Going back through my old blog posts recently led me to one I wrote about my goal for money – stress free living.

Lately I’ve been doing anything but living a stress free lifestyle. I’ve let my anxiety level about money and career issues rise to levels that are higher than they should be. Because of this I’ve started trying to manage my money anxiety better.

Living stress free for me means not being anxious or worrying about money.

Throughout my life during financial hard times I’ve struggled with anxiety over money. Sometimes even in good times I can find myself getting anxious over whether or not I’m doing enough.

Money anxiety is real and it can be very hard to deal with at times.

How to Manage Your Money Anxiety

After years of dealing with anxiety over money I’m come up with a few ways to manage the anxiety and keep calm about my finances. If you’ve struggled with money anxiety then hopefully these tips will help you as well!

Money Anxiety Tip 1: Don’t Panic

This is hard to do if you are a worrier who panics, but it’s very important. Panic can be good when felt occasionally as it alerts you to danger, but it’s not something you should feel on a daily basis. If you feel panic when you look at your bank account balance or have to purchase a large item, you need to work on eliminating that panic.

Panic will simply paralyze you and cause you to make bad decisions. Focus on calming yourself in the moment so you can relax and think logically about the situation.

Money Anxiety Tip 2: Write Down Everything To Get Control

Most money anxiety comes from not feeling in control of your finances.

It can be scary to be overwhelmed and out of control so the first thing you need to do is write down everything. Make a list of all your debts and priorities. Make a list of all your expenses. Make a list of all your income sources. Write down everything you know about your financial situation.

You can use a tool like Personal Capital or Mint to get a better overall view of your finances if that is easier than writing it down by hand. Having it all out in the open can help you feel more in control and aware of the situation.

Money Anxiety Tip 3: Get Help

If you are constantly feeling anxious about money then you probably need to get help.

This help will come in two forms: someone to help you with the feelings and someone to help you with the money. You should seek out both and work with them together to help improve the situation.

Get some professional help for your anxiety by talking with a professional counselor who can recommend specific approaches that will work for you. Get help with your money by seeking out a trustworthy financial advisor.

Money Anxiety Tip 4: Remember You Control Your Decisions

You have control over every decision that you make. If a purchase is causing you anxiety then this might be a sign that you need to rethink it and make a different decisions.

Your decisions should not be causing you more and more anxiety so if they are then you need to remind yourself that you are in control of these decisions and can make better financial choices.

Money Anxiety Tip 5: Find Ways To Relax

When you are working on cleaning up your money situation it can be stressful and take a long period of time. Something you might want to work on doing is finding cheap ways to relax so the anxiety doesn’t build up from the stress. Learn how to relax in the best way you can, whether that’s through exercise or meditation or simply watching television.

Find what works for you and enjoy it! Do fun activities that take your mind off your money and the stress it may cause. Just enjoy your life!

Living With Less Stress & Anxiety Over Money

Those are 5 ways I’ve found to manage my money anxiety and move closer towards a stress free life where money is a tool that helps me rather than controls me.

It really does help to write everything down and get in control of the situation. This blog has been so helpful to me for that reason and has helped stop a lot of panic in my life over debt. Instead of freaking out, I started blogging and paid off all my student loans, credit card debt, improved my credit score, and started earning extra income. It is possible to make major positive changes in your life even if you currently feel anxious and overwhelmed about money!

For more tips on how to manage money anxiety, check out C’s post @ The Single Dollar!