April Reading Roundup

Feeling overwhelmed? Chances are, you’re not alone. A lengthy pandemic , rising inflation, and an international war are just some of the larger things straining the minds of Americans. Add more personal things like taxes, relationship troubles and debt, and you have compounded enough stressors to create a perfect storm. To help, we’ve rounded up some links to help you manage all that you may be facing this month.

Money & Financial Stress

Financial stress can take a serious toll on your mental health. It can even manifest itself physically, creating headaches, restlessness, and panic attacks. If debt, taxes, loans, and other financial responsibilities are starting to stress you out, it may be time to rethink how you approach money.

Creating a debt payoff plan may be a good first step to take, especially if you’re watching your bills mount. Part of this process may involve creating a budget and putting a stop to overspending. You may even want to automate your savings and set up spending alerts to help improve your financial health.

Career Stress & Burnout

While work-from-home setups can save you the stress and expense of a commute, it can cause even more stress in terms of trying to negotiate work-life boundaries. Financial and mental health can start to take a toll on your work, especially if you’re struggling with turning work “off” during personal hours. And for those still working in person, commute or relocation stresses can lead to burnout, too.

To mitigate stress and burnout, you may want to cash in on your vacation days . Need help deciding how to make the most of your vacation time? You could call up some friends and family to plan some free fun activities , such as going for a walk or planning a potluck dinner and movie night.

Relationship Stress

Wedding planning is notoriously stressful for couples. If you and your partner are starting to feel the pressure, you may want to take a step back and put the focus back on your relationship with some one-on-one time. You could plan a small date night or even a larger romantic getaway , such as visiting a vineyard or ski resort for the weekend.

But newlyweds aren’t the only ones experiencing stress right now. Parents with kids transitioning back into the classroom or who have a newborn at home may also be experiencing more stress than usual. New moms and
dads can relieve stress by being intentional about carving out time for themselves. Taking time to tend to your personal wants and needs can help ease stress and give you the energy and patience you will need to take care of your children.

Ways to Combat Stress

Without proper care, stress can take a serious toll on your body. One thing you can do to help overcome it is acknowledge your stressors and adopt some stress management tactics such as meditating, exercising or even talking to a close friend. Being able to properly manage your stress will not only help you better control stressful situations, but it can also help build your confidence and self-esteem and help you sleep more soundly .

Other Mental Health Tips

Need some more tips to unwind and destress? We found some more tips to help you take control of your mental health:

•   100 best health tips to help you live well

•   The Top 10 Tips for Beating Burnout

•   Wellness Tips To Help You Through These Stressful Times

•   How to spring clean your wellness

•   6 Tips to Help Cure Your Work-Life Balance

The Takeaway

There are plenty of stressors that can eat away at your mental and physical well being. Dealing with money stress can help you clear up headspace to focus on improving other aspects of your life, such as creating healthier work-life boundaries or building healthier relationships.

While you’re exploring ways to de-stress, SoFi Relay can help take some of the anxiety out of tracking your finances. Whether saving up for a vacation or paying down debt, you can keep a close eye on your expenses and watch your funds grow all in one single app.

External Websites: The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third-party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.

Photo credit: iStock/LaylaBird
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