GREENSBORO, N.C. — The rising cost of gas, groceries, and everyday items can be overwhelming. In fact, a recent survey by the American Psychological Association found nearly 90 percent of Americans say inflation caused a significant level of stress.
Dr. Andrew Farah is a psychiatrist with Novant Health. He said the first rule when it comes to anxiety and stress is not to panic.
"Don't do things that are just out of desperation like open another credit card or take out a high-interest loan or start pawning things that would seem desperate," Dr. Farah said. "Just take a step back before you do something like that. Don't make any major life decisions while you're under that type of stress."
Dr. Farah said financial stress can be managed like any other form of stress:
- Maintain an exercise routine
- Avoid caffeine
- Stick to prescribed medications
- Seek professional help
"The hardest thing to do is sort of cognitive retraining where you turn all that restless energy and all that anxiety into productive thought and planning," Dr. Farah said. "So, if you can instead of spinning your wheels worrying, you can spend that mental energy actually taking concrete steps to alleviate some of the burdens."
To help relieve some of the stress, Dr. Farrah also recommends making a budget and reaching out to a financial advisor for help.
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