When the Cost of Living Feels Heavy: How Do We Keep Going?

Lately, it feels like everything costs more, money, energy, patience, hope. The cost of living crisis isn’t just about bills and budgets; it’s about the quiet weight many of us are carrying every day. The constant mental calculations. The worry that never fully switches off. The feeling of running just to stand still.

If you’re finding it hard to keep going, you’re not alone and there’s nothing wrong with you.

It’s Okay to Admit This Is Hard

There’s a lot of pressure to “manage better” or “stay positive,” but the truth is that these are genuinely difficult times. Feeling tired, anxious, or discouraged doesn’t mean you’re failing. It means you’re responding normally to prolonged stress.

Sometimes, simply acknowledging this is hard can be a relief in itself.

Take Things One Step at a Time

When the bigger picture feels overwhelming, it helps to zoom in.
Today doesn’t need a long term plan.
This week doesn’t need all the answers.

Focus on the next small, doable step, one bill, one task, one decision. Progress doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful.

You’re Allowed Rest and Small Comforts

When money is tight, rest and joy can start to feel undeserved but they aren’t luxuries. They’re essential. A quiet moment, a walk, a warm drink, a favourite song, these small pauses help steady us and make the days more bearable.

Survival isn’t just about getting through; it’s about finding tiny ways to soften the edges.

Talk About It When You Can

Money worries often come with shame, and shame grows in silence. If it feels safe, talk to someone you trust. You don’t need to have solutions or a plan, sometimes being heard is enough to lighten the load.

And if support is available, you’re allowed to accept it. Needing help during a crisis is not a personal failing.

This Moment Is Not a Measure of Your Worth

Struggling right now doesn’t erase your effort, your resilience, or your value. Circumstances change, even when it doesn’t feel like they will. This is a chapter, not the whole story.

For now, if keeping going means getting through the day as gently as you can, that is more than enough.