{"id":117869,"date":"2025-09-04T09:12:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T09:12:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edenred.pt\/?p=117869"},"modified":"2025-09-04T09:12:44","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T09:12:44","slug":"financial-anxiety-what-it-is-and-how-to-fight-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/news\/savings\/financial-anxiety-what-it-is-and-how-to-fight-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Financial anxiety: What it is and how to fight it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Factors such as economic instability, professional uncertainty or the rising cost of living tend to contribute to an increasingly common phenomenon: financial anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This type of anxiety doesn&#8217;t choose ages, professions or income levels &#8211; it can affect anyone at any stage of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">More than a one-off worry about money, financial anxiety is a condition that <strong>can compromise emotional well-being, physical health and the quality of personal relationships<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But there are ways of recognizing it, understanding it and, above all, fighting it. That&#8217;s what you can discover with us in this article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is financial anxiety?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cuf.pt\/mais-saude\/sabe-como-lidar-com-ansiedade-financeira\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Financial anxiety<\/a> is a persistent state of worry, fear or discomfort related to one&#8217;s personal economic situation. It can manifest itself even in people with stable incomes and can be associated with current situations that are affecting the person&#8217;s finances or with potential situations in the future, in anticipation of difficulties. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a mental and emotional level, financial anxiety can manifest itself through the following symptoms:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Fatigue;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Irritability;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A feeling of panic;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Restlessness and difficulty concentrating;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sleep disorders;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Memory problems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In terms of physical symptoms, they can appear:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Chest pains;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Headaches;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shortness of breath;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Diarrhea or digestive changes;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Muscle pain and tremors;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Weight fluctuations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to combat financial anxiety?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are some strategies you can try, both in terms of your emotional control and managing your personal finances, that can help you reduce anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1 &#8211; Acknowledge what you feel and talk about it<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first step in dealing with financial anxiety is to recognize that it exists. <strong>Ignoring or minimizing the problem only prolongs the discomfort<\/strong>. Talking about your feelings with someone you trust &#8211; a friend, family member or professional &#8211; can relieve the pressure and help you gain perspective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Writing about your emotions or identifying the times when you feel most anxious can be a useful exercise in understanding the triggers of this anxiety and starting to work on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2 &#8211; Make a diagnosis of your financial situation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Financial anxiety is often linked to uncertainty. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s essential to have a <strong>clear vision of your economic reality<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Collect all the information about your income, expenses, debts and savings: all sources of income and all expenses. A simple monthly budget can be a powerful tool for regaining control and making more informed decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3 &#8211; Draw up a plan for your finances<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once you&#8217;ve identified the main stress factors &#8211; whether it&#8217;s excessive debt, unstable income or a lack of savings &#8211; set yourself concrete goals. These goals could include reducing expenses, renegotiating loans, automating savings or looking for additional sources of income. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a structured plan, with <strong>realistic goals and defined deadlines<\/strong>, helps turn anxiety into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4 &#8211; Build an emergency fund<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One of the biggest factors in financial peace of mind is knowing that you are prepared for the unexpected. An emergency fund &#8211; ideally one that can cover the equivalent of six to twelve months&#8217; expenses &#8211; acts as a <strong>safety net in the event of unforeseen situations<\/strong>, such as unemployment, illness or others. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even if you start with small amounts, the important thing is to get <a href=\"https:\/\/edenred.pt\/en\/news\/savings\/world-savings-day-6-tips-for-acquiring-savings-habits\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">into the habit of saving regularly<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5 &#8211; Don&#8217;t isolate yourself<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Anxiety tends to feed on silence and isolation. Staying connected to family, friends or colleagues is fundamental to <strong>preserving emotional balance<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sharing worries, maintaining routines and looking for activities that provide well-being, such as physical exercise, are effective ways of reducing the impact of anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6 &#8211; Invest in your financial literacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Financial anxiety is often the result of low financial literacy. Understanding basic concepts of personal finance &#8211; such as interest, budgeting, credit or investment &#8211; allows you to make more informed decisions and avoid mistakes that can become costly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today there are countless resources, from <a href=\"https:\/\/edenred.pt\/en\/news\/savings\/5-personal-finance-courses-to-learn-how-to-manage-your-money-better\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online courses<\/a> from financial institutions to <a href=\"https:\/\/edenred.pt\/en\/news\/savings\/8-books-on-financial-literacy-and-personal-finance\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">books<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/edenred.pt\/en\/news\/savings\/5-podcasts-on-personal-finance-and-savings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">podcasts<\/a> with educational content and consumer associations. Financial literacy is a tool for autonomy and prevention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7 &#8211; Seek specialized help<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you feel you can&#8217;t cope on your own, don&#8217;t hesitate to seek professional support. There are organizations such as <a href=\"https:\/\/deco.pt\/deco-consigo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deco Proteste&#8217;s Financial Protection Office<\/a> that provide free or affordable advice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In more complex cases, psychological support can be essential to deal with the <strong>emotional effects of financial anxiety<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Read also<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/edenred.pt\/en\/news\/savings\/5-apps-to-manage-your-spending-and-save\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5 apps to manage your spending and save money<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Factors such as economic instability, professional uncertainty or the rising cost of living tend to contribute to an increasingly common phenomenon: financial anxiety. This type of anxiety doesn&#8217;t choose ages, professions or income levels &#8211; it can affect anyone at any stage of life. More than a one-off worry about money, financial anxiety is a&#8230;","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":117792,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[233,225],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-savings"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117869","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117869"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117869\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117890,"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117869\/revisions\/117890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117869"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117869"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.edenred.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117869"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}