MONEY WORRIES MAKING YOU ILL?

Discover how small lifestyle changes can help you cope with day-to-day stress

- NATALIA LUBOMIRSKI

Whether we’re stressing about the rising cost of petrol or baulking at the fact that butter is selling for up to £9 in our local supermarket, worried about their financial situation.

While the ‘account total’ displayed on the ATM screen may plainly reveal the effect the economic climate is having on our bank balances, the effect on our health may not be so clear. But realising how it’s affecting you and managing money stress is vital.

Effect on mental health

Stress activates the part of the brain that makes us feel under threat and puts us in fight or flight mode. ‘If it becomes chronic, it can impair cognitive function, including memory, concentration, including serotonin,’ explains counselling psychologist Dr Rina Bajaj. This plays a sleep and digestion.

‘We may experience feelings of guilt and shame and have negative thoughts, such as “I’ll never have enough money” or “I’m a complete failure.”’ says Dr Bajaj. This can fuel tension and arguments, exacerbate mood swings, or may make you angry, irritable, cause a loss of libido and, over time, wear away at your relationships.

Financial stress can cause us to withdraw from friends and curtail our social life. ‘We’re prone to bottling up how we feel about money because of sensitivities surrounding the subject, which makes things worse,’ says Dr Serra Pitts, clinical director and associate fellow of the British Psychological Society. It is, therefore, hardly surprising that people in financial difficulty are more likely to have mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.