Financial wellness is an essential element of mental health that can help you manage daily stressors. Additionally, it may prevent unhealthy coping mechanisms like overeating, smoking or drinking.
There are numerous ways to improve your financial wellness, such as mastering budgeting techniques and saving for the future. Consulting a financial advisor can also give you insight into your situation and enable you to make progress toward reaching your objectives.
Stress
Stress is a natural response to situations that threaten or challenge us. When this happens, our brains release hormones that prepare our bodies to fight or flee from danger.
These hormones flood the body, raising your heart rate, blood pressure and circulation for quick action. Furthermore, these hormones mobilize fat and sugar for fuel while improving concentration to monitor threats or prepare muscles to move. Plus, there’s much more that these hormones do!
However, this fight-or-flight response is only meant for temporary issues that don’t last. Chronic stress on the other hand, can affect nearly every system in your body and leave you vulnerable to disease.
Although it’s normal to feel stressed from time to time, long-term stress can lead to depression and anxiety. If you’re noticing any of these symptoms, speak with your doctor about how best to manage them.
Depression
Depression is a severe mental health disorder that can have lasting emotional and physical consequences. It’s an intricate condition, often caused by genetics, physical issues or life-altering events like losing a job, getting divorced or giving birth.
Doctors use a variety of tests to diagnose depression and suggest treatments based on its severity. Treatment may include medication, talking therapies and lifestyle modifications.
From time to time, we may all experience feelings of low or sadness. But if these emotions persist for more than two weeks, these could be signs of depression. While talking about this can be difficult, getting help should never be put off.
Anxiety
Many people experience anxiety at times, whether it’s about meeting new people or attending a public speaking event. These brief bouts of worry are normal; however, when these feelings start taking over your life and making everyday tasks difficult, then it may be time for you to speak with a healthcare professional about the source of your stress.
Doctors may inquire how much your symptoms impact daily life and how long they have been present. Additionally, they may check your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate and other physical measures to detect other health concerns.
Your doctor can refer you to a mental health professional who will diagnose the type of anxiety disorder you have and rule out any underlying conditions causing your symptoms. They’ll also provide psychoeducation as well as treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), applied relaxation or medication.
Overspending
Overspending is an unhealthy habit that can lead to financial strain, high-interest debt and other problems. It’s usually indicative of emotional instability and an inability to make wise financial decisions.
If you tend to overspend, it is beneficial to understand the underlying reasons for your spending patterns. Keeping a journal or asking someone in your circle for guidance can be beneficial here.
According to Rupert Connor, partner at Abacus Financial Consultants, the most common reasons for not saving are boredom, the desire to please others and a desire to “keep up with the Joneses”. But there are ways to break free of this bad habit and start saving instead, according to Connor.
One way to combat overspending is setting financial goals and rewarding yourself when you reach them. Additionally, you can enlist the support of friends and family who will encourage you in your savings efforts.
Investing
Investing can be an excellent tool for reaching financial objectives such as paying off debt, saving for an emergency fund or sending your kids off to college. But it’s essential that you select the appropriate investments for your individual situation.
Investing is different from cash savings in that it involves purchasing assets with the purpose of generating profits (often referred to as returns) over and above your initial investment. These could include stocks, bonds or other types of investments.
In addition to investing for income, investing can also help you save taxes. For instance, contributing money into a retirement or brokerage account won’t trigger taxation on earnings until you withdraw it later on.