The words 'cost of living crisis' are appearing daily on our news feeds and perhaps the uncertainty of what this may mean or the implications for you are causing increased stress and anxiety and could be terrifying you. According to a survey by The Independent (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/cost-living-uk-anxiety-inflation-b2081588.html), one quarter of young adults say the cost of living crisis is the leading cause of anxiety in their life.
Rising rents, energy bills, food costs, household bills, medications, debt and gym membership costs mean that you have less disposable income and so you are having to make difficult decisions on what you can afford and chose to pay for. This can be highly stressful and can be affecting your sleep, your mood, your relationships and you may feel you have difficulty coping. Both mental and physical health can be impacted.
Here are 10 helpful tips if if the cost of living crisis is affecting your mental health:
#1 - Do some mindfulness, relaxation and breathing exercises to calm the anxiety – Google is great for these
#2 - Try not to ignore bills; watching your bills get piled up or receiving bill related e-mail reminders can create even more anxiety so be brave and address them individually
#3 - Make a list of outgoings and incomings to get a full picture of your finances and create a budget planner. There are online tools if necessary. E.g. https://www.gov.uk/check-benefits-financial-support and https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/get-help-with-the-cost-of-living/
#4 - Focus on what you can control and influence as this is more likely to impact you positively rather than stressing about what is out of your control
#5 - Eat healthily-it is still possible to eat healthily when you have less money to spend so have fun googling healthy recipes on a budget.
#6 - Sleep can get affected when feeling anxious or more stressed so try to keep good hygiene and avoid watching, reading the news before bed.
#7 - Reach out to a friend or family member to share how you are feeling and if employed, check out what support your employer has
#8 - Keep connected to others and keep physically active as both have a positive impact on your well-being; you can still socialise and do exercise on a budget.
#9 - Be kind to yourself and do something that will distract and take your mind off your finances like going for a walk, seeing a friend, self-care, listening to a podcast, learning a new skill.
#10 - Make a list of what helps to reduce your anxiety and stress levels; it is hard to think clearly when we are feeling so stressed and depressed so it is helpful to have a list at the ready.
If the cost of living crisis is negatively affecting your mental health, you do not need to suffer alone. Talk to someone you can trust and share how you are feeling. Get professional support. Remember that asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength and courage!
For further help and coping strategies, please click here to arrange an initial FREE 15-minute telephone call with me. We can even spread your session payments.
For my more detailed article on this, please see https://www.themix.org.uk/mental-health/looking-after-yourself/top-10-tips-for-looking-after-your-mental-health-during-the-cost-of-living-crisis-47936.html
Comments