Many of us get into trouble with not having enough money. A low credit score, big debt, unemployment, etc, can fall into an abyss of depression and feel powerfully demoralized, like a wart on society. Some of us are just getting by the joke about making a wrong decision and finding ourselves homeless, old, unemployed, and alone. Others will laugh, but we all know better – it has happened to people a lot like us. It is a real and valid fear of loss.
Those of us who have plenty of money may seem to be content and with no worries; but they cling and count every dollar, fighting every possibility of the taxman and anyone else taking one penny away. The wealthy can be the most anxious about money because they are so afraid of losing what they have and some are blithely unaware of how fortunate they truly are.
5 Ways to Stop Worrying About Money
There are a few things you can incorporate to reduce the impact of worry of money on you.
1. Learning from the Past
Everything in this world happens for a reason. We can think about our past because we have been gifted by God/Nature with a great memory. According to some experts, the human brain contains roughly 100 billion neurons and each of these neurons seems capable of making around 1,000 connections, representing about 1,000 potential synapses, which largely do the work of data storage.
The memory of the human brain is thus around 100 terabytes, which is several times more than even the most powerful computer in the world. So, if you have bad experiences with money, try to forget it and use that experience as a positive thing and stop worrying about money where you have wasted your precious money and time.
2. Vision for the Future
A vision for the future is important as setting a powerful goal in life. Our world functions according to some rules. We can learn some of these rules from the books or our elders. However, we can’t learn from any book ‘how to use the rules’ to solve our real-life problems or achieve our desired objectives. But we can learn from past experiences and also from our loved ones. They are the pillars who taught us how to stop worrying about money and how we can save it.
- “Every experiment proves something. If it doesn’t prove what you wanted it to prove, it proves something else.” (Professor Anon)
- “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” (Thomas A. Edison)
3. Extreme Underspending and Compulsive Spending
Leaving a lot of money for your family is great. But at what cost? When will you start enjoying the wealth you have earned? If you don’t spend your money, probably someone else will. Being frugal is fine, but are you taking it too far.
You must have come across people who cringe to spend all the time. When you buy something, there’s no satisfaction. The craving remains and you must make another purchase. This is a compulsive spending disorder. You suffer from anxiety and spending heavily seems to be the way out.
4. Financial Incest
If adults force children to serve as a go-between in arguments on money, force the child to work excessively to pay the household bills, or expecting a child to keep financial secrets from family members. All these are signs of financial incest. Burdening kids with money problems. This is financial incest. Dividing your financials with your family will stop you somewhat worrying about money.
5. Being a Workaholic
Workaholics want money and the power and respect that it commands. Workaholics feel they never have enough money. They want more. They have to prove something. Who are these workaholics? These are the people who get to the office very early, stay late and then go home and work. You work very hard without breaks to amass wealth and the source of this is financial insecurity. You find many such people in the corporate world.
How to Never Worry About Money Again
Money brings about good consequences — helps us live valuable lives — only when joined with “virtues.” Virtues are good abilities of mind and character. This is a problem because the theme of money is so deep and pervasive in our lives.
One’s relationship with money is lifelong, it colors one’s sense of identity, it shapes one’s attitude to other people, it connects and splits generations; money is the arena in which greed and generosity are played out, in which wisdom is exercised and fully committed. Freedom, desire, power, status, work, possession. These huge ideas that rule life are enacted, almost always, in and around money. Have some habits that are completely unrelated to making a profit, but are done for other pleasure. This could mean drawing or playing a sport. Make it a detachment.
By doing this you can have an exit portal away from money. Find something that can not only occupy your time but something that is done with a purpose. The role of money is as a medium of exchange and one of many stores of value.
Financial Freedom is Worth it
A herd of cattle is a store of value. It is not money. Money does present a more fungible store of value. Vast fields are a store of value, are not money.
The advantages of money, whether you are rich or poor are in its fungibility. You can use it to buy a flock of chickens, a few hogs, your first two cows (the start of your herd) or carpenter tools (with which you start the trade to make enough money to buy chickens, and later a few hogs, and still later the start of that herd of cattle). Money gives you the choice of what to do.
You can keep track of what you spend money on, this way if you spend it on something needlessly then you can take note of it and refrain from spending it like that again. If you worry you are spending too much money, there’s nothing wrong with just saving it. You can obsess about money on any budget, whether you are rich or poor. So, consequently, you can also stop obsessing about money regardless of your budget. If you understand there is no causal effect between how wealthy you are and your obsession, then you can be free to see what matters and live accordingly.
Final Word
Your insecurities will not be resolved by anything outside of you. You will have to come to terms with the limiting thoughts you have about yourself. All you can do is try to keep your mind right and keep chugging along. Don’t forget to live a life, don’t waste it worrying about the future. Education is a cheap and easy way to provide perspective. So, educate yourself: improve your financial literacy. Take the time to read and access materials on consumer finance and stop worrying about money.
You may also want to get involved in activities that do not cost money or cost very little like volunteering, hiking, running, playing some sports, learning to play instruments, reading books, etc. These activities provide you with happiness and you don’t have time to worry about things that may not happen at all in the future.
