3 Weekly Habits That Will Make You Feel More Confident About Your Finances
Contributing writer By Sheryl Nance-Nash Read Full Article
March 12, 2023
Invest in your well-being: In this financial wellness series, we're diving into how to better budget for your physical, mental, and emotional health. Welcome to Wellth Check.
Maybe on paper you look good financially. You're saving, paying your bills on time; you're mostly making the right money moves. But you have a secret. You're not 100% confident when it comes to your finances. There's some insecurity, or perhaps even a bit of intimidation.
Truth is, when it comes to money, mindset is major. When you think about money, you don't feel like you got swagger; you need to build your self-assurance. It's critical to your overall financial wellness. Each week there are steps you can take to make you feel like you "got this" when it comes to money. Here's what to do.
Use financial affirmations.
If you tell yourself you're not good with money, it can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Change the narrative. Tell yourself something different.
Affirmations are positive statements repeated frequently to shift thoughts and can counteract negative beliefs like, "I'll never be able to save enough."
Therapist Crystal Jackson says to replace such thinking with words like, "I am financially secure" and "I have more than enough to meet all my needs."
"Negative thoughts and beliefs may be holding you back from achieving your financial goals. If you believe that you will never be able to save enough money, repeating 'I am financially secure' can help shift that belief and create a more empowering mindset," says Jackson.
Affirmations can also boost your belief in your abilities. "If you say, 'I have the power to achieve my financial goals,' you may begin to feel more capable and confident in your ability to manage money," she says.
Laura Barrera, a certified health coach, offers a few affirmations, "I trust in my ability to create wealth and abundance in my life," "I manifest abundance and prosperity in my life, and I believe it is on its way to me now," ""I choose to focus on abundance and let go of any limiting beliefs around money." Rinse and repeat.
Create a list of affirmations that align with your financial goals and values. One way to do it, says Barrera, is to create a storybook in your notebook with images and photos that inspire wealth and abundance for you. "Incorporating visual aids can help to make your affirmations more powerful and engaging," she says.
Educate yourself.
Choose one topic each week you want to learn more about. On that subject find a podcast, website, books, seminars, or even an online class. All this information will also serve as inspiration.
Soon you'll find that all this new information you're absorbing makes you feel more at ease in your daily money choices, when talking about finances with others, and just going about your financial journey.
Accentuate the positive.
Pick a day each week to have a sit-down with yourself to assess your financial progress. Focus on what you did right. Maybe you reduced how much you spent at the grocery store, cooked more than you ate out, set up automatic payments, researched investment options, or whatever other victories you can celebrate.
But be kind to yourself, if the week hasn't been perfect, don't beat yourself up too badly. Own up to the mistake and vow to not be a repeat offender. When you focus on the good more than the bad, you'll be motivated to stay on course and have an overall better mindset about money.
"I find that mindfulness practices such as meditation and journaling can be helpful in addressing feelings of stress or anxiety related to money. By taking time to quiet the mind and focus on the present you can better manage stress and emotions that may be impacting your confidence around money," says Jackson.
