Reinventing Yourself During A Recession

It’s all about being resilient and adapting during uncertain times.

The world dived into a deep recession — the worst since the great depression of 1930. What we witness now is an aftermath of unprecedented size. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are lost.

While hope for recovery seems questionable, the market is trying to find stability. Some businesses are downscaling; others are closing for good. Everybody has been affected by the pandemic to some degree. It will take years before the world economy will grow again.

Things might look bleak now, but humans are known to be versatile. New opportunities arise for those who embrace change. Some are thriving right now, despite all the odds.

The abundance mindset

If you’re feeling angry, depressed and overwhelmed, you’re likely to have feelings of scarcity. This mindset means you’re focusing on what’s lacking in your life — depletion of time, money, energy and resources.

“Worrying about scarcity is our culture’s version of post-traumatic stress. It happens when we’ve been through too much, and rather than coming together to heal (which requires vulnerability) we’re angry and scared and at each other’s throats.” — Brené Brown, Daring Greatly

You can free yourself from this mindset by focusing on abundance. Being grateful and appreciative of what you have will help you design your ideal future. You’ll feel happy once you give yourself a new purpose with unexpected opportunities.

If you’ve been made redundant, for instance, there could be a gift of time. So, instead of ruminating, take action. It’s the perfect chance to do something different!

Seize new opportunities.

For better or worse the pandemic has brought changes for everyone. We do much more from home, travel less, eat out less. Some niches have seen a significant boost in the past months, especially online businesses — it’s the dawn of the COVID-Economy.

New habits. New trades.

My sister’s friend has been chronically jobless and living off sporadic work. She found her opportunity in homemade face masks. So, she used her existing sewing skills in crafting bespoke face coverings. Business is booming for her now.

In March 2020, all bars in the UK had to be closed due to lockdown. A British Gin Company was on the brink of having no business before changing its production for creating hand sanitisers. They leveraged their know-how and adapted for a completely different market.

Social distancing markings and stickers have appeared pretty much everywhere. Someone had to design and print them! Sure, it’s not fancy, but it created jobs for several people in an uncertain time.

Old habits, better.

Remote working has finally become a respectable reality for everyone. It’s no more an occasional grant. A global awakening has stirred up traditional businesses with the sudden realisation that things can continue without being in the office. Even the government said it: work from home.

Home has become the centre of all the new economy. There’s a spike in demand for ergonomic equipment to make your working hours a little bit comfier in your house. If you know how to work wood, the number of items you can craft and sell online in this niche is tremendous.

With people not leaving the house, goods will have to travel directly to the doorstep. Home deliveries have increased exponentially. It’s so critical, some companies had to stagger out the delivery slots, but it gives you a sense of magnitude. With everyone wanting stuff delivered at home now, deliveries have become shops and restaurants only way to survive.

Being stuck at home means the entertainment industry has also been thriving. Streaming usage has increased exceedingly, and digital goods have never been more in demand. You could quickly become a content producer yourself.

So, now you know there are indeed opportunities out there! But what are you going to choose?

Find a real purpose.

Ask yourself if you could choose anything you want to do with yourself what it would be? That one thing that drives you that gives you a reason to get up in the morning and carry on doing it with passion and dedication — maybe even obsession.

“Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be; embrace who you are.” — Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

Rather than finding a job or a career, aim to find a purpose. For some, this might take a lifetime; others find it early in life. Regardless, there’s never been a better time than now.

In my darkest hour, I found comfort in curating my very own journal. I’d write to my future self my frustrations, my aspirations and a list of things I’d like to achieve. Looking back now, most of what I wrote became a reality. — You can do the same in only 6 minutes a day. It helps to nurture gratitude and mindfulness as also rethinking your priorities.

Embrace change. Be part of it. You’ll be healthier and happier than ever.