Economics 101: recessions occur when the supply of goods including labor exceeds the demand. So working even harder is a losing game. Hopefully you have money saved because this is when you'll want to make your discretionary spending, whether it is that nice vacation you've been putting off, things around the house that need fixing or upgrading, and/or going back to school for new skills.

Of course, if you didn't save much money during the prior boom, you won't be in a position to take full advantage of a recession. But let's suppose you did save up, recessions are probably the best time to take a mini-retirement from the rat race if you can't afford to completely quit it right away.