WELL, you, but it wouldn’t have rhymed as well.
While my focus in my column thus far has mainly been on the neurodivergent, I thought it was time to focus on something that we all can relate to. Spicy or not, almost every person on the planet is struggling with the same anxiety over finances. ALMOST everyone, some don’t feel the pinch at all. To them, I say: well done, and may we have some too, please?
Even before Covid ploughed into our lives, people were feeling the effects of, what feels like, the longest economic crisis in history! While we’re not quite headed to the town square to collect our rations of bread and sugar, we must admit that most of us have had to cut out the luxuries, stick to the staples and try our utmost to keep the lights on when Eskom affords us the luxury of being able to use them.
The truth is that there are very few homes that aren’t struggling to stretch their income from one payday to the next. And, while we joke about it, complain about how much a loaf of bread is or that we’ve had to cut so much out of our spending, there are so many people faced with the fear that they won’t have anything to eat or that their debt has actually become out of their control.
Anxiety can present in a variety of ways, however, one of the most common presentations is the overwhelming feeling of worry. This feeling can consume every moment of your day, from your thoughts to your sleeping patterns and even your ability to enjoy life. The danger with anxiety is that, left to its own devices, it can lead to destructive thoughts and actions.
I cannot offer you some miracle formula to make more money (no one can, so please don’t believe the promises of “side hustles that can make you R5000 a day). I can, however, offer you one bit of advice:
Talk about it.
Not with every person you meet (although tempting, the cashier does not need to know that your debt has far exceeded your monthly budget)-with someone you can trust. This can be a financial advisor, family member, councillor, or psychologist, just say it out loud and get someone else’s feedback.
Financial stress can lead you down a destructive path. This can be sleepless nights, eating too much or too little, becoming more isolated and even suicidal. Sharing your experience with someone else could be that lifeline that you need. It helps you verbally release your inner thoughts and, possibly, even allows a different approach or support from whoever you are sharing with.
While we all know that money isn’t everything, we kind of need it to survive day-to-day. But, before you take yourself down a self-deprecating road, just remember that you are not alone in this stressful journey and that there are people out there who want to offer you support…if it’s in the form of a few orange notes, that’s a bonus!
Your value is not determined by how far you can stretch your Rand.
Until next time, keep it spicy and be kind.
Don’t wait until it’s too late if you need support keep the following numbers at hand:
Suicide Crisis Line: 0800 567 567
CIPLA Mental Health Helpline: call 0800 456 789 or WhatsApp 076 882 2775
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