By Georgina Sturmer, Counsellor MBACP
Everyday life can be overwhelming. We are bombarded with news, messages and notifications all pulling us in different directions. This can be difficult to cope with, even if everything else is running smoothly. But if you have underlying worries about money, about paying your bills, about feeding your family, about staying warm in the winter, then anxiety can become crippling. So how can you start to tackle the tangled web of worry?
Acknowledge what’s going on. It might feel tempting to bury your head in the sand. Remember that this won’t make problems disappear, and that the anxiety and stress will simply accumulate inside you.
Voice your fears. Do you have a trusted friend or relative who you can be honest and open with? If our worries are silenced then they have a tendency to fester inside. You might think that you’re doing a good job at holding things in. But sometimes it just means that they manifest in different ways, with physical symptoms, or outbursts of anger. There are also support lines where you’ll be met with non-judgemental compassion, like SHOUT (www.giveusashout.org).
Seek specialist advice. Reach out to a support service like the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (www.citizensadvice.org.uk) or the Money Advice Trust (www.moneyadvicetrust.org).
Explore the relationship between your mental health and your financial concerns. Check out Mind’s website (www.mind.org.uk) which offers information on the link between the two. Reflect on your own relationship with money. The rising cost of living has had an impact on many of us. But there might also be more deep-rooted concerns for you to consider. Maybe you find it difficult to cope with money. Perhaps you’re experiencing financial abuse or control in your relationships with someone else. Perhaps you have patterns of compulsive spending. Or maybe you are prone to negative thinking or catastrophising. Focus on understanding what you can and can’t control, and trying to avoid a spiral of fear and worry.
georginasturmercounselling@gmail.com
