We’ve all heard the saying ‘Your Health is Your Wealth,’ meaning that taking control of your finances can boost a lot more than just your bank balance.

Money worries are among the most common sources of stress. Over time, stress can have serious mental and physical symptoms, including depression, anxiety, high blood pressure and sleep and memory problems.

Your health can also impact your finances – providers of travel and life insurance will often base prices and what they are prepared to protect you against using your health records.

Start Small To Look After Your Wellbeing

Many of the symptoms of stress can be managed with exercise and mindfulness. While this can feel too challenging if you’re feeling under pressure, starting out with simple steps can help lower the weight on your shoulders and improve your overall health and put you in a better position to tackle any money problems head on:

• Get Moving - daily physical movement will improve your health and can also clear your mind and boost creative thinking, helping you see new solutions to your problems. Start small and slow if you need to and over time, you’ll notice that you’re able to do more.
• Open Up - keeping money worries bottled up amplifies stress and can cut us off from support. Talking to someone you trust can be a relief and the first step in developing a plan to tackle money troubles.  
• Celebrate Small Wins - you might be a long way from where you want to be financially, so marking mini-goals along the way can keep you in a confident, positive frame of mind.
• Nourish Yourself With Healthy Food and Rest - you’ll have more mental energy to tackle money worries if you’re not exhausted and sluggish.
• Be Money Mindful - even if full-on meditation doesn’t appeal, taking a few minutes to reflect on your day can help you notice spending habits and understand your underlying beliefs about money.  

Creating a Reassuring Financial Safety Net

Although it can be tempting to stick your head in the sand, tackling money problems is the best way to reduce any stress they might be causing. Getting to grips with finance basics can increase your confidence, and affordable insurance can give you peace of mind that you’ll be covered in an emergency.

Ultimately, money management allows you to work towards the big goals in your life, and taking expert advice can help you develop a plan to reach them.