A lot of us have shame around money. When we’re feeling depressed, managing our money gets even harder. When money is tough, when we’ve been laid off, we have a major expense, or we’re in a lot of debt, it can push many of us into feeling isolated, depressed and anxious. We need to keep in mind that taking care of our money is a form of self care. It’s a way of protecting our own mental health.
Additionally, when we’re feeling some mental health struggles, we need to understand that we’re not going to make perfect choices with money. We can try to be aware of it, but as someone who has struggled with depression and anxiety myself, I know how hard it is to stay on top of everything when you’re feeling that struggle.
But one of the things I’d keep top of mind in this area is having an emergency fund. Having an emergency fund makes this process a little bit easier when you’re feeling really down. When you’re feeling like you’re struggling, having some money to lean back on so that if you do overspend some, or you have an emergency expense come up, you’re able to take the break that you need.