Do you spend to relieve stress? Many people do. Even one of my favorite personal finance bloggers faces this temptation.
I often joke that I only work 6 months per year and only work hard for 3 of those. This isn’t exactly right, but the hours required to excel at my job gradually start to increase in January and peak in May. My schedule adheres to a pretty standard 8-5 during the rest of the year with 2-3 weeks of paid vacation.
During the spring time, many things that I enjoy doing, and/or are good for me, take a back seat to work. Things like exercising, reading, golfing, and well….blogging. I also find that my stress levels spike tremendously during these 6 months. I can only attribute this increase to two things:
- The increased work and pressures associated with more work
- Less free time and energy available to spend on things I enjoy (which counter balance the increased workload)
If you’re like me, then your stress level also increases whenever your life’s balance starts to lean heavily towards work and away from things you enjoy. But, the stress has to be relieved somehow. And with less time available to spend on healthy activities, it’s common for people to relieve stress with less healthy, yet easier, activities. Think eating, drinking, and spending. It’s no surprise, that while these type of activities may provide some relief, it’s very brief and they almost always leave you worse off than you were before engaging in the listed activity.
Unhealthy stress relieving habits left unchecked can, and do, wreck havoc on people everyday. The results of these activities can build slowly, remaining unnoticed until you wake up overweight, with a drinking problem, or drowning in debt.
It’s impossible to eliminate stress, but it is possible to combat stress in healthy ways. Some techniques may require more time than others. I am a new Zen Habits reader and found Leo’s article, 20 Ways to Eliminate Stress From Your Life, an excellent article full of ideas that will help reduce stress, yet take little or no time to implement.
How do you combat stress and the ill effects it can have on your money?
I definitely agree with you on this topic. My girlfriend shops whenever she is stressed out or feeling bad. I used to spend a lot of money as well when things got a little chaotic so i know where she’s coming from and not judging her. We have to have a balance in life for the things we want to do and what we are obligated to do.
Just want to say what a great blog you got here!
I’ve been around for quite a lot of time, but finally decided to show my appreciation of your work!
Thumbs up, and keep it going
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