减少财务焦虑的五种方法

Face the facts

面对事实

Not being sure of the extent of your cashflow problem will only stoke your anxiety. Schedule some time to go through all your statements and bills. Find out if you really are in the red and, if so, by how much. Knowing what you are dealing with is the first step to sorting it out. The mental health charity Mind suggests asking someone you trust to open the letters for you.

不确定现金流问题的程度只会给你的焦虑添油加醋。安排一些时间来检查你所有的对账单。找出你是否真的在亏损，如果是，亏损多少。知道你在处理什么是解决问题的第一步。心理健康慈善机构建议让你信任的人帮你打开信封。

Create a budget

作出预算

Once you have a handle on your outgoings, look at your income. Work out how much you have left over after you have met all of your obligations. When you know what you can afford to spend each month, you will feel more in control. Free apps such as Yolt and Money Dashboard can help you track your spending, while online banks such as Monzo let you set spending limits.

一旦你控制了你的支出，再看看你的收入。计算出你完成所有日常消费后还剩多少。当你知道你每个月能花多少钱时，你就会觉得一切尽在掌握。

Ask for help if you need it

需要时寻求帮助

If your debts and other payments are too big to tackle, get help. Energy companies and banks will usually consider lower monthly repayments if you call and tell them you are struggling. Charities such as StepChange and Citizens Advice can help you check that you are claiming any benefits you are entitled to. They can also refer you to other services if you are experiencing anxiety. Sue Anderson, a spokeswoman for StepChange, says people shouldn't put off seeking help: "Delaying seeking help often makes problems worse – people often borrow to try to make ends meet and can end up in a spiral of ever more expensive borrowing as a result.”

如果你的债务或其他支出对你而言太多以致于难以应对，那就寻求帮助吧。只要你找到能源公司帮你查看是否有你满足资格的福利保障让你申请。如果你正在焦虑，他们也能将你引向其他服务机构（来寻求帮助）。StepChange的女发言人Sue Anderson称，人们不应该迟迟不寻求帮助——“拖到最后才寻求帮助通常只会让事情变得更糟。人们经常试图通过借钱来达到收支平衡，这样往往会以比从前更高的、急剧上升的借贷成本为结果。”

Build a buffer

建立一个应急基金

If you can afford to put some money aside each month, create an emergency fund. Advisers typically recommend aiming for three months' earnings in an easy-access savings account, which you can use for unexpected expenses. If you can't manage that much, any funds you can build up will be helpful. Some employers offer savings schemes where money is redirected from your salary before you get a chance to spend it. The Yorkshire Building Society recently launched a similar "salary sacrifice” scheme to give more workers the ability to save as they earn.

如果你每个月都有能力存一些钱，那就建立一个应急基金。顾问通常建议把三个月的收入放在一个容易获得的储蓄账户中，你可以用它来支付意想不到的费用。如果你不能管理那么多，你可以建立的任何基金都是有帮助的。有些雇主提供储蓄计划，把钱从你的工资中转移出来，然后你才有机会花掉这些钱。约克郡建筑协会最近推出了一个类似的“工资牺牲”计划，让更多的工人有能力随着收入的增长而储蓄。

Understand your relationship to spending

了解你与消费的关系

Not everyone with financial anxiety is on the breadline – it may be that even though you are comfortably off you feel panicked about spending and tend to hoard your cash rather than using it. It is worth reflecting on why that might be. Perhaps you grew up in a family with little money and don't want to return to that situation, or you have had a financial shock at some point, or maybe your job or relationship don't feel secure. Ask yourself if having more money in the bank would make you feel better, or if the cash could be used to do things to make you feel happier or safer.

不是每个有经济焦虑的人都处于贫困线，可能即使你很富有，但是你会对花费感到惊慌并且趋向于储存你的钱而不是使用它。为什么可能这样是值得思考的。可能你成长于贫困家庭而且你不想回到这种家境，或者你在一些时间有过经济冲击，抑或是你的工作或关系无法感到安全。问问你自己当你有钱在银行时是否觉得更好，或者是否钱能被用于一些事情会让你感觉更开心或更安全。