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Checking In With Yourself After The First Week Of The Year

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<p>Can you believe that we’ve already seen the first week of 2023 come and go? For many people, this is a hectic week. You’re getting back into your work routine after taking a break for the holidays. Most of the time, it is the same week your kids are headed back to school. The traffic is crazy. Life is crazy. Yet, we put these additional goals and resolutions on our plates. That’s why checking in with yourself is the best thing you can do to stay on track with your annual resolutions.</p>::Pexels

Can you believe that we’ve already seen the first week of 2023 come and go? For many people, this is a hectic week. You’re getting back into your work routine after taking a break for the holidays. Most of the time, it is the same week your kids are headed back to school. The traffic is crazy. Life is crazy. Yet, we put these additional goals and resolutions on our plates. That’s why checking in with yourself is the best thing you can do to stay on track with your annual resolutions.

Why Checking In Is Important

There are a plethora of reasons why checking in with yourself is important, especially when it comes to goal-setting. Believe it or not, if you don’t check in on yourself, and your mental and physical health, you won’t reach your goals. More important than that, you can pinpoint why you set those goals and how the process makes you feel.

For instance, one of my goals is to lose weight this year, like many other people. In the past, I usually fasted, cut out large food groups entirely, and went about things in an unhealthy way. Of course, I started to try and do that again this year. After checking in with myself, I knew it would not be healthy to start the year out with an extended fast. Instead, I’ve focused my time and energy on making and eating healthy meals at home this week while cutting caffeine and sugar.

Checking in allows you to step back and assess everything from how you feel to how achieving your goals will make you feel. Most of all, it ensures that you are okay every step of the way.

How To Check In With Yourself

If you’re not sure how to check in with yourself, don’t worry! There are plenty of things you can do to check in and see how you’re feeling. Here are a few things I do to unplug and check on myself.

  1. Journal. Writing things down is a great way to get them out of your head. For me, it is a good idea to write down the things that are on my mind or the things that are worrying me/weighing me down. It allows me to get those thoughts out of my head and onto paper.
  2. Practice self-care. My favorite form of self-care is a nice hot bath with a good book. This allows time to unplug and check in with my body. Plus, reading is a soothing activity for me.
  3. Assess whether or not I’m overwhelmed. I’m ambitious and I like to set a lot of goals for myself. However, this can be more detrimental than it is good. Sometimes I need to take a step back and assess whether I’m overwhelmed or not and decide right then and there what can be taken off my plate.
  4. Take it one day at a time. This is the best advice anyone can give you! Some days are going to be great, you’ll make fantastic progress and work on all the good habits you’re trying to build. Other days, it’ll be great to just get out of bed and feed yourself. That’s okay too.
  5. Do something that brings me joy. Whether it is hanging out with a friend, curling up with a good book, or just a mug of hot tea, find something that brings you joy and do that thing. It is a great way to check in and give yourself a good mental health boost.

How often are you checking in with yourself and making sure you’re okay?

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Why is No One Talking About Shopping Addiction and Bankruptcy?

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<p>There is no doubt that your finances can have a hefty toll on your mental health and vice versa. I have been talking to more people about their money for the blog and just to make talking about finance a norm with friends and family. While discussing personal finance with them, I’ve noticed something many people aren’t talking about: the correlation between shopping addiction and bankruptcy.</p>::Pexels

There is no doubt that your finances can have a hefty toll on your mental health and vice versa. I have been talking to more people about their money for the blog and just to make talking about finance a norm with friends and family. While discussing personal finance with them, I’ve noticed something many people aren’t talking about: the correlation between shopping addiction and bankruptcy.

On an even broader note, many people don’t seem to notice the correlation between mental health and finance either. But don’t be fooled. Both addiction and mental health can have a profound impact on your financial situation and leave you stuck.

A Correlation Between Shopping Addiction and Bankruptcy?

I know a few individuals who have filed for bankruptcy. That is absolutely terrifying to me, but for many people who have filed, it doesn’t seem to phase them a bit. In fact, almost all of them have open, recurring debts for things they don’t really need. Programs like Afterpay and Klarna have only exacerbated this issue.

