I recently listened to a podcast about finance and a downturn in our economy, suggesting that a slowdown has occurred for the past 6-months. As a result, gas prices are rising, the Federal Reserve is raising interest rates, food is getting more expensive, and we may see our nest egg shrinking when we look at our financial portfolios. 

These are incredibly uncertain and stressful times. 

You may wonder what a recession has to do with health and fitness. Unfortunately, these uncertain times affect our health in the long run. We feel stressed now and are reading all we can about our economic slowdown and how it will all play out.

How to recession-proof your health

According to a poll from the Associated Press, the recession and consequential debt may harm the health of up to 16 million Americans.

Dealing with a job or financial uncertainty, diminished financial freedom, and more expenses that we had not planned for have an incredible impact on our health. Resulting in ueber stress: meaning we feel sad and hopeless, can’t sleep, can’t breathe, and are dealing with anxiety. 

Yiming Ma, an assistant professor at Columbia University, says it’s not a question of if but when a recession will happen. So people should prepare but not panic, she said.

With so much stress and uncertainty, now is the time to take steps to recession-proof your health.

Health is wealth

You may have heard, “Your health is your wealth,” and “What do we have if we don’t have our health?”. Unfortunately, these statements are true, but we often skimp on our health during tough times. 

Especially now, it’s time to put our health front and center, and this may be hard because we are tired, depressed, don’t feel like it, and can’t get ourselves to move or make a healthy meal. After all, it all seems hopeless, and we want to save our hard-earned money.

It’s easy to drink or eat more to feel better or quiet the voice inside our heads. However, finding a healthy outlet for your emotions is essential, whether writing in your gratitude journal, meditating, doing breathing exercises, or talking to friends. 

If you need more ideas on healthy habits to help you manage stress, check out my 5 small healthy habits that you can stick in 2022.

5 Ways To Feel Healthier And Beat Recession Stress.

1. Connect with people that support you

These people care about you and can be there to lend you support by listening to you and offering practical help and encouragement. Tough times make you feel like you’re the only one experiencing this, and surrounding yourself with a positive and trusted network of friends, neighbors, and family can be life-changing. 

Feeling connected can boost your mood and help you cope with challenging situations.

If you want to hear more about how connecting with your community can help, listen to The Astounding Power of Feeling Connected For Women In Their Midlife Challenges/ Ft. Jen Marples. 

So don’t feel like you’ll burden your friends with your challenges. You can talk about as much or as little as you want. What matters most is that someone is there for you, and you know you’re not alone. 

2. How to eat healthy on a budget

You may feel that now is not the time to eat healthy because food is expensive, but with the right planning strategies, you’ll be able to make delicious healthy foods. 

In my house, we make our meal plans based on what foods are on sale. So instead of making a shopping list from your staple of favorite recipes, look at flyers or online sales at your grocery store and then base your meals around that. 

This strategy will allow you to see which stores have the best deals and make more budget-friendly meals. For example, don’t pay the full price if ground beef isn’t on sale. Just make a plan to buy something else instead. 

Make a shopping list. Check your coupons, and inventory your pantry and fridge. Be specific! So that you don’t buy food you don’t need for your planned meals. 

Compare what you spent. Start a spreadsheet with your expenses to track what you spent vs. what you budgeted. Then, adjust your meal planning if needed.

Avoid convenience foods. Convenience items like microwavable seasoned rice packets or cereal are expensive compared to their alternatives, especially when you’re on a tight budget. Rather than buy a seasoned rice packet that makes 1 ½ cups of cooked rice, cook a batch of dried rice and season it yourself. Rice actually freezes and keeps well.  

Read more about meal prep strategies in my blog post: 5 easy meal prep tips for any beginner.

Go meatless once a week. Meat is expensive, and the prices will only rise. Why not start “Meatless Monday” or several days of meatless meals? Beans are high in fiber and make a complete protein when paired with rice or other complex carbohydrates.

At the store: Compare prices because store brands may be more affordable. Buy in bulk. Save on seasonal fruits and vegetables or choose canned, which might be cheaper and are equally as healthy.

3. Create daily rituals

Rituals can be grounding in times of change and uncertainty. You know what you love doing and turn those likes into routines. Those rituals could include;

• Going out for a walk for 15 minutes to get fresh air and sunlight
• A regular breathing routine during the day
• Committing to a daily workout 
• Weekly date nights with your significant other (they don’t have to be expensive)
• Cooking healthy meals instead of ordering in (ordering in is expensive and often not that healthy) 
• Meet up with your friends weekly for a walk and talk
• Disengage from social media and stop the scroll 

You get the idea! Pick one of the rituals and go with it. 

4. Boost your immune system

The body’s immune system protects itself from infection and disease; it fights everything from cold and flu viruses to severe conditions such as COVID. Unfortunately, getting sick can be expensive and time-consuming. However, you can boost your immune system for free in several ways!

• Eat more whole plant foods.
  • Choosing fruits and veggies over processed foods, buying from the farmer’s market is cost-effective and better for your health.
• Eat more healthy fats.
  • Avocado, salmon, olives, or olive oil

• Limit added sugars.
  • Read the ingredient list of the products you buy. Also, remember, wine has sugar. 
• Stay hydrated. Do I need to say more? 
• Trying to get the best sleep you can, particularly during those tough times, is essential.
  • Keeping the room cool and quiet 
  • Not eating too late
  • Destress before bed and other routines may help 
  • Consider starting intermittent fasting, as it might help you sleep better.
    • Find out more here: How Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Sleep Better. And if you don’t know anything about intermittent fasting but are curious, grab my free Intermittent Fasting cheat sheet right here. 
• If you spend your hard-earned money on supplements, do so wisely.
  • Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Zinc, Echinacea, and Garlic work hard to protect your body.
• Exercise in moderation. 

5. Exercise for your health

You know that I was going to add exercise into the mix. Exercise is a great way to feel healthier and beat recession stress. Regular exercise has many benefits, from reducing stress, gaining strength, producing dopamine (the happy or feel-good hormone), improving breathing, regulating weight gain, and helping you sleep better, among other things. 

Honestly, getting started can be challenging because we don’t feel like it and don’t know how amazing we’ll feel afterward. It all feels like too much. But, once you take the first steps, you can feel the exercise’s positive impact. It melts away the stress and some pounds too. We need a break from worrying about the recession; a workout might help you do that. 

If you have a gym membership that you are not using, cancel it and save money. Have exercise equipment that sits in the basement? Sell it or set up a space that makes it fun to work out. 

On the other hand, you can join my exercise membership and choose from plenty of workouts for women over 50 in my Fasted + Fit Over 50 club, which is very affordable. 

Plan exercise breaks into your day without feeling guilty that you didn’t work and were productive. Because exercise reduces stress, you’ll feel more energized and get more done.

To help with de-stressing, check out my: 5 strategies to get more done with less stress

If you feel that exercise becomes a job and stresses you out, take a step back and choose something less intense that benefits you. 

Bonus tip:

Here are a few tips to feel healthier and beat recession stress. First, consider your budget, find unnecessary spending like the lawn mower service, and start mowing your lawn. If you’re eating lunch out, pack your meals instead and bring them to work. If you are going out for dinner, eat a healthy main course, and drink one glass of wine instead of the entire bottle.

We are not in control of a looming recession, but we can control our health and how we react to the things around us. Focus on your health by connecting with a supportive community, shopping smart for groceries, creating healthy daily rituals, boosting your immune system, and exercising in moderation, all of which can help you navigate difficult times.