As the longest government shutdown in U.S. history lingers, many workers may be wondering how to make ends meet and use the downtime wisely

By Faye Beard
In the last 50 years, the U.S. government has shut down 23 times, according to the Harvard Kennedy School. At this rate, Americans should expect recurring closed-for-business signs at federal agencies.

However, this time, it’s different.

“Federal employees are being held hostage,” said Davidra Bazemore-Blue, LCSW-C, who is based in the Washington, D.C.-Maryland area. “The shutdown stress is a trauma loop. Federal employees aren’t just stressed, they’re in this cycle of chronic uncertainty.”

She recalled the harassment that was the five-bullet e-mail, requiring federal workers to list their weekly accomplishments. She described how infeasible the return-to-office mandate was for employees who had been working remotely for years. These practices, she explained, were compounded by rounds of reductions in force and the Deferred Resignation Program, which was more threatening than voluntary. Now, she said, employees are being told they could be fired while the government shutdown continues.

Bazemore-Blue and many of her clients are federal workers, but she does double duty as the founder and CEO of True Blue Behavioral Health, specializing in employee assistance programs and workplace wellness.

Here are some recommendations she shares with federal workers and contractors:

• Find another stream of income. Start a business and delve into the gifts you have to create new opportunities. What is your backup plan if they decide you are no longer important? What do you do if they decide to ghost their own workforce, and you have to figure out how to survive in the meantime? “We can no longer depend on our employers—whether federal or private—to take care of us anymore. Figuring out a plan should be part of your employment strategy going forward,” she said.
• Focus on your emotional regulation. If you’re stressed, search online for strategies and techniques to manage distress tolerance. Avoid becoming so desperate or enraged that you act out in ways you can’t take back, whether it’s harming yourself or someone else. Find your skills as an individual. Is it prayer or exercise? Is it spending time with your family? Is it hosting a game night, or talking to friends several times a week? Be present in the things that you can control. However small, whatever distraction you need, do something that keeps you grounded when the world around you is turning upside down.
• Identify the resources to manage your basic needs. Ask your lenders for a 30-day or 60-day grace period to pay your bills. If you contribute to a Thrift Savings Plan, this may be the time to access those funds to pay for groceries, childcare fees, or those expenses that can’t be skipped. Essential workers could request situational telework or situational furloughs if those are options. Are you eligible for reasonable accommodations? This could save money on commuting and assist those who are physically unable to make it into the office. And anyone can call 211 or visit org for help with food, housing and utility payments.

According to USA Today, “the $130 million that a wealthy donor to President Donald Trump gave to pay troops’ salaries amid the government shutdown is enough to cover them for seven hours of work.” Bazemore-Blue recommended that members of the military reach out to various relief societies, including the Red Cross. The Air Force Aid Society, Army Emergency Relief, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance, and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society offer a range of emergency support, she said. Those societies can be accessed at My Fed Benefits, which features a Shutdown Assistance Map of resources for federal workers who can search by categories like financial assistance, food and restaurants, and travel and transportation.

These other sites may also be useful. The federal LIHEAP plan, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, helps low-income households pay for their electricity, gas, oil, and heating and cooling bills. Federal employees could qualify, depending on the rules of the state in which they reside.

Feeding America allows online users to input a zip code to access nearby food banks and requirements. The nonpartisan organization Partnership for Public Service offers federal employees resources for mental health, financial assistance, housing payments, utilities and groceries. The National Employment Law Project has information on everything federal workers and contractors need to know.

“Federal employees have experienced an irregular amount of hate from everyday citizens who don’t understand their jobs or who have bought into the stereotype that they are lazy. Those workers are emotionally and mentally injured as a result of the year they’re having, just trying to make a living, being patriotic public servants,” Davidra Bazemore-Blue, LCSW-C said.

Clients of Bazemore-Blue have expressed being financially terrified and mentally exhausted. “This federal shutdown has been stressful, but it has been a godsend after the 2025 federal employees have been having,” she said. “Some of them are grateful for this break, and I don’t blame them.”

Faye Beard is a freelance writer based in New York City.