You're Not Bad With Your Money. The World Is on Fire and Life Isn't Affordable.

Hey, you.  You’re doing amazing right now. I know it feels like you’re not, but it’s not you, it’s literally the world around you.

A week ago I tweeted the following tweet, and for my very small Twitter account, it performed exceedingly well which told me that what I was feeling, shame and embarrassment at not being able to afford to practically live, wasn’t an individualized feeling. In fact, 550 direct people related to how I felt.

You're not bad with your money. The world is on fire and life isn't affordable.

Cut yourself some slack. You're doing a good job in the hellscape we live in.

— Brittany Johnson (@heybrittanyj) June 2, 2022

We are living in a time where it feels like quite literally everything is on fire, especially if you live in the states. There’s currently a push back on reproductive rights, anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation advancing in our government, shortages of baby formula, “inflation” where rent and gas prices have nearly doubled and tripled, and that’s the short list of all the things wrong with the world right now.

What was affordable in 2020 or even 2021 isn’t now, and while the cost of living has skyrocketed, the wages and salaries being paid have not. Your bank account right now does not reference your personal worth. It references how messy, gross, and disgusting the world is right now.

It’s easy, especially when you live with mental health conditions, to let this dominate your mindset. All of a sudden all of those unkind words people said about you (and your condition) feel true.

“Am I left overdrawn because I’m impulsive?  Manic? Is that the reason? Maybe they were right about me…” 

We want to find a reason for why this is happening to our bank accounts, because sadly all that negative number does is reinforce harsh and mean stereotypes and things people have said about us in the past. However, as I said, this isn’t you. It’s the world. 

Your anxiety about your bank account is valid. Your frustration at what’s happening all around us is more than warranted, but don’t look in the mirror and blame yourself – not when we’re in the middle of economic crisis after crisis.

You’re doing a good job responding to a chaotic and unstable economic landscape. You’re surviving against all financial odds, which isn’t an easy thing to do. Be nice to yourself. You’re doing great, sweetie. If you can, still use the extra little change to treat yourself when you can. Get the double versus the single, go buy a little face mask, just do what you can to still treat yourself with the basic human care that you deserve. 

We’ll get through this together, but in the meantime, be as good to you as possible. I’m proud of you. You’re not alone.