Stress has the potential to impact our emotional health, physical health, and relationships. These days, more and more Americans are getting heavily stressed, as their retirement savings, jobs, and sometimes homes are threatened. It is therefore more important than ever to have good ways of coping with stress. Based on past periods in which Americans have struggled with economy-related stress, here are some tried-and-true coping strategies that are proven to help: • Seek support from others. Reach out to trusted family, friends, and professionals.  • Make use of community resources that can assist you with financial, housing, employment, or other issues. Lists of various resources can be found on the following website: • Maintain strong community ties. Stay involved in school, civic organizations, and church/temple – whatever helps you feel connected. • Communicate with your family, rather than withdrawing or snapping at each other. One study found that when families struggle financially, children are less affected by not having as much “stuff,” as they are by angry, irritable, and withdrawn parents. • Challenge your negative thought patterns. People who tend to blame themselves for everything that goes wrong, and who focus solely on the negative aspects of a situation are more likely to get depressed and have further difficulty getting out of stressful situations. If you lost a job, does that mean you will never get a job again? Does it mean you’re a bad person? Is it entirely your fault? My guess is no. It means that you simply do not have a job at this moment. • Be mindful of your focus. News reports and conversations around you are often about a variety of problems other people are having. Focusing on others’ problems all of the time can become overwhelming and can fuel further stress and worry in you. If you are someone who is easily caught up in the doom-and-gloom, acknowledge the reality of what is going on around you, but focus instead on what is causing you stress in your particular situation. • Soothe your senses in healthy ways. Everyone needs ways to soothe themselves when they are feeling stressed. Junk food, alcohol, or cigarettes can feel good to use in the short-term, but in excess, can bring on a variety of other problems which can then lead to even more stress. Instead, try exercising, going somewhere beautiful, pursuing a hobby, meditating, taking a bath, writing in a journal, listening to music, or getting a massage. Running into economy-related difficulties is undoubtedly very stressful. However, it does not have to mean it’s the end of the world. In past troubling economic periods, it has been possible for people to emerge from their difficult situations in better, stronger shape than they had ever been previously. The key is to use the most effective coping strategies possible.