5 Steps to Overcome the Emotional Effects of Financial Crisis

“The sand that irritates the oyster often becomes a pearl.”

Guest blog post from the ‘The Thrillionaire’ – Wealth Strategist,
Astronaut and Best-Selling author Nik Halik, following the
events of the March 2013 banking crisis in Cyprus.

I understand the current economic circumstances
circumstances in Cyprus has been a great burden on most people.

I have always said…

Your Government will always let you down.
Your countries economy will let you down.

This is why I espouse being a Recession – Proof
individual and Developing your Own Economy.

There are a lot of people out there reeling from the last
few weeks of economic meltdown and you might be one of them.

If you’re one of the people who is still affected by unemployment,
debt, loss of retirement savings, or any of the other ripples of an
unstable economy, let me ask you something:

Did you know you are probably grieving?

You may not have thought about your feelings that
way, but have you experienced any of these:

Sadness
Anger
Guilt/self-reproach
Anxiety
Loneliness
Shock
Yearning

How about any of these thinking patterns:

Disbelief
Confusion
Preoccupation or rumination

Or these behaviors:

Sleep and/or appetite disturbances
Absentmindedness
Social withdrawal
Crying
Restlessness

Welcome to the world of grief.

Our society tends to think that grief is something we
experience only after the death of a loved one.

But in reality, we can experience grief after any kind of loss.

And that includes a financial loss.

Why don’t we recognize our feelings about
our economic situation as grief?

Well, it can be complicated.

Not only do we have the material loss, we also
might be prey to one or more of these complications:

Embarrassment:

What’s the first thing you are asked when you meet
someone new? “What do you do?” We tend to identify
with the work that we do, so if you’ve lost your job, you
may be unsure as to who you really are right now.

Feeling betrayed:

If you experienced financial chaos due to your Governments’
poor economic management or just poor advice.
You may be feeling very betrayed at this point.

5 Steps to Bouncing back from Financial Grief:

So, how do we deal with this grief we have over economic losses?

Here are 5 ideas that, while they won’t bring back what
you may have lost, may help you bounce back from the
emotional hit you’ve taken.

1.Acceptance.

It’s time to recognize your feelings as grief.
Naming your emotion accurately helps you come
to terms with it and learn ways to heal.

Another key component of acceptance is nonresistance.
DO NOT fight your feelings. Just allow yourself to
acknowledge them and honor them, and continue to go
about your life even while you’re grieving.

2. Gain perspective.

When under stress from financial problems, it can seem
like the worst thing that has ever happened to you.
And it might be. However, take a moment to think back
to other “worst things” that have happened in your life.
Even though it may have not been pretty, you’re still here to
talk about them, right? Remember that you’ve made it
through difficult times before.

3. Use your tribe.

Even though a financial loss can be embarrassing
or just plain uncomfortable to talk about, this is not the
time to go it alone. Pick at least one or two trusted friends
or family members to talk to.

4. Create some positive emotions.

This comes straight from research: Experiencing positive emotions
not only helps you feel better, but it creates more physical and
emotional space in your body so that you can more easily
problem-solve and create solutions to problems.
We think that it’s not appropriate to smile and laugh when
we “should” be grieving.

It’s not only okay for you to find some things to lighten
your mood for awhile, it’s necessary. Again, it will help
you in the creativity department and that’s often what’s
called for when economic disaster strikes.

So, see a funny movie, laugh with friends, and just take
a break from your grief for awhile.

5. Find the gifts.

“The sand that irritates the oyster often becomes a pearl.”

Take a step back from your grief and define the positive in your situation.
Are there opportunities that have opened up for you because you lost your job?
Are you finding out how compassionate and supportive your friends are?
Have your kids learned how to budget and make do with less?
Have you learned that you are stronger, more resilient, and more creative than you ever knew?

The gifts are out there. You just need to find them

DARE TO DREAM, LIVE WITH PASSION

Nik Halik