3 Ways to Get Over Financial Anxiety
The image above perfectly depicts the way my financial anxiety felt—I could never reach the top. It actually kept me awake at night. Between making bad day-to-day financial decisions to building mounds of college debt, it took many years of struggle to finally feel like I was in control.
If you find yourself feeling stuck in a financial rut, here are a few steps I took to get “above the skyline” and set on a better financial path.
1. I Stopped Being Afraid of My Debts
For a long time I pretended my debts—especially my college loans—didn’t exist. But that was a large part of my financial anxiety. In plain English, if I didn’t have my debts in order, I couldn’t do anything to benefit my future. The beginning of my “financial awakening” included pulling all of my loans and monthly bills together so I could find the right starting point.
My advice: Look at your debts and face them head on.
2. I Started Communicating with My Lenders
The most important thing to remember is that lenders want to be paid, and are typically willing to be flexible with anyone’s financial situation. The second I called my lenders to reassess my debts it not only looked better on my credit score, but I could feel my anxiety disappearing.
My advice: The loan is a number, but the lending institution is made of people who are just like you. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
3. I Educated Myself Through My Financial Institution
“The more you know” may be a circulating gif you see in Facebook comments, but the statement is real. One of the biggest assets I provided myself with my finances was knowledge. Before I worked at a credit union, I had a history with a nonprofit housing organization that focused on rebuilding and improving credit scores.
My advice:
The best financial topics you can read up on:
Don’t be intimidated by a number.
Your credit union has the resources necessary to get your finances on the right track.
