Welcome back to part three of our four part mini-series, Stress and Money.  We will now begin to explore the relationship between stress and money with the help of EFAP’s new Client Relations and Wellness Services Manager, Simone Riml.

Is dealing with money issues a common stress for people?

It’s not surprising that Stats Canada indicates that over one in four employees report being highly stressed and that amongst those stressors are finances.  What is more surprising is that it seems that taking care of ourselves (exercise, sleep, eating well, relaxation, counselling, e.g., for anxiety and depression) is becoming less and less of a priority. So, rather than handling stress in healthy ways, we are increasingly turning to unhealthy ways, watching TV instead of going for a walk, drinking more alcohol, staying up late worrying, etc.  And, of course, the more that we handle stress in unhealthy ways, the more that we decrease our ability to handle stress, and so the viscous downward cycle begins.  For some of us, this might mean that we feel unable to tackle our money issues at all.

What are some proactive tips you have for people to avoid financially-related stress? Exercise? A piggy bank?

It is a misnomer to think we can avoid stress or even “manage” stress. Instead, it might be more accurate and helpful to think in terms of increasing our personal resiliency – our ability to handle, bounce back and truly thrive with all that life throws at us including daily “stressors.” We increase our resiliency with self care – exercise, good nutrition and sleep hygiene, counselling, relaxation, laughter, etc. When we focus on self care as a priority, our personal resiliency increases and we create a new cycle – it becomes easier to handle life events, some daily “stressors” even disappear. We will be able to tackle our finances on a regular basis because we have the personal resiliency to tackle whatever we need to.

Be proactive:

1. Keep track of your spending (first step is awareness)
2. Talk to an expert (attend a Financial Consultation through EFAP.
3. Make a plan with the help of an expert
4. Get support from friends, family, community networks, counsellor and/or a coach

What are some good EFAP resources that VCH staff can take advantage of to ease financial stresses?

Start with a Financial Consultation by calling EFAP 604-872-4929 and/or attend a Financial Workshop for VCH employees. For Self-Care strategies call EFAP at 604-872-4929 to see how a Health Coach might help you.

Stay tuned

Stay tuned for the fourth and final segment of our Ask the Expert mini-series, Stress and Money, where Simone Riml will answer whether retail therapy is a good or bad habit.

Simone is responsible for developing and delivering integrated wellness programs to the Health Authorities, departments and the employees EFAP serves. Her expertise resides in health promotions, wellness programming and partnership development and has worked with some of BC’s leading employers to support employee health and well being. She brings extensive experience in Wellness to EFAP with an additional focus in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and its applications in the workplace.