Here are some Signs of Money Shock: warning signs I¹ve seen in people struggling to adjust to abrupt financial change that make it difficult for them to make appropriate long-term decisions. Please keep in mind that everyone would check some items on the list, even without being in a state of shock or high stress. What you want to look for is a significant change in the items on the list since your financial life has changed.
Cognitive – have you noticed…
- Decreased concentration
- Increased confusion
- Increased forgetfulness
- Lack of organization
- Loss of big picture thinking
- Inability to complete tasks
- Procrastination
Emotional – have you noticed…
- Sense of powerlessness and helplessness
- Anxiety
- Guilt
- Anger
- Hypersensitivity
- Feeling overwhelmed
- Low self esteem
Behavioral – have you noticed…
- Increased impatience
- Changing sleep pattern
- Loss of appetite
- Self medicating smoking, alcohol, prescribed drugs
- Withdrawn, lonely, isolated
- Conflicts with friends and family
- Increased time listening to/watching news
Physical – have you noticed…
- Rapid heartbeat
- Dizzy feeling
- Sweating
- Increased aches and pains
- Mental and physical fatigue
- Lower immune system, more colds/flu, more plaque on teeth
- Weight gain
Work Performance
- Decreased productivity
- Lack of follow through
- Less communication with staff
- Less prepared for next wave of change
- Loss of inspiration and confidence
- Concern for future
- Longer hours at work
The purpose of posting these warning signs is to help you notice how the changes in your personal finances might be affecting your health, relationships, job performance and your ability to make decisions.
If you see room for improvement, we invite you to consider clicking here to get a free Financial Triage workbook.
There is often a fine line between being in Money Shock (having a diminished capacity to make good decisions), and being depressed or suffering from anxiety and needing the help of a mental health professional in order to productively deal with your financial situation.
And because I cannot tell you which category you fall into, I recommend that everyone seek counseling, just to check in with a professional.
There are plenty of ways to find a therapist, beginning with recommendations. If you have insurance coverage, you can explore that avenue, too. The Internet has oodles of sites to help you search, such as the one at Psychology Today and WebMD.com has a great article as well as a search tool.
