Our unique individuality means that some of us tend to worry about money more than others but it does seem that there is a clear link between the state of your financial and mental health, which is a compelling reason for sorting out any financial issues you might have.

Here is a look at how we measure financial success and the impact on our mental health when traditional expectations are not met or you encounter debt problems, including why it often pays to take a more long-term view of your financial situation, coping strategies to consider, plus a way to fight certain negative instincts that are often part of your DNA.

Achieving financial milestones

It can sometimes be hard not to compare how well you are doing financially with others around you and the traditional measures of success such as having a steady income, owning your own home, and having a certain amount set aside in savings and investments, can apply a certain amount of hidden pressure.

Although you might have specific financial milestones set in your own mind it should be remembered that even when you manage to achieve some of these so-called measures of success it doesn’t guarantee you the feeling of financial well-being that you might have been anticipating.

The problem for plenty of us is that if things go wrong with our financial situation for whatever reason and you find yourself contending with debts it can feel like we are never going to be in our monetary comfort zone again, which can then lead to a scenario where your financial health has an impact on your mental health.

Try to look further ahead

If you do find yourself in a poor financial position at the current time and you are struggling to earn enough to pay your bills each month, for example, that can certainly have a detrimental impact on your emotional well-being.

As with the different types of loans that you can get, there are short and long-term financing options, such as personal loans, that cover your back for a few weeks or months to mortgages that allow you to pay for your home over many years.

It can be good to remember that there are almost always options available when you are trying to find a way of dealing with your current situation and it is often the case that people who are able to think objectively and take a longer term view of their finances cope better mentally with financial pressures.

Rather than letting the current situation control your thinking completely if you can manage to look ahead and plan in months and years rather than weeks, this can have a positive impact on your ability to handle money pressures better.

Training your brain to cope

What you are going to have to contend with is that the human brain tends to be hard-wired in such a way that we are often seeking out instant solutions and gratification which means you have to work on a strategy that fights these natural instincts to a certain extent.

A good trick to try would be to visualize where you would like to be from a financial perspective at certain points in the future. For instance, if you sit down and work out a target that is ten years down the road you have something to focus on and plan around.

This can really help bring your current financial situation into perspective and allow you to make a more organized plan that gives you the time needed to make changes and improvements to your financial situation.

Resisting the urge to find an instant solution to every problem can help you cope more effectively with any short-term stress and pressures you are experiencing surround debt and money issues in general.

Find the positives

Having an emotional attachment to your finances can often mean that it is all too easy to experience negative feelings about your current situation but you need to work on adjusting and fighting that mindset.

Try to focus on the positive aspects of your life and give yourself some credit for the positive things you have achieved so far. Having a more positive outlook about your finances will often be a self-fulfilling prophecy and when you are able to accentuate the positives it will help combat any negative emotions you might be experiencing.

It is wise to be aware of the impact that your financial health can have on your mental health and take steps to work against the forces in your head that seem to be exerting the sort of pressures and stress levels that don’t any of us any good.

 

Skye Perry is a healthcare professional who strongly believes that worry and stress cause illness, whether mental or physical. She writes about these factors, hoping people can clean up their finances to clear up their health!