Financial Instability - Let’s talk about it

Finances. Something that everyone dreads and often avoids talking about. Financial instability can be extremely stressful, yet we never bring it up in conversation. But why? If financial stability is crucial to someone’s wellbeing, why is it that we all avoid talking about it?

I know, I know, financial instability is often something we do not want to admit to. It may feel a little embarrassing to talk about how you are struggling to stay afloat. But, believe it or not, things, like struggling to figure out your finances and stick to a budget, are more common than you may think. We’ve all had those moments of panic when we realize the bills are due and we don’t have the funds for them yet. And we’ve all made bad financial choices… So if you are or have been in this situation, you are not alone. And although not everyone’s experience is the same, the effects of financial instability on one’s mental health are often similar. 

My experience growing up in an immigrant family had its challenges, with financial instability being one of them. As a child, my parents avoided making any of these problems apparent to me, and I happily lived in my own little sheltered world. But as I grew older, the reality of our situation became more apparent as I watched my parents suffer from the stress of struggling to make ends meet. growing up financially instance: effects on parents and myself For most of my life, I have watched my parents do anything in their power to provide their family with a comfortable life, from working multiple jobs to working ridiculously long hours. As a young adult, my family became more transparent about our finances. My mother would sometimes talk about her sleepless nights, in which she was unable to sleep due to the unnerving stress of trying to figure out how she was going to pay the bills.

I admit, as a college student, the idea of becoming financially unstable terrifies me. Watching what financial instability did to my parent’s mental and physical health terrified me even more, especially since I do not want to experience my parent’s struggles. I’m afraid I will make bad financial choices or that I will suddenly lose my job or that something terrible may happen that I won’t have the funds for... But isn’t everyone at least a little stressed about their finances? So, here are some tips on how to stress less about financial instability.