How Money Affects Our Health

We’ve all heard the expression: “Money can’t buy happiness.” 

The truth, however, is that whether you have enough money greatly impacts your wellbeing. Since money allows you to afford healthcare, those without enough in the bank experience not only lesser medical assistance, but also the mental and physical consequences of their financial stress. 

Keep reading to learn about the variety of ways money influences our health, and how you can put a stop to its most adverse effects:

Money and Mental Health

If you’re always concerned about finances, chances are your mental health will suffer for it. Here are some ways money can affect your mind:

• Depression: Living without enough income can lead you to feel hopeless and worsen or cause feelings of depression. 
• Anxiety: Worrying about money can make you extra paranoid about having enough funds in case of an emergency. 
• Poor self-esteem: When you feel as though you can’t provide for yourself or your family, your sense of self worth can drop. 
• Memory loss: It can be difficult to manage all your finances at once, so your mind might block out certain expenses in an effort to stay afloat.

Money and Physical Health

Mental health problems from financial stress can lead to a whole host of negative physical effects. These are some ways money can impact your body:

• High blood pressure: Due to the increase in cortisol levels caused by stress, you might experience high blood pressure. 
• Headaches: Your anxiety might make your muscles tense, which can produce headaches and migraines. 
• Insomnia: Money problems and harmful coping methods can keep you up at night. 
• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): Stress can affect the whole body, which might magnify or even cause changes to your gastrointestinal system.
• Weight gain: Mental or other physical health problems might lead you to put on weight. 
• Lack of medical care: If you’re struggling with money, you might be less likely to seek costly medical assistance, even if you need it.

How to Improve

Managing finances is stressful enough, let alone figuring out how to address mental and physical health problems. Although it seems challenging, here are some ways to improve both your money and health-related issues:

• Exercise: Even if it’s simply going for a walk, staying active can keep your body and mind healthy.
• Seek help: Those experiencing mental health problems can ask their loved ones or professionals for help. To get advice on financial struggles, talking to friends, family, and experts in the field is also a useful strategy.
• Take one step at a time: Rather than thinking about all your expenses at once, handling issues one by one is less overwhelming and more effective.
• Try meditation: Meditating not only can reduce stress levels, but it can also help you become more rational and equipped to deal with financial planning.
• Keep a balanced diet: Eating well can make you less likely to need medical assistance, which might help reduce your financial stress.
• Maintain a sleep schedule: Sleeping for enough hours at consistent times can make you more productive and energized, which could boost your earning potential.
• Reflect: In order to improve your lifestyle, taking time to reflect on your routines is a great place to start.

Whether it’s mental or physical health, money problems can have a huge impact on our well-being. To reduce the negative effects, there are several ways to both calm your nerves and improve your financial situation. Taking small steps toward better habits today will help you achieve more financial stability and better health in the long run.