We naturally tend to see our physical and financial wellness in terms of goals—”I want to lose 25 pounds!” “I want to save money for a house”. However, what if we’re better off revising this thinking and looking at both as life-long habits?

Both health and finances work the same way: they grow stronger with intention and consistent practice, and studies show how they’re intrinsically connected. Incredibly, 56% of Americans lose sleep over money and around 45% feel symptoms of depression. Ohio State University even discovered that 27% of those who are stressed about debt also had stomach ulcers or other digestive issues, proving that money stress can make some of us physically ill.

However, while it’s easy to find support to improve your physical wellbeing, taking care of your financial health can be a lonely enterprise. Money worries and pains are kept so private we often hide them, even from ourselves. They can induce depression, fear, and insecurity, which lead to avoidance behaviors and keep us trapped in unhealthy coping strategies. How do we talk about something that’s so taboo?

It’s time we became just as conscious of our financial wellness as we are of our health.

Here are three steps to develop healthier money habits:

Start With What You Have

When we want to get in shape, we know we need to start working out before we become fit. So why do so many of us believe it’s necessary to already be financially stable before we can begin to wisely address our finances?

We need to engage with our finances today, regardless of how much or little we have, and not wait for a surprise windfall. Become familiar with the approximate amount you earn and spend each month, how much you have in bank and other accounts, what you owe to each credit card and loan, what health and retirement plan options are available at work. In other words, let's get our heads out of the sand and get familiar with what’s already true about our finances.

You can only ever start with what you have. Whether there’s one dollar or a million, it’s always possible to apply a different mindset to money and improve your financial wellbeing.

For example, too many of us learned early in life that net worth is equated to self-worth. While some may think this mindset is a recipe for success,  our happiness (or anxiety) becomes dependent on the ups and downs of the stock market and the economy, and it actually limits how much our self-worth can grow.

Unconsciously, we end up repeating destructive behaviors in adult life that are ingrained in our autopilot thinking. We spend money when we should save, or we invest money impulsively in a risky venture, hoping for a quick gain that may never come.

The important thing is not to put off your journey to financial independence simply because it seems too large to tackle. If you want to make big changes in your life, start with small ones. 

Small Gains Add Up

Just as getting in shape requires consistent effort, your finances benefit from daily exercise.

Sessions are effective even if they’re short. Five minutes each day to work on your finances can bring meaningful change. Spending fifteen minutes to meditate on your financial beliefs can result in life-changing insights.

Over time, it’s the small gains that add up to bigger ones.

Remember though, practicing good habits is futile if you’re also practicing bad habits that negate any gains.

This is why meditation is so important. It allows us to become aware of our bad habits and make room for beneficial ones to emerge. Meditation is a workout for the mind where a new perspective can be gained and a new sense of self can be strengthened.

Find a Trusted Friend

When it comes to improving our finances, we often struggle to reach out to others for help. However, just as it’s often easier to stay motivated if you have a workout friend or group, money allies can make the difference between meeting your financial goals or falling short of them.

Having someone to converse with about our financial fears and goals helps us to recognize the internalized beliefs that are keeping us from financial freedom and ease.. Friends can also help us understand that we may be more financially knowledgeable than we realized or they can help us see how our biases are limiting our success.

Even if you have to work solo, it’s possible to get the benefit of seeing our lives through another person’s eyes. Imagine that a friend has your exact financial situation; whatever you would tell your friend to do is exactly what you should start doing.

And don’t forget to be a friend to yourself. Be mindful of negative self-talk. Give yourself permission to believe you have what it takes to improve your wellbeing.

-

You can learn more about how to develop healthier money habits by checking out the highlights from my webinar at MindwellU, and by clicking here for free resources.