The world seems to have gone off its axis again as everyone is talking about the energy crisis and the rising inflation and the cost of living. There are doomy headlines about the hard winter to come, as prices rocket upwards and nobody seems to have any answers. Context is everything: human beings live in societies, and what is going on across the wide world and in local communities affects everyone. This is going to be a difficult and alarming time for a lot of people, from individuals to small businesses to the old and frail. And it’s very easy to feel demoralised and impotent as the news blares and social media weighs in and a sense of gloom spreads.
At HorseBack, we’ve been thinking, as always, about what we can do, rather than what we can’t. This is one of our founding principles, and it is how we work with veterans with life-changing injuries. From the very beginning, we didn’t look at people coming back from Afghan with a leg missing and think of all the things they could no longer do. We thought: how can we get them on a horse and up into the hills? And that is exactly what we did. That was the beginning of it all.
So, we are starting to put together a survival plan. Some of these suggestions will work for you and some won’t, so take the ideas that resonate and leave the rest. But we have found, through working with both horses and humans, that preparation is everything.’The first thing is to get together a support crew. Everyone needs a crew. It might be a WhatsApp group, or getting back in touch with friends and family you haven’t spoken to for a bit, or making sure you schedule in a walk and talk with one of your most faithful compadres. We find that everyone is so busy at the moment, so it’s easy not to see people. There’s never enough time, and suddenly a month goes by and you haven’t clapped eyes on your neighbour or your old mucker. Scheduling in conscious get-togethers is a real balm for the soul. Everyone is going to need help and comfort in this time, so make sure your team is in place.
Another very practical thing is to make a list of all the resources out there. There are helplines if your mental health is wobbling; there are brilliant websites about dealing with money and how to save and how to cook cheap recipes. This is where the internet really comes into its own, so use its power for good rather than evil.
And talking of the internet, this one might sound a little bit superficial, but we find it really helps. If you are active on social media, make sure you unfollow any accounts which are obsessed with bad news, or conspiracy theories, or just general crossness and shouting. Follow the hopeful people and pages. One of our team spends a lot of her time gazing at pictures of sheep, because she follows a shepherdess in Northumberland, and it cheers her up no end. Find the people who are doing good things, or who make you laugh, or who share useful information.
The other thing we do on social media is very carefully make sure that all our posts are positive. We don’t get into political arguments or use Twitter to vent our spleen or go on online rants. It’s so tempting to do this, because there is a lot of frustration in the air when difficult world events come at you like a tidal wave. And it might relieve tension in the short term. But it is not helpful for your equilibrium or your state of mind. We find that posting things that might make people smile is much better for our emotional wellbeing. It’s an easy habit to get into and it pays big dividends.
Another excellent method of getting through a crisis is seeing who you can help. Sadly, nobody has a magic wand which can change or save the world. But you can see if there is someone in your community who might like some company or help running errands or someone to talk to. At HorseBack, we always think that if everyone reached out to one person, that would lift the universal spirit. There are a ton of studies which show that helping others is a sure route to happiness and contentment. It really is true that by giving, you receive.
And speaking of help, don’t forget to ask for it for yourself. There is still an underlying stigma about asking for help. A lot of people, especially those who have been in the services, fear that this is a sign of weakness. In fact, it is a strength. It is an act of courage to admit to vulnerability, to feeling overwhelmed, to needing a shoulder to cry on or a hand to lift you up. And then, when you are back on an even keel, you can do the same for someone in your turn. That, too, is part of the HorseBack founding ethos. Veterans helping veterans is at the core of what we do.
We hope this is useful. We don’t downplay what is going on. The pandemic just seemed to be calming down, and then there is this cost of living crisis. People are already tired, in their bones, and have had to dig deep. Now they have to dig again, and we know that some people feel they don’t have much left.
We are big believers in facing the reality of a situation. If you need to have a wail or a cry or even a burst of anger, step into that and let it all out. Write it down, if that helps you. Get the pain onto the page. But don’t forget to find something to be grateful for in every day. If you can hunt down five minutes of joy on each day of the week – with a loved one, with an animal, in a beautiful landscape – that will keep your ship afloat. And remember that there are lots of organisations like ours out there, working to look after those in need. The charities, the volunteers, the people who are doing their bit – they are all a source of hope and consolation. It may sound a little trite, but we do believe that everyone can get through this next part if all of us stick together.
