Keeping Yourself Busy During the Summer of Recession and Depression

According to the recent news articles and headlines in the newspaper, a lot of lower and middle-classed people this year are going to experience a vacationless summer, depression, and basically, sheer boredom. Since the turn of 2008, many folks are experiencing not just financial difficulties unlike never before, but basically they won't necessarily be able to do the extravagant summer rendezvous like that of the past. Clinics are already experiencing a sudden leap of patients suffering from depression and similar disorders, (depression being #1).

This is a simple list of three things you can do this summer that will not only satisfy your hunger of accomplishing something over the summer, but therapeutically, can ease the burden of feeling depressed without putting a burden on your pocket book.

1. Grow a Garden The absolute best way to enjoy a summer. Start your own little garden. Flowers are O.K., but growing food out of a garden has better benefits. Anything between the sizes of a sand box, to a ten by twenty foot square would be perfect. Minimum size should be the size of a sand box because planting just one or two plants might be fun, but the therapeutic impact isn't as big. You need something bigger to pay attention to. If you are doing this alone a ten by twenty is big enough for most, because you don't want to create a full time job weeding and caring for a garden. A garden too big will be too overwhelming. The outcome, (if you grow it right), pays off too, free food on the table or ready to can, and right before the winter rears it's ugly head again.

2. Restoring Furniture Everything from just re-varnishing a wooden chair, to totally redoing furniture your way, with no rules. Easiest way to start? Go get a run down chair and start sanding it down. Revarnish it, or if you want, paint it pink and wrap blue velvet around the top. do whatever you like, it's your project. If you are going to redo your own furniture, make sure it won't be missed. It's not very helpful for the nerves if you have the whole six-piece kitchen table ensemble of chairs outside waiting to be sanded while everyone is sitting on the floor eating dinner. On jobs of this nature, grab one at a time. Did you know there are people out there that actually make money doing this? The best part of this idea is that there is no rush. no one is timing you and you can take the time to create the best piece of furniture out there on the market.

3. Visit the Elderly Ever wonder what the elderly do all day during the summer? I"ll give you a hint: They're not outside playing football. Don't get me wrong, most retirement villages and retirement homes take great care of their people and patients and have great programs, but we all know that there are not enough staff to talk to everyone all hours of the day. Also, some of the patients don't have visitors often. Make yourself feel good this summer, go visit one of these establishments and find out if they have a"buddy" system or visiting hours for those who want to just hang around with someone for awhile. You can visit someone in a s little as an hour, or longer, (if the establishment wishes it), this is entirely up to you. this is YOUR time with them, you pick how long you would like to visit. An hour would be sufficient for a minimum time allowed. I'm not trying to make anyone feel bad, but wouldn't you want someone to visit you?