What we’ve gone through this week with the siege of the U.S. Capitol is traumatic and unsettling. At times, I’ve felt my mind blurry, unable to write or think or talk. I only see images from the news planted in my head, which come to me again in nightmares. I wish I had something amazing or profound to say to help us get through. But I don’t.
What I do have are some tools and resources that may help you take care of yourself during these difficult times (and any time). It’s more important than ever that we take care of ourselves first. This life is fleeting. We are dealing with crisis after crisis and our nervous systems were NOT meant for this. Check out these resources on managing your mental health and money.
Mental Health and Wealth Challenge
I’m hosting the Mental Health and Wealth challenge TOMORROW! It’s FREE. Do you know how they always say you should “pay yourself first”? What about putting yourself first? Literally. See how your morning and day can transform if you commit to 13 minutes (the 7-minute workout, 5 min meditation, 1 min look at finances) of self-care for one week.
I used to be the type of person who’d look at my phone and start scrolling before both my eyes were fully open. I’d rush into work and never take care of myself. I was miserable, irritable, and feeling fatigued, and burnt out. When I started doing this challenge for myself over the summer, it was a complete gamechanger. You can read about my experience doing it here.
The Mental Health and Wealth Hangout
My new(ish) site MentalHealthandWealth.com is very much Dear Debt’s sister site. I started Dear Debt 8 (!) years ago when I was deeply depressed about my debt. In 2015 I paid off my debt but the blog has become a place to talk about mental health and money, so starting the sister site seemed like a natural fit.
As part of the site, I also host Mental Health and Wealth Hangouts every other Thursday at 5pm PT. Hangouts are free (suggested donation $3). Register here.
Resources
Here are some additional resources to help manage your mental health and money in these trying times.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline — Call 1-800-273-8255
Crisis Text Line — Text HOME to 741741
Open Path Collective — affordable therapy. You can also check your local college to see if their graduate program in counseling offers discounted sessions
Aunt Bertha — Find free or low-cost social services for food, housing and more
National Foundation for Credit Counseling — nonprofit financial counseling organization
Listen to my podcast episode of The Mental Health and Wealth Show (did you know I have a podcast?!) about financial wellness.
…or parenting during a pandemic, financial anxiety, and what you should know about therapy.
I’m also hosting a workshop on How to Pay Off Debt. If you want to learn more about my story and what I did, join me for the workshop on January 21 at 5pm PT. It’s $21 and you can register here.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk M.D. – this book is all about trauma and can shed insight into how it is stored in your body. It was one of the most profound books I’ve ever read. This is my affiliate link, so if you purchase through my link, I’ll get a small commission to keep this blog afloat.
Hope these resources help. I’d love to know what you’re doing to take care of your mental health and money right now?
Melanie Lockert is the founder of the blog and author of the book, Dear Debt. Through her blog, she chronicled her journey out of $81,000 in student loan debt. She is also the co-founder of the Lola Retreat, which helps bold women face their fears, own their dreams and figure out a plan to be in control of their finances. She is passionate about empowering women, helping others get out of debt, and focuses on the intersection of debt and mental health. Every September she organizes a Suicide Prevention Awareness Blog Tour, to help share resources for those struggling with debt and suicide. In addition to her love of personal finance, art and music, she is also a karaoke master and a cat mom to Miles and Thelonious.