Financial Stress - How It Affects Your Health

Did you know that money is one of the leading causative factors of stress in Uganda today? Yes, opinion polls show that roughly 7 in every 10 Ugandans are “very stressed” about their finances and unfortunately enough, the proportion of people stressed about money is going up by the day. Money concerns can present several challenges to our health like depression (a medical condition where a person feels very sad and anxious) and sleep problems. It is rather absurd that with the rising costs of necessities like sugar, housing costs/rent, fuel, transport, medical charges, and others that we are aware of, many Ugandans are seriously feeling the biting teeth of financial stress. Have you ever met some speaking to him or herself on their way home? That is what I mean by stress. Briefly, anxiety over money can negatively affect health in the following ways:

• Unhealthy Coping Behaviors: People experiencing financial stress can be more likely to numb their anxiety by drinking, smoking, overeating and practicing other unhealthy coping behaviors. This in turn leads to more stress.
• Less Money For Self-Care: With less money in the budget, people who are already under financial stress tend to cut corners in areas like health care to pay for basic necessities like food. Small problems can go unchecked and turn into larger problems. This also leads to more stress.
• Lost Sleep: When under financial stress, people often experience trouble sleeping, which can add up to a sleep deficit, impairing immune functioning and cognitive abilities, causing additional moodiness, and more.
• Unhealthy Emotions: Credit card debt can cause unhealthy emotions that can take a toll on health. People can experience anxiety, frustration and a sense of hopelessness as the debt piles up and increasing amounts of money are needed just to pay the interest. This causes additional stress, which compounds with the stress from poor coping and self-neglect to become an alarming amount of stress.

It’s no wonder financial stress is one of the leading causes of unhealthy families, and poor or envious relationships in our societies. All this has culminated into suicides, murders and low self esteem. On a positive note however, I recommend that if you are experiencing any of the above, visit a counselor for assistance before situations get out of hand.

NDYAGUMA BRIAN

BACHELOR OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND PROJECT PLANNING 3

0782 065 238/0702 065 238

Love and Life

          THE ENTREPRENEURS’ SERIES

Don’t make Your Love life Suck

“She last hugged me two weeks ago”, can you believe that, “I miss her so much but she keeps telling me she is busy”…”Yes I know she is and it keeps my hopes in high gear each day  that she will spare me at least 15 minutes but all in vain.’’  My friend sadly lamented.

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very one of us at some point in our lives would like to have a charming, romantic love life. In that case, we ought to be more caring, tender and passionate to that person who has a very special place in your heart. Every human being is endowed with a variety of abilities to please our hearts and most certainly those of our loved ones. 

However, with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we even forget to say or text the most simple words or phrases like…”Good morning Sweetie…I wish you a lovely day! or…Hi Honey!…enjoy your lunch!” and so forth. As people who have to work harder each day to make our present and future lives more fruitful and comfortable, we should endeavor to spare more time at least 30minutes each day for those that hold queen seats in our hearts.

In an informants’ point of view, creativity in our love lives needs not to be complicated like the days of chemistry and physics rather it can be as crazy as switching off the main power switch of your house with a romantic intention of creating a dark environment enough for you to successfully make a candle dinner. Yes…that crazy! Just like phones with the most and interesting accessories have the most people buying them, so is love with a variety of creative ideas, it will not only always stand the test of time but also give pleasure to the two lover birds. 

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s friend, I urge you not to visit the internet for creative love notes or make an appointment with a ‘Ssenga’ or even dial your pastor because creativity is often interpreted differently and different results are showcased by different people. So be mindful of whoever it is you are going to consult because the creativity ideas should contain and display your character, personality and the way that you normally care and express your feelings of affection to your loved one. It should also be taken in consideration that understanding your partner is very pertinent to making the relationship more passionate and powerful. 

Additionally, you ought to ensure that the ‘attack mode’ ideas you have prepared exceed the expectations of your ‘baby’ lest they are nullified by her zealous prospects.

“Lisa was so impressed with the surprise dinner I made at her place two weeks ago…but from the outlook of events, she will soon expect more of such surprises of which time may not favor me.”  Confused Robert said.

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nce you have decided to step up your love life you need to be ready to stretch your boundaries from the usual chocolate and flower deliveries at your ‘baby’s’ workplace or apartment to personal romantic ideas. It is prudent to think more differently about your gestures because there are no dos and don’ts in romance thus there are no wrong things and right things to do as regards excelling in the course of love. 

Remember that you don’t have spend a lot of money trying to put your ideas in reality because experience has shown some of the cheapest items offered as gifts have provoked the biggest smiles and bright days for some couples.  Take an example of serving her favorite breakfast in bed or doing her part of the housework on the time table or think of writing her a poem or a short story about her love for you and as many and simple ideas as you can think of.

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n my last remarks as a friend to you, always remember that being in love is the most beautiful state of mind ever and the three legendary words, “I love you” are the cheapest and most nutritious apples you’ll ever get to have a healthier love life. Enhance them with direct eye gazes during a conversation, undivided attention to your ‘chick or dude’ when it he/she visits, simple hugs or pecks, or a cup of coffee will do wonders. And for those going through stormy times in their relationships, this is the best time to act out your scene of the movie better than Vin Diesel or Angelina Jolie.

From your favorite writer and series, I wish you all the best and hope to hear that you were re-elected back to your ‘love parliamentary seat’ by your ‘chick or dude’.

Ndyaguma Brian