Stressing about money is something most people do from time to time in life. Getting the finances together is not always easy, and not least now when there is a downturn. For many, worry and anxiety can take over and sometimes become unmanageable.
A Kantar Sifo survey conducted earlier this year, which News24 took part in, showed that many felt worried about the financial situation. Now the situation is even worse after the interest rate increase, and the risk is high that more people will start to worry about how they will make it through the month financially.
Nyheter24 has spoken to the psychologist Ellen Risto on Ahum on how to relieve anxiety and worry about money:
Differentiate between concerns and what can actually be solved
Ellen Risto tells us that there are different ways to manage and alleviate anxiety. It is important to try to distinguish between what are concerns and what are problems that can be solved.
If you are worried that you actually have a problem with your finances, it is first and foremost a completely normal feeling. Everyone worries about things that can cause problems for us.
Making a budget is a good way to feel in control and to have enough money. If the concern is about getting enough money, it is a definable problem and then you can work on problem solving in a few simple steps according to Ellen Risto:
1. Define the problem.
2. brainstorm solutions (all solutions must appear here).
3. Test a solution and evaluate it. If it worked, great! Otherwise, you can choose another solution from the ones you have already brainstormed.
Then you should address your concerns
Remind yourself that worry is a legitimate feeling/thought process that all people have. It is therefore completely normal and natural to feel worried.
– It is not dangerous to have a moderate dose of anxiety and it is something everyone feels sometimes. It’s when it starts to affect your life negatively that you need to address the situation and get help, says Ellen Risto.
Use worry time
A worry time means that you set aside around 10-15 minutes where you can worry as much as you want. You can do this at any time of the day, but not just before bedtime.
For the rest of the time when a worrying thought comes, you can imagine that you put it in a box that you pick out in your moment of worry, and then you shift your focus back to what you were doing.
– The goal is to be able to live your life without worries controlling/taking up too much space, she says.
Try to identify catastrophic thoughts
Maybe you think “what if I won’t have a home”. Then try to distance yourself from the thought by sort of shifting the thought to “that’s a worrying thought, I don’t need to listen to it”. Then the thought does not get as much space or importance.
Dare to say no if it becomes too expensive
During the summer, it becomes increasingly common for costs to increase due to having more free time. Many eat out more often or go away on a shorter trip. This can create stress if you feel that finances are tight. How then should you say no to your friends who suggest dinners or other activities that cost money?
– There are different ways to handle it depending on the relationship you have with the person(s) and how honest you can or want to be, says Ellen Risto and continues:
– If you are close to the people, I think you should be honest and point out that there is a lot that costs money and that you are happy to come up with things that are not that expensive.
Joint budget and own proposals
If you feel that you cannot or do not want to be as honest, you can try the following tips:
1. Select an activity(s) that you can say yes to when your friends ask. Then you don’t say no every time, but you join in when it’s something you really want to do and feel you can afford.
2. Come up with your own suggestions for things that don’t cost money, or are a cheaper alternative. Instead of saying no, you can ask if you can hang out in, for example, a park and have a picnic or a bath instead of going out to eat. Even better may be to propose such activities before someone else comes up with a proposal that costs money.
3. Set a budget together and make it a competition to stick to it. That you should try to come up with activities that cost a certain amount and then choose one of them. That way, you also have several suggestions to choose from the next time you come up with something.
– Then it’s also important to remember that you don’t have to be involved in everything. If they are friends you like and who like you, you should also be able to say no if you want to, she says.