I have revealed some details about our current landscaping and “relawning” project. We made good progress so we thought we can have a day of rest and having fun. Some friends came over and we had a grill party. Recently, I acquired two bottles of homemade Rakia (a spirit, which is very popular in my country) so we went on with some tasting. Long story short, we had a good time, but unfortunately, I lost my sanity and the night closed with blackout… I am not proud of it and this is not something I am doing often.

The next day I woke up with a horrible hangover. Was facing some hardships going through the daily routine, but we are responsible adults, after all, right? We have our duties which do not really care about our stupid decisions. So we have to suck it up and do whatever we have to do. Then when I was brainstorming for this post today after reading the latest post over at Mr.MoneyMustache.com and was facing with this phrase I realized that the process to get over a financial hangover and a traditional one is pretty similar. Let’s see what are the steps.

Facing the problem

You are opening your eyes and realizing that you did something really stupid. You drank/spent more than you should have and despite the fact that at that moment it seemed a good idea now you can clearly feel that you made a huge mistake. You can feel the pain in your head and stomach/wallet or bank account. You know you are in trouble. Maybe your significant other is standing next to you reminding that she/he told you that it is not a good idea. You admit it that she/he is right, but still, that does not help on your condition. So, now that you realized what happened to you let’s get to the next step.

Assess the damage

Now you feel bad. The next thing is to start collecting information about the situation. You start off by examining the scene then questioning your fellow humans around you. Lastly, you turn to the internet. What did you mess up? How bad the situation really is? What would have been the right choice? Ok, this latter maybe does not help a lot but can bring you to the next step.

Quick fix what you can

In that case, if our previous investigation revealed some options that we can act on immediately we should go for it. Even if your stomach has a different opinion you should drink a couple of glasses of water alongside with a painkiller. Check your accounts and find out if you have any leftover money which you can throw into the face of the monster you unlocked. Do whatever it requires cleaning your head as much as possible.

Create a plan

When you are done applying the patches it is the time to step back and try to focus on the bigger picture. How will the recent events affect the near future? And what about the long-term? It is research time again. You have generated some problems, but that does not mean that you cannot ask for help. Just don’t be demanding or aggressive, you were the one who got yourself into trouble after all. Do your research and sketch up a plan for resolving the issues.

Suck it up and stick to it

Now that we have a killer plan in hand (or maybe a dirty piece of paper with almost uninterpretable handwriting) we know what we can expect from the future. Maybe we are scared, disappointed or distressed. Maybe all of these and more. We have to face it: it will be tough. But the more you are thinking about it you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Suddenly a scene pops into your mind. A woman is whispering in your ear.

“This will not be over quickly. You will not enjoy this.“

You start smiling.

Support the healing process

With your plan in hand and confidence in your ability to fix the mistakes, the healing process can begin. The path will be rough. You will need your desperation and will, but you feel that you can manage it. There’s a chance sometime nausea will strike. Maybe even you can discover signs of depression. But remind yourself that these are just symptoms of a problem what is temporary.