How to Deal with a Forced Cost of Living Crisis 

Community

The situation -

Many experts according to Community Care, are giving a clear warning that the cost-of-living crisis is deepening societal inequalities. Hitting the poorest and most vulnerable the worst. This in turn fuels already existing issues such as poverty, debt, mental ill-health, and domestic conflict.

Social workers are reporting they are receiving phone calls from people with no money for food, who need food banks. Calls from people who are being evicted because they cannot afford their rent. People unable to buy medication required. Others not visiting family because they cannot afford transport or fuel for their car. People unable to socialise due to costs so they are becoming isolated as a result.

People are just not getting the help or support they need. Those who work directly in local communities are reporting a large increase in the number of families receiving support under the children’s social care legislation, such as section 17 of the Childrens Act. A further 37% said they had seen an increase in families receiving financial support. Also, an increase in referrals such as mental ill-health, stress, domestic abuse, and child abuse, coming in due to financial pressures.

Other practitioners have noted seeing a huge rise in mental health issues both in parents and children as stress levels soar. Schools have noticed children are struggling to concentrate on learning. They are also seeing more children self-harming, early signs of eating disorders as well as children having suicidal thoughts. All of these impacts were being seen in older primary school-aged children, as well as secondary school age.

According to research done covering racially diverse backgrounds in the UK, over a third of this community can no longer afford to pay their bills. As well as their rent, or mortgage each month. This is compared to a quarter of people from white backgrounds. The same percentage of ethnic minority professionals are looking to downsize, or plan on moving back in with their families. About a third are predicted to create extra debt, by taking loans or spending on credit cards. And another third are borrowing money from someone they know.

“BAME Communities seem to suffer higher levels of unemployment than the white population” says Dr Jane Lewis, senior lecturer in sociology and social policy at London Metropolitan University. Dr Jane Lewis has been looking into the *BAME employment gap in parts of north London.

They conclude “A disproportionate number of the BAME population are faced with a wide range of barriers which compounds their access to jobs and to more highly paid and skilled jobs in particular, including low-level education qualifications.”

*BAME ~ black, Asian, and minority ethnic

Another section of society that is being hit the hardest is the older people.

Pensioners who are on a fixed income will tend to spend more on energy bills than other households. The Pension Policy Institute reports that the cost of living is increasing more quickly for pensioners than their income. This hugely impacts this group. This group also are more prone to becoming isolated and left lonely. We are asking the most vulnerable to achieve the impossible if they are expected to meet the expenses and price increases put on them with their low incomes. The impact is already seeing older people become more and more reliant on local emergency services. They also rely on help from services such as food banks.

Helpful ideas/suggestions -

Do not be afraid to reach out and ask for help

Build friendships and connections locally

Find ways to bring people together

Work together as a community

Knock on doors, look out for the elderly and vulnerable

Start community gardens to grow and share fresh produce for the local community

Support local businesses

Energetics -

A community is a little ecosystem of its very own. When healthy it thrives and supports life. The high vibrational energy flow within the ecosystem, or community, maintains an abundant flow of healthy life force energy, that supports all within it. When not healthy it is unsupportive, disjointed, and toxic.

We seem to have stopped as a humanity in seeing the Divine in all things, as we once did. We mainly see the worst in another before the best. Those who are kind are thought of as stupid, gullible, and naive. We fear what we do not understand, or what is unfamiliar.

Our communities have broken down, due to the focus being on the fast-paced lifestyle of modern times. One that promotes working long hours, being constantly busy, and ego self-centred.

Little is done to get to know neighbours these days, good communication and understanding has been replaced with gossip and assumptions.

A functioning healthy community is one of understanding, overstanding and innerstanding. Knowing it is normal to have conflict and misunderstandings at the beginning. Each person must completely take responsibility, and be willing to work things out. Both personally, and within the community.

When we heal a community and the home, we have to be ok in the knowing healing and spiritual work is in no way about having a happy home. Buddha taught that the greatly enlightened beings were so, due to being aware of their own delusions.

Healing and spiritual work is about uncovering the hidden, being willing to see, accepting what is, and working through our own imperfections.

Pointing out the imperfections in our neighbours will not heal ourselves, it simply distracts us from what needs to be addressed within our own lives.

Healing -

Community is so important, and in fact vital to our growth as a humanity, and also individually too.

When we can be ok with being imperfect and flawed yet completely worthy of love and acceptance, we are more willing to accept that in others too.

We probably are going to get on someone’s nerves from time to time, and vice versa. Yet within a community we probably will learn where we need to grow, and how to work harmoniously with others who share a collective goal or vision.

The collective goal and vision must be to heal a broken society, one community at a time. First it starts with our willingness to look at ourselves, then to collaborate with others. Our values must align in order for this to happen.

These days people are not being allowed to choose which community is best for them to live in. Financial circumstances are forcing people together. Values are not aligned. Conflicts are not getting resolved. Time to talk and get to know each other is often not even an option.

For those who are lucky enough to have met their tribe and set up conscious communities, it is for them to lead by example and show the rest what is possible.

For the forced blended communities, it is for them to show that humanity from all walks of life can harmoniously live together. This will be the blueprint for Worldwide Peace on Earth.

Interfaith communities can be respectful of each other's beliefs and practices. They can show that not one way alone is the answer, but many different ways can each bring something worthwhile to the table, when embraced and done well.

Sometimes tensions happen amongst communities due to unfair treatment.

I personally am all for diversity and multicultural communities.

I love to meet people from different backgrounds and cultures.

Yet when those who were born in a country seem to be treated not as well as those who have just entered the country, it is easy to see why conflict can happen.

Also, people forcing their ideals and beliefs on others never ends well either.

We all need to be willing to learn from each other, To be more compassionate. To be less quick to judge. To support those who need our support.

Self-enquiry -

Have I been over judgemental of my neighbours?

Have I jumped to conclusions about my neighbours without any facts to back up my assumptions?

How can I get to know my neighbours better?

Do my neighbours/ community share the same values as me?

How can I contribute more to my community?

Affirmations –

The love, respect, and energy I share with my community is a reflection of the love, respect, and energy I share with myself

I am open to grow through the relationships I form within my community

I am open to learn through diversity