Even though they have filed for bankruptcy, which means they are holding much more debt than they could ever pay off for the foreseeable future. This has to be proven with documentation and, even then, you still may have to forfeit assets and pay off debts for another five years before they are erased.

However, filing for bankruptcy is doing nothing for the impulse control disorder that leads to compulsive shopping. For individuals with these control problems, bankruptcy offers them a clean slate to shop even more with new credit.

Are You a Shopping Addict?

While it is not formally recognized as a mental condition, shopping addiction is a real problem for many people. Luckily, it is manageable with therapy and direction from professionals. You may have a shopping addiction if any of the following applies to you…

  1. You spend a lot of time thinking about shopping and planning purchases. We aren’t talking about meal planning and budgeting here.
  2. It becomes evident that shopping interferes with other parts of your life (i.e. your financial future).
  3. Whoops! You go over your budget fairly often and rely on credit regularly.
  4. Your debt and finances as a whole are just entirely too complicated.
  5. There are secrets you keep about shopping.
  6. You have found that shopping gives you an almost euphoric high.

If you find yourself agreeing with more of these than not, you may want to seek help in getting your spending habits under control. You can also attend anonymous groups for addiction that allow you to connect with others who have gone through similar situations. Once you have a handle on how to change your habits, create a plan to move forward with paying off your debts.

This will ensure you break the cycle of shopping addiction and bankruptcy.

Mental Health and Personal Finance

Shopping addiction isn’t the only mental health issue impacting personal finance either. Addiction in general can have a wicked effect on a person’s finances. Additionally, mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, and cognitive disorders can also have a serious impact on the way you spend, save, and accrue debt.

In general, poor mental health can make it extremely difficult to manage and even earn money. Then, once you realize your finances are not in order, your anxiety about your money will just increase. Things can quickly start to seem overwhelming, even impossible.

Final Thoughts

All of these things can be helped, can be treated, and need to be talked about. The problem is, many people want to skate around the issues with bandaids or temporary fixes. That is why this week I’m asking why is no one talking about shopping addiction and bankruptcy?

Talk about money, debt, mental health, and hard issues with your close friends and family. Removing the stigma around these topics can help everyone heal and do better.

As always, if you or a loved one is suffering from substance abuse, addiction, or mental health issues, call the National Mental Health Hotline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). They can help direct you to professionals that can better assist in dealing with the problem at hand. 

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Suicide Prevention Awareness Month: Remember, Your Debt Doesn’t Define You

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Did you know nearly 30,000 Americans commit suicide every year? Although there are many reasons someone may choose to take their own life, in many cases, finances play a huge role in suicide. More specifically, individuals in debt are more likely to have suicidal thoughts. So, as a part of the 3rd Annual Suicide Prevention Awareness Month blog tour, I wanted to share some more of my personal debt story.

suicide prevention awareness

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

According to research performed by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, there is a clear tie between finance and suicide. Individuals who’ve experienced a major financial crisis within the last six months are eight times as likely to have suicidal thoughts than those who aren’t holding any financial stress. The study went on to say that people with multiple debts, or individuals who are unemployed, are especially at risk.

Drowning in Debt

As you all know, I’m currently holding about $65,000 in debt with my other half. Although we already steadily work on paying things off, it gets heavy. Every time money comes in, it is going out on yet another debt repayment or bill.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know that $65,000 in debt is still an improvement upon where I once was. At one point, I was homeless (living in a motel). I needed desperately to pay off a $1,600 debt in order to be able to have a home again. During my six months of being homeless, I hit some of my lowest of lows and, yes, even contemplated taking my own life.

I felt like life was a constant struggle with no relief. On top of feeling like I had no way out, I also felt as though my debt was burdening others. My other half just relocated nearly five hours to start a life together and I felt as though I was holding everything back – for him, for both of us. Not to mention, I was so broke and so tied down with finances that I couldn’t see many of my friends. I didn’t have a vehicle. I didn’t have money to go out. I felt alone.

Wake Up Call

We got a windfall that allowed us to pay off the $1,600 initial debt that was holding us back and got moved into an apartment within two months. After I got that paid off, I realized that things could (and would) improve as long as I remembered I wasn’t alone. More importantly, I remembered my life was more important than the debt I carried.

