Are you avoiding your financial responsibilities?

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This article was brought to you by our friends at Cerner.

Addressing debt, instead of avoiding it, can help your finances and your mental health.

You may be in avoidance if you:

• Try to put money and finances out of your mind

• Avoid talking about money with family and friends

• Avoid opening bank statements or credit card bills

• Don’t know what your credit score is

• Don’t know your net worth

Ways to recover:

Think critically about beliefs surrounding money that you may have picked up in childhood.

Move past self-blame so you can take concrete steps toward financial health.

Track your money to see if you’re spending it on things that really matter.

Make a spending plan to decide which expenses can be cut and which ones are more important.

Use programs and apps to help you track spending and set spending and saving targets.

Automate. Automatically deposit part of your paycheck into your savings accounts. Set up reminders or automatic payments for bills.

Seek help. Psychologists are experts in helping people make lasting behavior changes.

Source: APA.org

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