How to Work Through Financial Anxiety in Uncertain Times

(GivenUs.com) – If there’s one reality we can be certain of, it’s that life is uncertain. Cars break down. People get sick and miss work. Homes need repairs, and sometimes technology inexplicably refuses to cooperate with us. Being thrown a financial curveball can be anxiety inducing, and 2020 may have thrown us the craziest curveball of all with a global pandemic that’s created financial uncertainty for many of us.

Tasha from One Big Happy Life discusses how we can work through financial anxiety in uncertain times:

Managing Our Lives Through our Thoughts

In order to manage our lives and finances most effectively, we need to manage our thoughts. The way we were raised impacts the way we view money and personal finance. Our perceptions influence our financial behaviors like spending and saving.

When we think about money, we usually do so through an abundance mindset or a scarcity one. If we think money is hard to come by, we’re likely operating from a scarcity mindset where it seems like extra money is hard to come by and debt is simply inevitable.

In an abundance mindset, we recognize that we can always make more money and learn to better manage our spending. To reframe our thoughts to shift to an abundance mindset, we need to evaluate our thinking.

We can ask ourselves:

Are our thoughts objective and true?
Are they based on an assumption?
Do our thoughts empower us to make changes or make us feel defeated?

When we manage our thoughts, we empower ourselves to manage our lives. We can recognize that we have choices and options — even if they are, at times, difficult ones.

Using Mantras for Mindset Shifts

We can utilize mantras to help reframe our thoughts and empower ourselves to make better financial choices. Here are a handful to get you started:

Where I am right now does not define where I’m going.
I reject “what if” scenarios in favor of embracing where I am, what I’ve learned and where I’m going.
I can recover from any setback and make more money.
Instead of dwelling on the stressors, I can empower myself to make good choices by understanding my current finances, determining what I can do to improve my situation and putting plans into place to reach my goals.

Putting a Plan Into Action

To work through our financial anxiety, it’s important to put a plan into action. It should include the following three components:

Growing income. Consider ways to increase income. It’s never been a better time to explore virtual options.
Cutting expenses. Consider ways to reduce expenses and spending.
Considering other options. Consider applying for government aid, utilizing unemployment insurance, reaching out to friends and family for assistance or reaching out to creditors for options.

We may be sharing uncertainty at a global level, but financial anxiety can happen at any time in our lives. By learning to manage our thoughts and empowering ourselves to take action, we can face stressors with the confidence that we are capable and resourceful enough to overcome any challenges.

~Here’s to Your Success!