Mental Health And Financial Stress: How Are They Related?

Sometimes we collapse. Various situations lead us to this, among them is economic stress. In times of crisis, concerns multiply. But how does it relate to our mental health? What strategies can we use to manage it? What does it consist of?

In days of extreme concern about what is happening and what is to come, it is important to understand what happens to our body, our mind and our emotions. In addition, knowing how it affects us in the areas in which we operate.

What is financial stress?

Stress according to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language is a ‘tension caused by overwhelming situations that cause psychosomatic reactions or sometimes serious psychological disorders’.

Now, when we talk about economic stress, we refer to that related to the goods and activities that make up the wealth of a community or an individual .

There are several causes for economic stress to occur, they are the following:

• Face new situations. For example, new investments, crises, etc.
• Financial problems. It is about when we fail to meet financial commitments.
• Couple discussions. In which finances are involved.
• Pressure. Because payday is getting closer and closer, or because those of us who owe need their money, and we can’t get it.

Remember that stress is also a psychophysiological response to a demand from the environment. It is not only related to what we think, but also to what we feel and our behavior.

Therefore, we see that when someone is stressed, there are physical, mental and emotional manifestations. Even different patterns are seen in the interaction.

The impact of stress on mental health

Stress has a great impact on our mental health. It happens, because through our thinking we feed the tension, and it is manifested in conjunction with our emotions, which are often charged with negativity and frustration.

Also, it can happen that we promote anxiety by placing ourselves too much in the future. In addition, when we are stressed by the economy we begin to have the following complications:

• Difficulty relaxing.
• Permanent feeling of overwhelm.
• Irritability.
• Sadness.
• Fault.
• Ruminant thoughts.
• Worry.
• Disorganization.
• Pessimism.

Also, we can feel depressed, mental exhaustion, shame, fear, confusion, excessive self-criticism, difficulty concentrating and making decisions. Now, it is a matter that is presented differently in each person. Genetic, learning, social, life cycle, consciousness, etc. factors depend on this.

It should be clarified that, although economic stress causes a strong impact on mental health, which can sometimes lead to disorders of this type, it acts in conjunction with other important areas for our health, such as physical and social.

For example, our change of emotions can cause discomfort in others, and that our social relationships change; at other times, we opt for isolation behaviors.

In fact, in research, the effect of coping and social support strategies in people with economic stress is being studied; According to A Riquelme, J Buendía and MC Rodríguez, in their article published in  Psicothema,  the perception of social support appears positively related to health in a direct way, and the effect interacts with coping strategies.

• On a physical level it can be evidenced: instability in blood pressure, muscle tension, increased cholesterol, sleep disturbances, contractures, palpitations, fatigue, headache, etc.
• At the behavioral level, you can eat more food, decrease physical activity, avoid or postpone responsibilities, restlessness, nail biting, etc.

Thus, we see how different factors interact in economic stress.

How to deal with financial stress?

To cope with financial stress, you need to know each other. When we know what we want, where we want to go, and what our obstacles are, we are closer to choosing what really benefits us. Many times, stress arises because we fail to meet all the demands that we identify.

Thus, in order not to feel overwhelmed, it is necessary to establish priorities; in this sense, desire is not synonymous with need. First, it is important to allocate spending to meeting our basic needs.

It is important to take into account those thoughts, emotions and behaviors that are toxic to us. Once we identify them, we can start working with them to manage them in the best way. It does not mean that we eliminate them from our lives, but we must know when to stop.

It is essential to pay attention to what we are exposing ourselves to. Economic stress, many of the times, is associated with crises that others are also going through, or derived from a great change in the system. It is okay to share experiences, but if it is harmful to us it is important to walk away.

Taking a break can help. In addition, it would be good to consider what are the circumstances that are causing us economic stress and organize them according to the degree of control we have over them. In this sense, an intelligent and consistent plan with this idea can help us a lot.

On the other hand, social support also plays a relevant role . Many are the fears that sometimes make us not ask for help, that we do not enjoy resources that we really have within our reach.

Nor do we neglect our physical health, a way to de-stress is doing physical exercise, it happens by the release of endorphins.