IX. Stress and Money Issues

Most people stress about money, even those who have a lot of it. Those who are struggling for money wonder how they’re going to pay the bills, while those with money worry about what they’re doing with it.

Mortgage payments, rent payments, bills, investments, untrustworthy financial advisors and money managers, legal problems. The root cause of all these problems are money, whether it’s not having enough of it, or having so much that you need to worry about what’s being done with it.

Money is a universal problem for just about everyone. Along with various money problems comes stress. Yet, money doesn’t have to be the big issue that it has become. In previous years, many people were able to live happily on next to nothing. As long as they had shelter, and family, life was good. If you live in a western country, even if you believe you are poor, chances are that you have better living conditions than people 300 years ago. In spite of this, they were probably happier.

There is no need to stress over money. Being concerned about your money situation is healthy, but becoming obsessed and stressed over the situation is not. Money issues begin to cause stress when you think that there is no solution to your problem. But, there are always options. You may not like them, but the options exist.

And choosing a certain option now does not have to mean that it has to be the option you choose for the rest of your life. Making a change, or a sacrifice to make ends meet does not have to be something you do for the remainder of your life. It is simply a solution for the present circumstances, and something that can be changed in the future.

Life challenges are not necessarily a bad thing either. When you put effort into something, whether it’s physical or mental, you work off the hormones that the body produces when you are stressed. It also helps psychologically to work things out, as becoming passive or negative about an issue often leads to depression, which in itself can cause more stress. You’re also likely to gain knowledge as your work through a problem. This can be used if you ever face the issue again, without needing to face the same anxiety again.

Credit cards, interest free periods and offers of ‘easy money’ force millions of people into debt every year. But, with a little effort, millions of people also manage to settle their debt as well.

It’s not unusual for family arguments to erupt over money. Stress builds as you argue about how to spend the money you do have. Viewing the situation realistically and being willing to compromise will help to keep stress at bay.

It can help to put a little aside for those days when you just want to do, or buy, something special. Realizing that you can do this, and still survive, can help to lower your stress levels.

If you have enough to cover your basic survival needs, which most people do, then everything else can be worked out. So there really is no need to stress.

X. Stress and Pets

Occasionally, looking after pets can be as stressful as raising children. However, it is more often the case that pets help to relieve stress.

Studies have shown that patients recovering from surgery heal significantly faster if they have a pet. Stress has been linked with a higher occurrence of infection, so by having something that reduces stress – in this case, a pet – then the chances of infection are diminished, speeding up recovery time.

There are many psychological bonuses to pets. They provide constant responsibility, which makes them difficult to ignore. Pets are largely unaware of your problems, so they help to shift your focus away from any issues that you might have when you attention is turned towards caring for your pet. By moving your thoughts away from a situation that is stressing you, your stress levels automatically fall.

Stress can bring about the ‘fight or flight’ defense mechanism that all animals – including humans – have. When your attention is diverted from a stressful issue or situation, it allows your body to calm down. When returned to your normal state, it is known as homeostasis, something that stress interferes with.

When they’re not creating stress, dogs are fantastic companions and help to relieve stress. There are times when their behavior can actually aggravate any stress that you are suffering from. However, normally they provide an outlet to help relieve stress. A walk in the park or a game of fetch is a great stress buster. The simplicity of a dogs life – wanting to play, be fed, and get the occasional pat – helps people to remember that life doesn’t always have to be a challenge. The simple things in life are often the best.

For over 10,000 years dog have lived with humans in a domesticated setting. Their presence in people’s lives has been shown to alleviate stress. Whether you’re a hiker, hunter or fisher, having a dog by your side amplifies the good affect of the activities you are undertaking.

Some people don’t have the time or resources to take care of a cat or a dog though. But they don’t have to miss out. Caring for tropical fish takes a certain level of effort, and that effort can move your mind away from whatever problem is stressing you. Added to that, watching sea creatures swim and interact can be extremely relaxing.

Of course, you don’t have to stick to cats and dogs – many animals exhibit behaviors that people think is amusing. And studies have shown that laughter is indeed the best medicine when it comes to reducing stress.

Communication between humans and animals is obviously different than communication between people, but that can be of benefit. An animal is not going to add to your stress with their pessimistic thoughts about a problem. Instead, you get support, and the only thing that they want in return is some affection and dinner.

There’s nothing more you could really ask for in a companion.

It has been estimated that two-thirds of all visits to physicians are for stress-related problems. Recent evidence indicates that the physical changes associated with stress may contribute to the leading causes of death - heart disease and cancer.

The effects of stress include the following:

• Stress can cause chronic fatigue, digestive upsets, headaches, and back pain.

• Stress can affect the blood cells that help you fight off infection, so you are more likely to get colds and other diseases.

• Constant stress can increase blood pressure and can increase the risk for stroke.

• Stress can increase the danger of heart attacks, particularly if you are often angry and mistrustful.

• Stress can make an asthma attack worse.

• Stress triggers behaviors that contribute to death and disability, such as smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, and overeating.

• Stress can lead to diminished sexual desire and an inability to achieve orgasm.

• Stress makes it harder to take other steps to improve health, such as giving up smoking or making changes in diet.