5 Money Mantras for your Mental Health
Money is emotional - and it's often highly tied up in our mental health.
How you grew up, what your parents said about money, what jobs they had, how your family handled financial crises, whether you went to college and how you paid for it, what jobs you've worked, where you choose to live -- all of these combine together to create your relationship with money.
It can feel overwhelming to change your relationship with money, especially if you've been stuck in a pattern for years on end.
Good news, though: it is possible to redefine your relationship with money going forward.
The first step toward financial confidence has two parts:
The practical: financial clarity. (What is the reality of your money situation?)
The emotional: recognizing your habits around money. (What patterns and phrases do you return to? Why?)
As you take this first step, it's important to be both GENTLE and HONEST with yourself.
Gentle: you've done the best you could with the resources and information available to you. Now you're taking an important step in your financial journey, and that's worth celebrating.
Honest: looking at the full reality of your money situation might feel scary and overwhelming, but it's so important - and will help you get to where you want to go.
Here are five gentle and honest phrases to help you take that first step:
1. "In the past, I did the best I could with the resources and information I had."
For so many of us, it's difficult to even face our finances - we feel guilty about mistakes we've made in the past, and wish we'd done things differently. It's critical to remember: you were doing the best you could at the time. Now, you're getting ready to turn the page.
2. "Today is a new beginning: I can untangle my relationship with money and make it work for me."
No matter what your situation is or how deep in the mire you feel, this is always true: no matter how the past has gone for you,
3. "Spending and saving are skills that I can learn and practice."
None of us are born with the knowledge of how to manage money -- it takes time and practice to acquire the skills of personal finance. But think of the last skill you applied yourself to learn. Maybe you learned - You can do this again.
4. "Money can bring joy to me and those I love."
This one can be hard to believe if you've spent your life stressing about money. However, it's a critical part of establishing healthy money habits - and in fact, the more specific you can be about what kinds of joy money can bring, the better.
How would you experience joy in having a confident relationship with money? Would you plan a vacation for your whole family? Take your children and grandchildren out for a nice dinner when they visit? Treat your friends to a round of cocktails when you go out? Remodel your bathroom to make it a more functional space?
5. "By learning about money, I can pass on healthy financial habits to the next generation."
The reward of learning and practicing your financial skills isn't just for you - it's for the people you love, too. You can choose to pass on not only wealth, but financial know-how and your healthy attitude toward money too - potentially breaking generations-long cycles.
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As a financial coach, I get to apply my expertise to your money situation, helping you embark on your financial journey with both honesty and gentleness. We work together to untangle all the threads, implement a seamless spending and saving system, and get your money to work for you in both the daily and the long-term.
If you're ready to improve your relationship with money, click "Book" in my bio for a free discovery call to see how financial coaching can bring clarity and relief to your money.
- Coach Annie
