The month of May is Mental Health Awareness month. This awareness celebration may not be as more pronounced pre-pandemic era, but now that we are still in the middle of a pandemic, and are slowly accepting this new normal. Taking care of our mental health is more of a priority now compared to before.
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Problems revolve in these three aspects of life: Physical (like health), Emotional (like love), and Spiritual (Faith). Remember that these three are interconnected, meaning, when you have an issue with one of them, it can affect the other two.
This is why the universal advice for a happy life is to have a harmonious balance of the three aspects.
Financial Difficulties
In an ideal world, money problems should not be our main concern. But the reality is different, either you have too much money or lack it, it will still cause you stress.
According to the American Psychological Association, approximately 64% of Americans report feeling stressed about money - APA’s 2020 Stress in America survey. This may not be a good basis for the Philippine sentiment, but there is a high probability that the results will be similar.
Financial Problems… Solutions?
The majority will say to you to have another source of income aside from your day job, have some Emergency Fund and Investments. This is not wrong advice but this is more suited to individuals who had a headstart in their financial journey.
Individuals who were caught off-guard in the pandemic and were not that lucky to keep their day job will have a different level of financial difficulties compared to the lucky ones. And the above solutions may not be applicable.
Is there a way to reduce some of the financial stress?
Necessity is the mother of invention, when the pandemic hit, many turn to offline or online selling as their main income source. This is also the quickest way to raise money to address financial needs.
The art of selling is an indispensable skill to have, and it is not even that difficult to learn because we already have a latent ability for it. Remember how you convinced a friend of something? That is in a way a form of selling. When you were accepted for the job? You convinced the hiring manager that your skills and attitude are sellable.
What Products are sellable?
This depends on the current assets that you have at hand. When confronted with a financial need, you can practically sell anything of value.
For a quick start, you can do this:
- Pretty sure there are sellable items within your household. Set aside, for now, sentimental values. The priority here is to survive.
- Look within yourself, you have 1, 2, or even 3 skills that are sellable. Make use of it.
- Your relatives, neighbors, and friends will have some items that they want to sell. Do it for them in exchange for some compensation.
Once you have a head start, it is time to focus on a more specific product line that is based on your passion and skills. This is to ensure that you will remain motivated because this is a long-term endeavor.
Takeaway
Each one of us will have different circumstances, different problems, and different direct/indirect solutions. You might be facing a problem that seems unsolvable, don't be swallowed by this tunnel vision. Step back, set aside your pride, talk to your loved ones and the ONE upstairs.
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