Dealing With Personal Recession In Nigeria

Of a truth times are difficult economically. The gist is everywhere, the evidence is everywhere. The economic recession is no longer news. Everybody knows we're officially in a recession.

In the city, in the fields, rural and urban areas, male female, young and old everybody is talking about the recession. Many are complaining and lamenting and sharing their strong opinions about what really is the cause, who is really responsible and who can and should fix the problem.

Devastating is the effect of the recession that we're daily experiencing back to back news of untold hardship, hunger, job cuts, several months of unpaid salaries and even suicide attempts. Many people have taken their own lives simply because they couldn't stand the pressure of enduring these hard times.

Truth be told, yes there is a recession, there's economic hardship but I assure you the impact and intensity varies from person to person. The true impact of this economic crisis varies from person to person, from location to location and from business to business.

The uniqueness of our individual lives, businesses, vocation and responsibilities would naturally influence how these hard times would affect us.

Dear friend, you see, your mind is a very complex and tricky system, how you program your mind can actually enrich or diminish your emotional and psychological wellbeing even in this season.

If you open up your mind to the collective and general impact of the recession on the whole country and everybody, you'll surely be overwhelmed.

When you consider the value of the naira against other key currencies, inflation rate, rising cost of essential commodities, rising cost of doing business, slow offtake of products, frequent and wide spread job cuts, businesses shutting down and lethargic state of economic activities and so many implications of the situation, it will surely get to you. It may in fact, scare you.

Hearing all these gist and scary news and negative reports about the economy and some very pessimistic comments from critics and biased analyst will really stretch your faith and even terminate your hope.

But come on, let's visualise from the microcosm, on an individual basis, how intense is the effect of this recession on you as a person. Yes, it's affecting everybody hence we see a large scale challenge, but how badly is it affecting you as a person?

I know some people who based on their lifestyle and social economic status have no direct business with foreign exchange as it were, but when you hear them lament and complain about the exchange rate, you'll think they're into import business or forex trade. Yes, the exchange rate is affecting everybody, but at varied intensity.

Epileptic and even very poor supply of power is not a fresh development in Nigeria, for decades we've been yearning for major improvement in the power sector, however, when you hear some people complain and lament about this electricity issue, you'll think it's a brand new crisis and they're in the manufacturing business and they need to power their factories to remain in business.

Even people that hardly travel anywhere who are not frequent road users, lament and complain so much about the state of our roads, you'll think they're in the core of haulage or transportation business.

Dear friend, there is a difference between discomfort and real crisis. To many of us, this recession is basically a matter of discomfort, not a matter of serious crisis.

Epileptic power supply to a manufacturer for example is a crisis issue, but to a civil servant, it's just discomfort.

Bad roads to a frequent traveller, a transporter or haulage company is a major crisis, but to a non-traveller, it's just mild discomfort in cost of transported goods.

Ladies and gentlemen, in sincerity look within your home, besides the increased cost of goods and services, how badly has this recession impacted you? Is it a case of discomfort or real crisis?

I know there are some people who really are affected as they've lost their jobs and some have major business crisis. But is your complaint and lamentation based on your discomfort that would just require a bit of lifestyle adjustment or a really bad crisis?

Are you so bitter and angry and running up your blood pressure because you can't afford another hair extension, another expensive shoe or bag, a fresh set of jewellery, a brand new phone, clubbing every weekend, the usual round of drinks, and the frequent night out  with the guys?

Are you upset because you can't afford to leave your gen set running for so long like you used to, or the option of boarding public transport instead of driving your car everywhere, or is it inability to pay premium for your satellite TV subscription any longer that is upsetting you? Dear friend, is this recession a case of discomfort, or real crisis for you?

Ladies and gentlemen, for the sake of your health, peace and longevity and happiness, I think it's time you critically analyse the personal effect of this tough season on you. How badly is it affecting you as an individual? You may just realise you've just been fretting and anxious based on an exaggerated perspective of real personal impact. You've just been a victim of too much unnecessary negative information, analysis paralysis and fear of the unknown.

I'm not in any way down playing the impact of this recession generally, but truth is you can't consistently keep consuming and gulping down negative and discouraging information about the economy and recession and produce anything positive in your life in this season.

Your attitude and enthusiasm will naturally align with your dominant thoughts. As you think, so are you. Inspiration comes from inspiring information. New ideas come from exciting information. The kind of information you obtain and retain will determine your attitude and the kind of results you produce in this season.

When you're drawn to and fascinated by all the wrongs and errors of this government regarding the economy, and you ingest it, digest it, retain it, recite it, rehearse it and recount it at every opportunity, the creativity and productivity centres in your mind will shut down.

Don't be deceived by the over dramatization or sensationalising of  the recession reports, in case you don't know, Lagos to New York and Lagos to London flights are still fully booked every day despite the exchange rates.

The recession may be affecting everybody but the intensity varies and believe me, more people than you think are finding legitimate ways around it fast and even waxing stronger.

If you assume we're all suffering together and you refuse to do anything about your own personal recession, you'll be in sudden trouble if by next two quarters the country is out of recession and you're still stuck in yours.

Instead of investing your precious time in complaining and criticising, and cursing and condemning especially within group of friends and on social media, why not apply a good portion of that time thinking personal solution to the negative effects of the recession on you. Waiting for the government to bring you out of your personal recession without your lifting a finger is highly delusional.  Think and consider using your time well, abi na who complain epp?

Dear friends, find following steps to take to find a way out of your personal recession.

1. Define your personal problem. How does this recession affect you personally? In what areas are you intensely affected. If you don't define in specifics how you're affected, ideas on solution may not flow. Define your personal recession problem.

2. Start thinking up various options of solution. What progressive options do you have? Never think of quitting, think up ways of progressing, even if you fall, which I doubt very much, endeavour to fall forward. Never retreat or surrender. Think up various options and solutions to your recession challenge.

3. Look for helpers. Seeking help is not always about someone lending you money, giving you money or giving you a job. Some people have information, some have access; some have connections that you may need. Don't be shy, arrogant or too laid back to go for them, Look for helpers.

4. Lastly, do something more. Your previous routine cannot carry you through this season. For the religious ones, I think you've prayed hard and long enough it's time to act in faith. Put your prayers in work clothes and do something. Work and pray is a good formula for faith. I think it's time you spend more time at the place of work and learning than ever before. Do something creative, productive and rewarding. Prayer is not an end in itself it's a means to an end. Let your powerful prayers find something to act on. What do you have in your hands? Dear friend, do something extra, new and different.

Crying, cursing, criticising, condemning and judging won't help you if you're doing nothing. If you've lost your job, stop mourning, find another even if it doesn't pay as much as the previous one or you can even start a business. If you're owed several month's salary by the government, after carrying placards and protesting, with the energy that is left, go look for employment in a private establishment so that hunger will not finish you and your household.

Ladies and gentlemen, committing suicide is definitely not a wise option. This tough times will surely pass away someday, so why end it with now. Dear friends, deal with your personal recession.

Ladies and gentlemen, things are indeed difficult right now and the cost of goods and services have skyrocketed. A superior option to cutting your expenses is actually growing your income and revenue to match this growing costs. It's the best way to sustain your living standards. A good idea is to find out how to do this in this season.           -(Credit: Muyiwa Afolabi)