This is how money stress affects women according to experts

This is how money stress affects women according to expertsThis is how money stress affects women according to expertsMoney is a tricky subject. It touches every single part of ur lives, be it our relationships, our careers, our health, and beyond. This can put stress on us beyond just the literal money concerns. But it also carries with it a societal taboo and a healthy dose of shame, which makes it even harder to deal with. Combine these facts and stress is inevitable.To make things worse, women are mora worried about money than men are. According to a study byAllianz, 67% of women worry about covering their current financial expenses compared to 57% of men. It doesnt get much better when it comes to future planning. Eighty-one percent of women stress about planning for their future financial needs compared to 72% of men.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWhy is this?Roughly 75% of Americans dont have any savings to causa back and many live paycheck to paycheck.More than half of all workers admit to feeling financially stressed, costing business an estimated $250 billion a year in lost productivity and absenteeism, according to aMercerstudy.Women make up 57% of the workforce in the United States, but they are paid a median salary that is 81% of what their male colleagues are paid.Women have less household debt than their male counterparts, but only 42% reported being comfortable with their debt level compared to 56% of men.Women are less prepared for retirement, saving an average of only $165,200 compared to their male counterparts, who have an average $243,300 saved. However, both men and women expect to retire around the same age.81% of women stress about planning for their future financial needs compared to 72% of men.So what does all this stress lead to?Unhealthy behaviorsWe all have some unhealthy coping behaviors that we gravitate towards when were ov erwhelmed by stress. For me, its eating too much candy and watching lots of tv. In moderation, these things feel great, but with too much, I feel like crap and I regret it afterwards. Money stress is no different it can lead to behavior that isnt good for us. Otherbei unhealthy behaviors can be excess drinking, drug use, overeating, overspending, and more. These behaviors can negatively impact our physical and mental health, which then in turn makes us more stressed.Lack of self careWhen people are stressed, we also tend to readily abandon the things that make us feel better. This can be healthy eating, exercising, or getting enough rest. Not only does stress make us veer towards negative behavior mentioned above, but money stress can also mean we cant necessarily afford self care activities. After all, the gym membership is one of the first things financial experts recommend that you drop if youre having money trouble. Plus, healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food. Its d ifficult to continue to take care of yourself when youre having money trouble.Depression and Low Self EsteemMoney issues, but debt in particular, can impact your mental health and self esteem. Many of my clients are struggling with self worth and self esteem issues stemming from their financial problems. Its hard not to feel like a failure when youre in debt or have made poor financial decisions. These emotional issues can also exacerbate financial problems by leading to more overspending.Melanie Lockert, founder ofDear Debt, has written about this a lot. She started her blog to tell her story about paying off her own mountain of debt. After time, she realized that many people were finding her blog by Googling phrases like I want to kill myself because of debt. She realized that mental health and debt were linked and inspired her to spread mental health awareness through her work.If youre feeling overwhelmed and depressed due to your money situation, youre not alone. If youre strugg ling, please seek help through your doctor or by calling 1-800-273-8255.InsomniaTheres a reason the saying losing sleep exists. When we are stressed out, we have more trouble sleeping. Theres too much on our minds to slow down, calm down and get some rest. Lack of sleep makes us more stressed and can lead to illness.IllnessStress can cause or exacerbate many different illnesses. The human stress response causes excesscortisolto be released in our bodies. When that happens rarely, its not a problem. In fact, it welches designed as a way for us to react properly and keep ourselves alive. However, when stress is a constant, cortisol is being released nonstop. This can make you more susceptible to things likeAnxietyDepressionDigestive problemsHeadachesHeart diseaseSleep problemsWeight gainMemory and concentration impairmentNot only does illness negatively affect our lives, but it can cause added financial problems in the form of doctors bills and missing work.Relationship troublesMoney problems and stress can lead to relationship problems. In fact, money is one of the top causes of relationship discord. This can happen both in romantic and platonic relationships, depending on the situation. According to a2017 MagnifyMoney survey, 21 percent of divorced respondents claimed that money was the cause for their divorce. And its not just a problem among those who werent making enough money. In those who earned over $100,000 a year, 33 percent of them said money was the cause of their divorce (More money, more problems?) To make matters worse, divorce is an expensive thing to go through. Fifty-nine percent of respondents said that they went into debtbecauseof their divorce.As you probably could guess, all of these consequences of stress can lead to more financial trouble It can become a vicious cycle financial problems stress health and relationship troubles + negative coping behaviors financial problems repeat.This article originally appeared on Maggie Germano.You m ight also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people