12 hours Ago By Supriya Ramesh
Let’s be real—money troubles can turn even the most composed person into a stress-eating, doom-scrolling, caffeine-fuelled insomniac. If you’ve been living on the financial edge for so long that it’s starting to feel like home, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Financial instability can be a perpetual storm, and it's easy to spiral into stress and anxiety and self-doubt.
But just because money is tight doesn't mean your mental health has to be. Here’s a guide to mentally surviving prolonged financial instability. 1.
Befriend Your Budget Your budget may currently resemble a cryptic crossword puzzle with no correct answers, but it’s still worth getting to know. Give your budget a name and check in with it regularly, even if it only confirms what you already know: you are, in fact, still broke. 2.
Romanticise the Simplicity of Being Skint Minimalism is trendy, right? So technically, you're ahead of the curve. Can't afford expensive dinners? Call it "mindful eating." Wearing the same clothes repeatedly? Call it “sustainable fashion”.
Turn your financial struggles into an aesthetic lifestyle choice, and suddenly, you’re not struggling—you’re avant-garde. 3. Master the Art of Selective Ignorance Do you really need to know your bank balance at all times? Sometimes, it’s better to live in blissful denial for a few hours.
Of course, ignoring your finances forever is a terrible idea, but checking your balance too frequently is like poking a bruise—painful and unnecessary. Give yourself specific "financial check-in" times, and outside of that, focus on living. 4.
Embrace Ridiculous, Free Joy Just because your bank account is empty doesn’t mean your life has to be. There’s joy to be found in aggressively window shopping, making up backstories for people in cafés, or dramatically gasping at the price of avocados. Learn to entertain yourself like a 19th-century poet—stare at clouds, write odes to your future self, or have deep conversations with houseplants.
5. Remember That Financial Stability is a Journey, Not a Personality Trait Being broke doesn’t define you. You are still a magnificent human being, even if your current lifestyle involves rationing oat milk and considering an unpaid electricity bill a thrilling game.
Things will change. You will bounce back. In the meantime, keep laughing, keep going, and keep your sense of self-worth separate from your bank balance.
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