Feeling low or anxious is a normal response when you've lost your job, been made redundant, or you're struggling with debt.
You may be feeling, behaving or thinking in ways that are unfamiliar. But that does not necessarily mean you've got depression or an anxiety disorder.
How to survivefinancial stress
Stayactive
Keep seeing your friends, keep your CV up to date, and try to keep paying the bills. If you have more time because you're not at work, do some form of exercise – physical activity can improve your mood if you're feeling low.
Get advice
If you're going into debt, get advice on how to prioritise your debts. When people feel anxious, they sometimes avoid talking to others. Some people can lose their confidence about driving or travelling. If this starts to happen, facing these situations will generally make them easier.
For some people with money worries, alcohol can become a problem. You may drink more than usual as a way of dealing with your emotions or just to fill in time. But alcohol will not help you deal with your problems and could add to your stress.
Get up at your normal time and stick to your usual routine. If you lose your routine, it can affect your eating – you may stop cooking, miss breakfast because you're still in bed, or eat snacks instead of having proper meals.
GOV.UK also has a lot of information and advice if you're looking for work, including tips on writing a CV, planning your job hunt and applying for jobs online.
Citizens Advice is a good place to get information about benefits, how to deal with debt, what you're entitled to if you're made redundant and who to speak to if you're at risk of losing your home.
Mental Health & Money Advice offers information and advice for anyone struggling with money because of mental illness, or whose financial situation is affecting their mental health.
When you should get medical help
Most people who experience emotional distress find that after a few days or weeks they're able to tackle challenges, such as finding a new job.
See a GP if you're still feeling worried, anxious or low after a few weeks. If you think it will help, the GP can advise you abouttalking therapy services in your area.
Practicing mindfulness can reduce stress (and even bring down associated health costs), but you can also practice money mindfulness. This art is about being present and honest with yourself, and accepting your thoughts without judgment—strategies that translate directly to financial well-being.
Financial therapy: Some therapists specialize in financial therapy and will help you explore your psychology of money and heal from past financial trauma. They can also teach you how to shift your money mindset to better manage money anxiety.
In my experience, many people feel anxious about money, despite doing well on paper, because they don't know what they're doing – and that causes them to feel out of control. In such cases, more money can just worsen the anxiety because now they have even more money that they don't know what to do with.
What causes financial anxiety? According to Blackwell, there are many triggers that can cause financial anxiety. Some common ones include a potential job loss, a money misstep, a lack of personal finance education or your childhood beliefs about money.
There are many potential causes of financial anxiety, though they are typically related to existing money troubles or a history of uncertainty around finances. This can include: Growing up in poverty, or in a household where money was often scarce.
Some signs that financial stress is affecting your health and relationships include: arguing with the people closest to you about money. difficulty sleeping. feeling angry, fearful or experiencing mood swings.
First, as we know from the Stress in America survey, financial stress is a very common cause of stress overall and it's more likely to occur if people have lower incomes. But, people with lower incomes may also experience exposure to stress across many other domains in their lives.
Introduction: My name is Greg O'Connell, I am a delightful, colorful, talented, kind, lively, modern, tender person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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