How To Cope With Inflation

Source: Pexel

Inflation has affected all of us in one way or another and it can leave one feeling like they have been pushed into a mirky swamp of fear, not knowing what is lurking or how they are going to make it out. It is scary, but it does not mean that it is impossible to make it through. I am by no mean a psychologist—yet—but I will share with you some tips to help you make it through inflation if you are feeling overwhelmed, scared, and if you are feeling like you do not know how you are going to make it.

I. Accept Inflation is Happening

Acceptance is like climbing a steep hill when you are trying to reach the top of a mountain; however, in order to get to the peak, the climb must be addressed. Acceptance is the first step—as cliche as it sounds—to elevating yourself up mt. inflation. What does it mean to accept inflation? It means being in the present and existing with the fact that inflation is real, it is happening, and you are living in it - everyone is. Accepting increasing cost-of-living, skyrocketing gas prices, and the possibility there may be times where only one dollar is left in your bank account will help with the other difficult part involved in accepting inflation: the uncomfortable feeling of sacrifice. Each of us is in a different circumstance but, it is possible that subscriptions will need to be terminated, the grocery list may have to be shortened to the necessities, your gym might need to be in your living room and a night out might have to be a night in. Once you have accepted that sacrifices are necessary, take a deep breath and remind yourself of one of the hardest things you have ever done, or a situation where you felt like you were so deep in water that the only part of you still touching air was your nose. Once you have remembered it, write it down to remind yourself that you got through one of the most difficult situations so far in your life and you will survive this one.

II. Switch Your View of Inflation

There is an old saying that states: "happiness is a choice." This quote highlights the fact that we are in full control of our lives which consist of many choices. We have the choice of viewing inflation as negative or positive. It can be agreed that inflation is stressful, anxiety-enflaming, causes financial burden and is dreadful. We can take what we know about inflation and choose to view it for what it is, or choose to focus on the positive side of it. Ask yourself: what is the silver lining in inflation? Examples are that inflation forces one to learn value in possessions that one has; Namely, something we take for granted, like running water. Adjusting in inflation also teaches lessons such as budgeting, discipline, goal setting, and the most helpful ability - positivity. If you have been a person who has wanted to make a change in a habit that you dislike, then view inflation as an opportunity for you to focus on improving yourself and changing that bad habit you have been longing to change. Viewing inflation positively clarifies the opportunities available to you and helps keep the focus on improving yourself. Switching your view on inflation also helps keep the mind off of the negativity and hardship inflation imposes on life, but it also prepares you for after inflation passes. An exercise you can try is, write down the sacrifices that need to be taken (as mentioned above) and below them write down what you are learning from this sacrifice and how it will make you a better person in the future. Remember: inflation is happening for you, not to you.

III. Set Goals

Setting goals is an important part to making it during inflation. It is easy for us to point out failures during a time of financial distress that it can bruise our self-confidence and feed self-doubt into our minds. That is why goal setting is key to helping in preventing irrational negative thoughts towards ourselves. Your goal must be realistic, measurable, and something that is important to you. Ask yourself why you are setting this goal. List out all of the reasons why you are adjusting your life to achieve the goal you set out for yourself. Give yourself a timeline you want to achieve your goal and set small milestones along the way. When you reach your milestones, reward yourself for the hard work you put into yourself, especially after all the sacrifices you have made so far because of inflation. The outcome is the proof that you are capable of not only doing hard things but making it through hard things.

IV. Stay Positive 

Aforementioned, it can be difficult to stay positive during inflation. One way to help you stay positive during inflation is by maintaining awareness of negative thoughts. As soon as a negative thought manifests, recognize the thought and combat it with something positive. It can be as simple as complimenting your hair color when you notice yourself beginning to criticize the look of your hair style on a particular day. A second way to stay positive is to remind yourself of the positivity in the world. The next time you are at the gas station adding gas to your car, and your bank account has only twenty dollars ( and that is the only money you have for gas), find something in your surroundings to say one positive thing about. As ridiculous as it will sound complimenting the color of a rock, it raises awareness that not everything is bad. A third way to stay positive during inflation is to be grateful. Gratitude spotlights the positivity in your life. If you must cancel your gym membership and are working out at home, before you start your workout tell yourself how grateful you are to be able to move your body even if home is not the ideal place where you want to be working out at.

V. Reflect Each Day

Reflecting on the day, week, or even the month helps you be present during inflation. Reflection can be recorded in a journal, on your phone or even on a sticky note. In fact, try the sticky note method: write your reflections down and keep them in your pocket as a daily reminder. Make reflection a daily routine, whether it be in the morning before you begin the day, or at night when you are winding down and preparing for slumber. During your reflecting time, think about what you have rather than what you do not have. Reflect on what you are grateful for, think about what you want to accomplish, and most importantly check in with yourself during reflection. Inflation is draining, literally. Ask yourself how you are feeling and write it down. Are you feeling sad? If so, why? Or are you feeling particularly happy, and if so, why? Reflecting on your emotions is one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself because not only are you being more emotionally aware, but you are making a statement that says you are important.

VI. Summary

Inflation, in one way or another, has impacted us in many ways: instilling fear, worrisome, sadness and even anger in us. However, despite this financial burden there are ways to "survive" inflation. Accept that inflation is real and you are in the middle of it, change the way you view your situation during inflation, set realistic and measurable goals to improve yourself, find positivity and stay positive, and take time to reflect.

- Tylor J. Martinez