If your relationship with money seems somewhat unhealthy, believe me, you are not alone.
In fact, a yearly study by the American Psychological Association has identified money as the #1 stress trigger in the US for the last 8 years in the row.
Worries about money can come up not only when there has been a real change in your income or expenses, but even when you are just considering making a career change.
We share a common fear…there won’t be enough money if you make a change and give up your paycheck. As a result, you find yourself staying in an unhappy job situation year after year, simply hoping that something will change or improve.
And if you do decide to make a jump, your fears may tell you that you have to quickly take action to remedy the money situation.
The trouble is, when we are in fear, we don’t make good decisions. We are just avoiding something we don’t want, and aren’t moving toward something we do want. As a result, we end up in situations that don’t make us happy.
Face your fears. This is a critical first step in making good decisions that will leave you feeling more fulfilled and happy, and allowing yourself to be more aligned with who you really are.
So what can you do to face and overcome your money fears?
Begin by building trust in life and in the universe that you will have enough, that the resources you need will be there and that there is enough for everyone.
Here is how you can get started:
1. List your current beliefs on your money fears
Write out all the beliefs and fears about money you currently hold. Yes, every one you can think of.
Maybe you believe that you are not worthy of receiving money, or that you have to struggle to get money, or that nobody will love you if you have money or that you don’t deserve too much money.
Whatever it is write it down. Seeing something in black and white brings greater clarity. Lack of clarity is what creates confusion and fear.
2. Let your Inner Champion respond
Instead of listening to the fears and doubts that you just listed and letting them rule you, listen to your Inner Champion instead.
Your Inner Champion is the opposite of your Inner Critic – he or she believes in you and is like your best friend: kind, compassionate, motivating, and inspiring. What would your best friend say to you? Have them respond to your current beliefs and fears and write down what they would say.
For instance, if your money fears tell you that you don’t deserve too much money, s/he may say:
“It’s not true that you don’t deserve much money. You have talents and skills that you are not using in your current work, and you are under-appreciated. Like everybody else, you deserve to be compensated for your work and service. Like everybody else, you deserve good things in life.”
3. Make a list of everything you do have
Rather than focusing on scarcity, focus on abundance. Begin by listing out everything you do have. These could be things, but also people in your life, your strengths, talents, skills, experiences, personality traits, etc.
Read out loud the entire list you have come up with and appreciate everything you already have.
Being thankful for what you have ends up with you having more. Being focused on what you don’t have, ends up with you never having enough.
4. Practice gratitude on a daily basis
Continue to focus on the positive – write down what you are grateful for every day.
You can come up with at least 5 gratitudes per day. You can be grateful for necessities like food and water, for people in your life, or simple things like seeing a hummingbird, having coffee in the morning, or someone smiling at you.
Remember:
[Tweet “Those with a grateful mindset make their blessings count. “]5. Begin working on something that inspires you
Find something you find enjoyable and inspiring, whether it’s creating greeting cards, choreographing a dance, organizing your closet, or planning a fun day with a loved one. Then go ahead and start doing it!
Don’t worry about how this will pay your bills. This is an action that will put you in a positive frame of mind, and will lead to other positive actions.
6. Make a loving-kindness wish to counter your fears
Every time a fear comes up, replace it with a loving-kindness wish. For example: If the thought: “I won’t have enough money.” comes up, say to yourself: “May I have enough money.”
This is just the beginning. It will take some practice, but once you have created a positive mindset, your thoughts and actions will be no longer be based on fears, but rather on abundance.
Your decisions will be based on what you really want. As a result, possibilities and opportunities will emerge that otherwise would not be apparent.
Are you ready to begin letting go of your money fears and attract new possibilities and opportunities? We’d love to here from you in the comments below.
Money worries really do stress people out – great post to start tackling these
Thank you, Mark! Yes, the more we can reduce stress, including money stress, the better!
Isn’t that the truth Mark. I think we certainly do have common fears around money, as Manuela pointed out 🙂
I know that I still have a lot of work to do around this one. Thanks for the helpful advice.
I think we all do to one degree or another Debbie. It seems that none of us are immune! 🙂
You are welcome, Debbie! Elle is right – as with all relationships, our work is never quite done. 😉 Just keep on going!