Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Ed.D., RN, CNS, D.CEP has been a psychotherapist in private practice for over 30 years and combines her career as a psychologist with a background as a clinical nurse specialist. She co-founded the International Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) and is the author of five other books about energy therapies. Website: SecondChanceDream.com