Wouldn’t it be nice if 2020 could just take a week off and chill the eff out for a bit? Maybe we could unplug it and plug it back in and see how that goes?
The macro stresses of the world have trickled down – nay, deluged – into the micro stresses of our everyday lives.
This is a good time to think about what makes you feel safe, secure and calm. A lot of things are pretty universally calming. Being in nature. Deep breathing. A clean house. An organized workspace. Polite behaviour. Kindness. A cup of hot tea. Whiskers on kittens, brown paper packages tied up with strings… you get the idea.
For many people, having money in the bank and enough income to pay the bills is what keeps them calm. When the stresses of the world trickle all the way down to your bottom line, life gets infinitely more stressful. Loss of income means bills pile up, payments get missed, and account balances evaporate. Suddenly, an entire lifestyle can feel at risk.
Naval Ravikant provides wisdom on How to Get Rich (Without Getting Lucky) @Naval on Twitter. The Daily Stoic, on Twitter and Instagram, has good advice for keeping your cool. Yoga with Adriene on YouTube is super calming, and free.
Yet when those sleepless nights strike, you might need to ask yourself, what can you do – financially - to feel calm? Again, many goals that for improving financial and mental health over the medium to long term are universally helpful, such as:
Spending less than you earn
Paying bills on time, every time
Reducing or eliminating debt
Creating a savings fund
Investing for your future life
If things are more urgent, what can you do to stop the financial damage and calm yourself - right effing now?
Dealing with this stuff can be overwhelming, lonely and emotional. When finances have become really messy, many people don’t even know the extent of it. They stop opening their statements, stop taking the creditor calls and try to avoid a situation they don’t know how to control.
Fortunately, these situations are nearly always less dire than the way they feel at 3am. Since we’re in unprecedented times, there are currently unprecedented levels of support going on, from governments to financial institutions. Tax deadlines have been delayed, emergency funds are being provided and even credit card and mortgage payments can be postponed under certain circumstances.
Most importantly, you don’t have to figure it out alone. Professional credit counsellors are skilled in helping people push through these sticky situations and difficult times. With clear objectivity they are able to plan out scenarios, contact creditors on your behalf and negotiate a workable plan to get your finances back in order. So fix yourself a cuppa and make the call.
