It’s true: Stress is money. And, so many of us suffer from it.
In fact, one study from the American Psychological Association found that 72% of Americans reported feeling stressed about money within the past month.
That’s almost 3/4ths of everyone we see walking down the street.
When we are stressed, we make stupid decisions. Our logic is compromised.
Along the wealth building timeline, we will experience hiccups. And, that’s okay.
After all, we just want to make ourselves feel better. To calm the waters, somehow. To feel like everything is going to be okay. And for many of us, these coping mechanisms involve spending money on things to make us feel better.
Want to save some cash? Set your priority to reducing stress.
Here are 7 tips to help you reduce money stress:
- Exercise. Exercise works for so many people, and along with reducing your stress, you will also burn calories and get healthier. Even if it’s just a walk (the average American only gets 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day…a far cry from the recommended 10,000), try something that is active. Do some yoga. Get moving.
- Reduce your caffeine. Believe it or not, caffeine has been shown to boost anxiety, which leads directly to stress. Try cutting your caffeine. If it sounds like hell cutting your morning cup of coffee, try decaf. That could be an easy fix.
- Laugh. This might entail calling up one of your friends who can make you laugh or even throwing on a comedy from Netflix. The phrase “laughter is the best medicine” is more true than a lot of us realize.
- Take deep breaths. Your breathing technique has a lot to do with your level of stress. When you feel stressed, stop what you’re doing and take a few deep, long breaths. Make an effort to practice this throughout your day (even if you’re not stressed).
- Slow down. Most of us move fast. Always somewhere to go. Somebody to see. But when we move fast, we feel like we can’t keep up. Force yourself to slow down, decompress and just relax. Do nothing. Close your eyes. A great way to slow down is to say “No” more often. This will help reduce your calendar to a more manageable level.
- Play music. If you are a music person, try crankin’ up the tunes. Just don’t crank them up so loud that it distracts you from your surroundings.
- Meditate. I put this one last because meditation isn’t for everyone, but it definitely helps a lot of people. If you’re unsure, give it a try. There are lots of different ways to meditate.
Do you have a technique to keep your stress level down (and more money in your pocket)? If so, hit me up on Twitter and let me know what works for you.
