

7 Proven Ways To Ease Your Financial Anxiety
When I was living in Atlanta with no job, I was the most stressed that I've ever been in life. I even had to see a therapist a few times due to the anxiety and depression that I was experiencing because I was broke and jobless.
I was struggling to even get out of bed every single day, yo.
Financial stress and anxiety is a leading cause of stress in the U.S. and I don't know about you, but I think that's absolutely insane! In fact, it's one of the reasons why I wanted to write about this serious topic. I want you to stop worrying so much about your finances and start doing the work that it takes to turn your situation around. I had to do what I needed to do while I was struggling and that's when I decided that Atlanta wasn't the place for me (after getting evicted of course) and asked my dad to help me move back home.
Let's face it, we've all been stressed out about our financial situation at some point in our lives (unless you've had everything handed to you since birth). Whether you've stressed out about all of your bills piling up, you having more month left than money, or how you were going to even afford to eat, it's something that's totally relatable.
Things can get pretty serious if you let it get out of hand though. When you get to the point where you are stressing about money on a consistent basis, there's additional things that you need to be worrying about. Stress and anxiety can cause a ton of damage to you, both psychologically and physically.
As a mental health professional, it's super important for me to spread awareness of how money can impact our mental health. Financial worries contribute to a decreased quality of life and that's the complete opposite of what I want for you. I want you to live the life of your dreams without any hesitation or worries. You have total control over your finances and you have the power to change your situation and ease your anxiety.
Here are 7 ways that you can stress easing that stress right away.
Stop being a Debbie Downer.
That negative attitude you have isn't helping you one bit. You have to start focusing on the positive instead of being negative all of the time. If you don't change your way of thinking, you're not going to be successful. Having a positive attitude about your finances isn't going to all of a sudden make money fall out of thin air, but it will definitely help with easing your anxiety. Take out some time to identify all of the good things about your finances and focus on those things.
Stop with the comparing.
You've gotta stop looking at what her, her, and them are doing and buying if you want to decrease your stress. Constantly making comparisons to others isn't doing you any good. Just because you see them taking trips every week, buying expensive cars and clothes, and having it up all the time doesn't necessarily mean they're ballin'. They could be putting on a real good front while they struggling just like the next person. You never know what's going on behind closed doors.
Instead of wasting your time focusing on what everybody else is doing, use that energy to determine what you need to be doing to feel better about your finances.
Once you put those guidelines in place and start working towards them, you'll be able to measure your own success without worrying about what they're doing on the internet.
Get educated.
In order to ease some of your anxiety, make sure that you're educating yourself about personal finances. Things won't be so stressful once you grasp the knowledge and tools needed to gain control over your money. Do your research, talk to a financial advisor, take a course, do whatever you need to do to increase your understanding.
Stack your coins ASAP.
Y'all, an emergency fund eliminates soooo much stress! When those random things happen that you have to come out of pocket for, you won't be scrambling and struggling to come up with the money (or reach for that credit card). Ideally, having at least 3 months of expenses saved up can save you a ton of heartache and frustration in the end. No longer will you have to call up your family and friends to help you!
Related: Managing Your Money: What They Don't Teach In School
Be more intentional.
There are a few ways in which you can shop a little smarter. You can use coupons for everything. When shopping for clothes, shop off season. Grocery shop only once or twice a week instead of everyday, it'll save you some money. Also, stick to a grocery list. If it isn't on the list, don't pick it up and throw it in your cart! Walk into the store with a specific budget in mind, don't go over that! When I grocery shop, I have my calculator out and I calculate everything that I pick up and put in my cart to ensure that I'm staying in my lane (literally).
Decrease the amount of debt you have.
This action step is MAJOR! If you haven't done so already, make a list of all of your debts and their amounts owed (smallest to largest). Create an action plan for attacking those debts. As you start cutting back on your expenses, you'll have a few coins to put towards your debts. Once you decrease some of your debts, you will be able to free up even more of your money. Ideally, this 'extra' money should be used to attack the remaining debts that you have so that you can start using that money to save and build wealth.
Related: I Cleared $35,000 Worth Of Debt While Making $12 An Hour
Treat yourself.
Have you hit one of your goals? Use this accomplishment to do something good for yourself! You don't want to be too strict and uptight when it comes to getting your finances together. However, you don't wanna be too lax either! When treating yo' self, you don't have to spend a bunch of money. Here's a few suggestions: Take a bubble bath. Relax. Give yourself a mani and pedi. Cook yourself a special meal. Take a day off of work for yourself. Binge on your favorite movies. Invite some of your besties over for a night full of laughter. Go to a free museum. There are a ton of things that you can do that's good for yourself without breaking the bank.
Here's a quick recap: Make sure you're thinking and speaking positively about your finances, educating yourself, treating yourself good, getting out of debt ASAP, and stacking your coins boo.
Now let's talk about it. Do you feel stressed out at the very thought of your financial situation? How do you handle everything? Sound off in the comments, I wanna hear from you!
*Originally published on Debt Free Black Girl
Featured image by Getty Images
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Kristin Sutton (aka the Money Therapist) is a personal finance and lifestyle blogger/coach over at DebtFreeBlackGirl.com that empowers young women to take control of their finances by changing the way they think about money. As a licensed therapist, her daily mission is to uncover and eliminate the mental roadblocks that hinder people from living the life of their dreams. You can find her on all things social: @DebtFreeBlkGrl
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.