Thirty-six per cent of Canucks feel more pressured by money-related concerns than they did a year ago, according to the latest Canadian Financial Checkup survey. Women and young Canadians between the ages of 18 and 34 are the most stressed out.
For more than 30
years, North Bay, Ontario, psychotherapist and cartoonist Allan Hirsh has successfully
applied humour in private sessions and group workshops to teach his clients how
to cope with stress. While laughing at your debt won't magically make it
disappear, Hirsh says it can give you a healthier attitude about your money
woes -- and the strength to fix them.
CreditCards.ca: Can humour help all cardholders better manage their spending?
Allan Hirsh: Fortunately, I am good at numbers and I am very well organized, so I don't let my credit card debt get away from me. A person who is very impulsive, and who uses shopping as a mood-altering activity, should not have a credit card. Humour is probably a better way to alter one's mood [than shopping].
CreditCards.ca: How can a sense of humour help people with debt troubles?
Hirsh: Humour is not going to make your debt go away, unless, of course, you are a very good comedian. Out-of-control spending, debt and worry will only create more problems. If you can laugh at your problems, you will always have something to laugh about.
Humour can help us stand back a little from our predicaments. Observing our behaviour with gentle curiosity is often the first step in gaining control of our behaviour and moods. Instead of beating ourselves up and worrying ourselves sick, we need to ask ourselves where we would like to be, what we want to achieve and how we would like to feel.
Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness are often the precursor to overspending. Why bother trying to do the rational thing if you don't believe life can get any better? Setting goals creates hope. Asking ourselves, "What can we do to move closer to our goals?" is productive. Positive feelings of hope form the first step towards getting back into control.
CreditCards.ca: Is your professional use of humour based on personal experiences?
Hirsh: When I first started my professional practice, there were times when I was worried about meeting expenses, as well as raising four children. In an effort to manage my financial anxiety, I began to draw cartoons that involved the payment of my office rent.
For years, I gave a cartoon to my landlord along with my rent. I poked fun at my landlord and at myself. My landlord said I was the only one who always paid his rent on time, and with a smile. After a while, I thought more about the challenge of creating a cartoon than the stress of actually paying the rent.
CreditCards.ca: Do you know any consumer-therapy spending jokes?
Hirsh: How many psychotherapists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb has to want to change.
How many shopaholics does it take to change a light bulb? What? Change?!
See related: How to overcome the payday blues; Author Q&A: Debt and the "Happiness Equation"
