Tackle debt for peace of mind

You can’t worry your way out of financial trouble Many people often think that if they had more money, all their worries would go away.

You are not alone... there are several charities that you can turn to for debt aid

However (and while I am sure you’d prefer to find this out for yourself), I can tell you for most, more money just means different types of worries.

Most people live within their means and some – for various reasons – live beyond their means.

When your budget begins to stretch and you start borrowing for day-today spending, your money worries can quickly grow. This is the reason I don’t like using credit cards and why I developed the Bank Account System to help people gain control over their spending.

Worries are one thing but for some people small worries can easily escalate rapidly into bigger problems and cause mental health issues that can paralyse our decision-making process.

Just thinking about money, your bills and credit card statements can make you shudder, bringing on a sense of helplessness and a lack of hope.

That’s especially true of being in debt, especially if you can’t see how you’re going to be able to repay what you owe.

This can cause a vicious cycle which can quickly spiral out of control; your money worries cause you to have poor mental health but with poor mental health it’s so much harder to face your financial challenges, and so your money problems can worsen quickly.

If this is you, you are not alone. So, where can you turn to for help?

There are several charities to support you when you have money challenges. Two I like are mind.org.uk, which advises and supports anyone experiencing a mental health problem, money-related or otherwise, and stepchange. org, which for 25 years has helped people to deal with their debt problems.

I’m writing about money worries today because Mental Health Awareness Week, hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, starts tomorrow.

The theme this year is Movement: moving more for our mental health.

Movement is important for our mental health. But so many of us struggle to move enough. We know there are many different reasons for this, so this Mental Health Awareness

Week we want to help people find moments for movement in their daily routines.

Going for a walk, putting on your favourite music and dancing around the living room, chair exercises when you’re watching TV – it all counts.

Remember, motion creates emotion! You just try being sad while running or dancing around. It’s not easy!

If you’re challenged by money, or anything else in your life, please don’t try to resolve it alone, reach out for help and remember a problem shared is a problem halved. Visit mentalhealth.org.uk for more details and search for The Finance Geeks Podcast.