With tax season just around the corner, finances have the potential for many to become a source of stress.
It's easy to worry more about your finances than your health. Many say they are handling their stress well. Yet, people report more physical and emotional symptoms. If Americans continue to experience these high levels of stress for prolonged periods of time, they are at risk for developing serious illnesses. Almost half of Americans surveyed said that they are increasingly stressed about their ability to provide for their family's basic needs.
If you can reduce your financial worry, you will be able to focus on other important areas of your life and relax, knowing you have a plan to handle your financial situation. Here are a few things you can do now to relieve your financial stress and make it easier to function each day:
- Make a budget - Make sure to have enough funds to cover your immediate expenses, while still working towards your savings goals.
- Get an Emergency Fund - An emergency fund is a savings account meant to cover unexpected expenses and financial emergencies.
- Get Outside Help - Take classes on basic money management and investing, get assistance from a financial planner, or work with a credit counseling service to help you restructure your debt.
- Determine What You Can Change - If you know that you do not make enough money to keep up with your current bills, decide what you can do to change the situation.
- Track Your Progress - Find positive aspects of your financial situation by tracking your progress towards your financial goals.
Remember, you can change your financial situation, and you will find it easier to do if you are not living in an anxious state all of the time.
Find additional information and resources in the Attacking Anxiety & Depression program was developed by Lucinda Bassett, and Dr. Philip Fisher, MD, who leveraged the skills, methods and techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Modification as the core of the self-treatment process.