FESTIVE FEVER WITH MENTAL HEALTH CAUTION

THERE is an argument to be had that the time of year we are approaching (or probably already in), even though filled with festivities and celebration, remains a patch of quicksand that many fall into and struggle to get out of.

As you may have already picked up a hint (or two), by ‘time of year’, the reference is being made to the very eventful festive period; that specific part of the calendar that we all plan for, get excited about and look forward to as soon as it disappears behind the shadow of January. There seems to be an almost universally widespread perception that reaching the final weeks of a year deserves to be acknowledged in a celebratory and sometimes extravagant fashion, which explains most (if not all) of what we witness in our communities and in the country generally.

In all honesty, there is nothing wrong with holding and living out this perception; however, without dousing the conversation with pessimism, I happen to be of the opinion that sometimes we do tend to get carried away with this notion and end up in a less compelling state than we initially were in to begin with. Financially, the expenditures are normally quite high, and with the exception of a few, some people end up digging into their pockets more times than they normally would, all while consumed by all that festive fever.

Foresight

This is not to suggest they cannot afford to spend as they do; however, it is the lack of foresight that ends up dragging many of our providers and breadwinners to the loan sharks’ offices, come the second week of the first month of the year. As the precursor to the chaotic scenes that come with January, the festive time almost blinds many people from recognising this fact, thus handicapping them in many ways come a few weeks’ time. From a mental health perspective, our concerns lie heavily on the impacts that the exertions of a mismanaged, improperly planned festive season can have, leaving the individual in a pool of debt which, in turn, drags them nearer to never-before-reached levels of stress and on the brink of a mental meltdown.

This is by no means an attempt to dampen the bright, cheery festive spirit; however, it is even more unfortunate to over-celebrate with oblivion to the fact that everyday duties and responsibilities continue to lie ahead, especially after December and beyond. We are under no illusion that financial challenges continue to constitute a significant amount of the mental health issues that many of our citizens are afflicted by, and for a specific case, these times (in particular) have a direct impact on the masses’ pockets.

It is all fine and well to celebrate making it through a tough year with tough individual experiences for everyone; however, it is of very little relevance if, in the end, it leaves you depressed, disorganised and without any way of solving what may come ahead of you. A key component to maintaining your sanity through and after this period is exercising moderation in almost all you do.

Whether that is in the number of drinks you opt to take or the amount of money you decide to spend on those drinks, whether it is who you socialise with or how long you spend with a particular group of people, it all requires that you exercise financial, social and psycho-emotional cautious moderation for your own long term benefit. The aim is not to get too embroiled in the histrionics of all that is going on but rather to acknowledge the festivities with the knowledge that there are more compelling times ahead. Send comments to runsford0505@gmail.com.

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