Financial stress is a sadly widespread experience. According to a poll(民意调查), roughly 7 in 10 respondents are "very stressed" about money, and only 1 in 10 report that they are not stressed about finances — and the proportion of people stressed about money is only going up. This is pretty significant because financial stress is linked to health problems like depression and sleep problems. With the rising cost of gas and food, the mortgage(抵押贷款) crisis, and the new bank troubles we're seeing, many Americans are feeling the crunch(需要作出重要决策的困难时刻) of financial stress. Anxiety over money can negatively affect health in several ways:
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Unhealthy Coping Behaviors: People experiencing financial stress can be more likely to numb(使麻木) their anxiety by drinking, smoking, overeating and practicing other unhealthy coping behaviors. This in turn leads to more stress.
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Less Money For Self-Care: With less money in the budget(预算), people who are already under financial stress tend to cut corners(抄近路) in areas like health care to pay for basic necessities like food. Small problems can go unchecked and turn into larger problems. This also leads to more stress.
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Lost Sleep: When under financial stress, people often experience trouble sleeping, which can add up to a sleep deficit, impairing(impair: 削弱) immune functioning(免疫功能) and cognitive(认知的) abilities, causing additional moodiness(喜怒无常), and more.
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Unhealthy Emotions: Credit card debt can cause unhealthy emotions that can take a toll(损耗) on health. People can experience anxiety, frustration and a sense of hopelessness as the debt piles up and increasing amounts of money are needed just to pay the interest. This causes additional stress, which compounds with(混合) the stress from poor coping and self-neglect, to become a menacing amount of stress.
It’s no wonder financial stress is one of the leading causes of stress in Americans. Here are some resources to help you handle your financial situation and feel more in control of your life, reducing stress and helping you build toward a more secure future:
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Find Out Where You Stand: Do you have a major money problem, or is your situation relatively under control? Ask yourself these questions and find out how much help you need to get on the right track.
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Learn About Implementing Systems That Can Help: Find out why budgets are important to your financial success, and learn how to create one that will fit well with your lifestyle.
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Work Toward Getting Out of Debt: Getting out from under credit card debt is much easier with a plan. Here’s a three-step approach that can help you.
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Learn How to Save Money and Cut Costs: Keeping a budget and working toward reducing what you owe is easier if you have more money.
As you work on improving your financial situation, you can reduce stress by practicing stress-reducing techniques and making other changes to create a low-stress lifestyle. By following the advice and making lifestyle changes, the burden of financial stress can soon be a thing of the past!