Money Stress

Since April 15th is later this week and everything is going up in cost, I think a lot of us are feeling the stress of money (or lack there of). I can’t offer you financial advice, but what I can say is that you’re not alone in your financial stress. Our society teaches us that any financial stress is a moral weakness, we should’ve worked harder to get a raise, we should have budgeted better, any time we spent any money was frivolous, and on and on. The reality is that the cost of living is going up and our wages are not rising as the same rate, not to mention the real impact of world events on our economy. This is not to say that nobody has issues with spending or budgeting is hopeless. It’s just to say that at the end of the day, you still deserve to live your life, and you have value beyond what your work output is.

What makes financial stress feel so all-encompassing is that we need it to meet our basic needs (food, shelter, etc.) and when we feel a scarcity of money, our body interprets this as a threat to our physical safety and responds with an urgency to find a solution (this can look like racing thoughts, insomnia, and other physical symptoms of stress). We can find solutions to ease our financial stress, but it won’t be instant, which is what our bodies expect.

So, I want to suggest a few things to try to reduce the impact of financial stress.

1. Remember that you are not the only person feeling financial stress right now.

2. Try to be kind to yourself, by not beating yourself up about past financial mistakes and allowing yourself to still rest, spend time with friends/family, and make time for fun.

3. Seek help. This could be with a mental health therapist to help with stress or impulsive spending, with a financial advisor, or through local agencies to help reduce bills and other costs.

4. When you have a plan, use self-talk to remind yourself that you have a plan in place and even though it’s not currently changing things, you are addressing the issue.

This is not to minimize the real impact of poverty or an instant fix to financial stress, but ways to help reduce the level of stress.

Here are some Portland-area resources for financial assistance:

• Multnomah County Resource Pages

  • Utility, Phone, Internet, & Furniture Assistance

  • Food Assistance

• City of Portland Resource Page

• Multnomah County Library

  • Resource List

  • Events and Classes

  • Free Printing and Computer Use

  • Media Lending

As always, take what is helpful and leave the rest. I hope you have the week you need.