American Heart Month

Financial Stress and Your Heart

February is American Heart Month. We talk a lot about how your mental, physical, and financial health all play a role in your overall wellbeing. Poor financial health can cause stress and affect your mental health. And, as we all know, stress can seriously affect your physical health (especially your heart!).

We hear it all the time, heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. This is due to many different factors, but stress plays a significant role in that statistic. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, “long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure.” All the above are commonly known risk factors for heart disease. Stress can also make people react in unhealthy ways, such as smoking, drinking in excess, not getting enough sleep, and eating unhealthy foods.

The leading cause of stress in America? Finances. The American Psychology Association’s Stress in America survey showed that 72% of Americans feel stressed about money. It’s unsurprising, due to the recent inflation, the pandemic, the housing market, and so many other factors. But how do we combat financial stress?

Tips to Feel Less Stressed About Finances

1. Set and keep a budget. The more control you feel over your finances, the less stressed you will be, regardless of your income. Knowledge is power, so get to know everything you have coming in and going out!
2. Understand your debt. Take control by consolidating debt, selling things you don’t need or use to pay off smaller debts, and try to avoid using your credit card for regular spending (that is, if you’re not in the habit of paying it off right away – using your credit card regularly and paying it off regularly is a great way to build your credit).
3. Make a plan and set an achievable timeline to pay off your debt. Again, feeling in control eases stress.
4. Make sure you understand how your credit score works. Check out this blog post to learn more about credit scores!
5. Call NorthRidge Community Credit Union to get help with any or all of the above if you’re not sure where to start! 877-672-2848
6. Don’t neglect general stress management. Eat healthy most of the time, exercise for 30 minutes a day (even a nice walk over your lunch break counts), drink more water, and strive for 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.  

This month, pledge to take care of your heart, pick 2 or 3 of the above things that you can do right now to get started on your path to de-stress!