We all are related by our neverending love for money. But most of us don’t really notice the stress it brings along with it.
Are you one of those people says “money is everything I need”? Will it be true if we say that you are satisfied with your current income? No, right? We are never satisfied.
And yes we are using “we” because you are not alone in this, we all are equally fascinated and unsatisfied by the money we make.
We all are so focused on the money part of the equation that we don’t even notice the stress it brings to our lives.
With the stress to earn more, spending less, saving more, and investing in the right places, there is so much that we are, and should be, concerned about that managing mental health takes the back seat.
Wealth vs Mental Health: What Should Be Your Priority and Why?
Out of wealth and mental health, we strongly believe your mental health should be your priority. Why? Because you are your asset. The healthier you are mentally and physically, the more you can earn.
Whereas, no matter how much you earn, if you have poor mental health, you will never have the energy and mental condition to actually enjoy it.
Moreover, better mental health allows you to enjoy and produce better quality work, which again promises better income.
This suggests that even if you believe money matters more to you than your mental health, you should still be prioritising your mental health to make sure you are fit to earn the desired amount of income consistently for a long period of time.
Can Money Buy Happiness?
Yes and no.
It completely depends on how you define happiness. For some people meeting their basic needs and still having some money left in their bank account is happiness.
Whereas for others, even a six, or seven-figure income does not give them happiness.
Yes, there are people who are not happy even after making lacs every month, and honestly, it is absolutely normal and understandable. 🙂
However, to answer this question as a normal person just like you, me and all of us, we would say, yes money does give us happiness. But saying that it can “buy” happiness may not be entirely true.
Materialistic things are not going to give you happiness. Yes, you will feel excited for some time when you get your hands over something you wish you had but these emotions are not going to last forever. But the happiness of having money in your bank account is constant.
But none of it is going to matter if you don’t have stable mental health.
How to Prioritise Your Mental Health When You Love Money?
Prioritising your mental health when you love money is not really difficult, you just need to have the right approach towards work and money.
It is the wrong mindset that usually creates havoc by making you feel like prioritising mental health would mean earning less or working for lesser hours.
We are not going to ask you to completely give up on money. All we are going to ask you is to pay attention to your health while earning money and normalise a few things that you may assume are wrong or bad for your career or income.
However, none of it is actually going to decrease your income.
Work and Money Is a Part of Your Life
Understand that money and work are just a part of your life. Your life should not revolve around money and work no matter how important these are for you.
Money gives you happiness, earn more but don’t let this thought of earning more come in your way of managing your health.
Your health is as important as money is for you, if not more.
When you treat money and work as important but just a part of your life instead of your entire life, you give yourself the time, space, and energy to think beyond money and work.
These spaces are important for you to shift your focus towards yourself from time to time and make sure that your mind and body are sound to handle the workload that can promise more money.
Read more: How To Manage Your Mental Health While Working On Social Media?
It Is Okay to Spend Money On Things You Like
People who are inclined towards making more money usually are not comfortable with spending the money they make.
Every time they spend their money on something they want or need, they feel guilty. This guilt leads to stress and mental health issues in the long run.
You are constantly working to make money because you believe that will give you happiness but spending it on yourself makes you unhappy.
Are you earning money to keep it in the locker? Is money in your bank account your source of happiness?
You can’t ignore the problem here, can you?
Avoid feeling bad for pampering yourself or spending money on things that you like. It is absolutely okay and, in fact, you deserve it.
We understand that it is not easy to control your thoughts so, a better trick to avoid going on this not-so-fun guilt trip is by adding a “me” section in your budget that will allow you to spend a specific amount on yourself.
You don’t necessarily have to spend all the amount you put in this category but make sure you are not stopping yourself from spending anything at all.
If You Have a Decent Lifestyle and Savings, You Are Doing Good
Most of us stress about how to get more.
You are already earning well, you are able to maintain your lifestyle and save money but still, there is this race to earn more, and do something more that will get you more money.
This constant stress is never ending because no matter how much you earn, you are always unsatisfied and looking for more.
You need to stop for one second and look back here.
How much have your earnings increased in the last year?
And how much has your spending increased? Where were you last year and how much you have changed in this time? What about your learnings, skills, and experiences? If asked, can you say that your growth in this one year is noticeable?
If the answers to these questions are positive, you need to stop one more time and think why are you stressing when things are working out for you?
What makes you think that they won’t in the future? Is there something specific that you believe can sabotage your career, income, or future? Can you control or change it? Do you know how to? Are you prepared for it?
If things can be under your control then you should consider working on it calmly. But if things will need time to get under your control, you have got to stop stressing about it and give it some time.
Don’t Feel Guilty for Taking a Break
Working after you know you are exhausted makes no sense.
You need to understand that after reaching the breaking point, the work you are doing loses its quality. You can do better if you decide to take a break and redo it with a fresh mind.
Taking a break will not be a waste of time. If anything, it will increase your productivity and allow you to complete your tasks in a relatively lesser time.
Incorporate breaks in your routine and schedule, and if there are days when you don’t feel like working, respect that thought and allow yourself to take that break as well.
It goes without saying that this isn’t something you should be doing every other day. Be mindful about the breaks and days off you take but don’t feel guilty for taking the break that is necessary for your body and mind.
Find Ways In Which You Can Earn Money Without Affecting Your Mental Health
We don’t want to point out a specific career choice or option but we believe and it has been suggested by several surveys that people feel mentally exhausted by their work and jobs when they don’t truly enjoy them.
Your career should be something that you like and are passionate about, not something that you are doing solely because of the financial benefits.
There are engineers and doctors who truly love their jobs and that’s why it is working out for them. It is not like they don’t ever feel stressed or exhausted, but that emotion or burden is not constant for them.
If you constantly feel exhausted because of your work, you probably should consider making a switch.
Opt for career options that can get you paid without affecting your mental health. Anything that you are passionate about, can be monetised, and is in demand can become your career.
When you turn your passion into your career, you don’t feel the stress as much because you love the idea of working on it.
Of course, the stress of making it a success is always there but when you are passionate about something, you know how to make it a success or at least you are open to learning, exploring, and experimenting.
Parting Words
Your mental health is as important as your career and it actually plays a significant role in making your career a success.
So, even if your priority is money and career, you should still be prioritising your health.
As aforementioned, working in a field that you are passionate about can help you manage your stress and mental health, and we are here to help you with the same.
Hustlepost Academy is all about turning your passion into a side hustle. A side hustle that can be further turned into a full-fledged business.
If you are not sure how to turn your passion into a money-making career, or if you still don’t know what to be passionate about, our course on how to start and grow your side hustle can help you.
The course helps you find your passion and niche and then guides you further so that you can start earning through it in no time.