Debt is exhausting – emotionally and physically at times – but it is something most people have faced in their lives. If you feel like you are alone in this, you’re not. Millions of people are in debt, but it does not have to be a death sentence. I am living proof!

Startling Suicide Statistics

Because this month is about raising suicide prevention awareness, I wanted to leave you all with a few statistics and resources.

Who is at Risk?

  • Suicide rates are highest in the spring.
  • For individuals between the ages of 24 and 35 suicide is the second leading cause of death.
  • Women are more prone to having suicidal thoughts, however, men make up 79% of all suicide deaths.

However, everyone is at risk for suicide if you experience depression or are feeling overwhelmed in life.

Suicide Doesn’t Fix Anything

I have lost family members and friends to suicide and I personally know the pain it can bring. Whether you’re up to your eyeballs in debt or feel like you are a burden financially, suicide is never the answer. In many cases, it leaves your family to pay for unexpected funeral costs. Not to mention, your family will experience an unbelievable emotional burden that will never be lifted.

Losing someone to suicide is absolutely heartbreaking. Speaking out about the link between money and mental illness, like depression, can help reduce the stigma and prevent further suicides.

This blog post is part of the 3rd Annual Suicide Prevention Awareness Month blog tour. If you are feeling suicidal, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741. 

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COVID-19 and Mental Health: Are You Checking in With Yourself?

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<p>The topic of mental health is no stranger to this blog. For our family, the debt freedom journey has been very much so a mental journey but it has been nothing like the mental journey we've been through the past few months. (And we were homeless at one point.) I knew if it was impacting me so significantly, it had to be having a huge impact nationwide. So, I decided to take a look at COVID-19 and mental health.</p>::pexels

The topic of mental health is no stranger to this blog. For our family, the debt freedom journey has been very much so a mental journey but it has been nothing like the mental journey we’ve been through the past few months. (And we were homeless at one point.) I knew if it was impacting me so significantly, it had to be having a huge impact nationwide. So, I decided to take a look at COVID-19 and mental health.

COVID-19 and Mental Health Numbers

There are a lot of things that can come up when you are urged to spend most of your time indoors. For many people, depression is one of the first things that starts to set in. In general, humans are social. Most folks look forward to human interaction. So, without it, it is easy to start to get depressed.

For individuals with pre-existing mental health disorders, the threat of a mental breakdown during this time is even higher. Add the struggles of the COVID-19 era into that, and you have the perfect recipe for personal disaster.

“We’re talking about a population that struggles with being housed, being able to feed themselves, being able to take care of medical issues, having enough of an income,” Dr. Fumi Mitsuishi told Healthline.

How Coronavirus Impacted My Mental Health

I struggle with anxiety and depression anyway (typically seasonal), but this entire ordeal has had me out of sorts. I’ve noted more mood changes recently and definitely more low/sad points. It hasn’t been a fun time and my life hasn’t changed that much.

There were a number of things I was looking forward to that were canceled (two stand-up shows, one concert, two trips). We also weren’t able to celebrate our first wedding anniversary the way we would’ve liked. Also, because we are stuck in a 500 square-foot studio apartment, we spend a lot of time right on top of each other.

But, we have a lot to be thankful for. We’re able to get by financially and we are both in good health. However, it is so easy to slip into depression or even fall back into bad habits with everything going on in the world.

If You Need Help

No one should let COVID-19 and mental health take over their lives. If you need help, there are resources available to you.

  • Have a friend or family member to check-in with on a regular basis.
  • Reach out to the Suicide Prevention Hotline if you are having suicidal thoughts or feel depressed. The hotline number is 1(800)273-8255.
  • The Mental Health Hotline can help you talk through your feelings. They can be reached at 1(800)950-6264.
  • Individuals with a substance abuse issue should call their sponsor or reach out to the Substance Abuse Hotline. Their number is 1(800)662-4357.
  • Call your health-care provider or therapist. Ask for their recommendations on how to handle your condition and feelings.

Remember, your own mental health and well-being is the most important thing. This will pass with time and you will come out on the other side stronger. Readers, how are you dealing with COVID-19 and mental health? 

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