Have you ever had trouble sleeping because you were thinking about bills or money?

You're not alone.

In fact, a 2018 survey showed that 44% of people reported money as their number one source of stress, beating out personal relationships and job related challenges.

Financial anxiety is a feeling of worry, fear or unease about your finances.

It could be caused by a variety of different reasons, not just a lack of funds.

Sometimes it's brought on by other forms of anxiety, like generalized anxiety disorder or math anxiety.

It can also be caused by feeling unprepared or maybe just not understanding terms or numbers.

The most common reaction to financial anxiety is avoidance.

If you can't see your finances, you don't know how bad they actually are right.

However, avoiding your finances instead of managing them can cause them to worsen, which in turn causes more anxiety.

So how do you overcome it and break the cycle?

Make a plan?

What is it about your finances that gives you anxiety, lack of income, too much debt, or maybe you're secure now, but you're worried about the future.

Identify what you're worried about and lay out a plan.

Sometimes just having a plan in place can help to lessen your anxiety exposure.

This 1 may seem hard, since a common reaction is avoidance.

However, just reading finance articles or learning a few finance terms each day might help to ease your worries.

Think positive.

The first Steptoe overcoming something is to believe that you actually can overcome it.

Negative thoughts and words Onley Continue anxious thoughts and can even make them worse.

Acknowledge your anxiety and writing right about what exactly worries you.

And when you experience those feelings, the simple act of acknowledging maybe the first step toe overcoming it employ relax, ation techniques, stress and anxiety.

Even financial anxiety can have physical symptoms as well as emotional counter.

Act these symptoms by trying some stress reducing activities like yoga or meditation.

If you're struggling with financial anxiety, you are not alone and you can overcome it.

G c f.