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HOW TO BE MENTALLY HEALTHY (AND WEALTHY)

If you’ve ever freaked out over paying a phone bill, or let those parking
tickets pile up in the hope that they will disappear - you are not alone.
If you’ve ever had crippling anxiety because you’re worried about how
you’re going to afford groceries next week- you are also not alone. Many
of us avoid dealing with our finances and our mental health, simply
because they both seem too overwhelming.

There are so many practices, and habits that we can put in place to ease
both our financial stress and improve our overall mental wellbeing. The
Curve and BraveFace have collaborated on this resource to help you
in the right direction - we want to help you improve your mental health
and wealth this year.

It’s all about taking small steps and we’re here to help
every step of the way.
 STRESS AROUND MONEY AND FINANCES IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST
CONTRIBUTORS TO OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.

According to a 2022 study, concerns about personal finances now ranks higher than relationships
with family and friends1. In the last few years, relationships with friends and family trumped
financial stress in terms of the impact on our wellbeing, however with the increased cost of living,
our finances have now become #1.

Concerns about personal finances are now considered to be the

biggest impact on New Zealanders’ mental wellbeing.

BIGGEST EFFECT ON MENTAL WELL-BEING

2019 2021 2022

1
51% 42% 45%
My relationship with My relationship with My
family and friends family and friends Finances

2
43% 41% 39%
My My My relationship with
Finances Finances family and friends

3
43% 36% 39%
My job or The amount or quality The amount or quality
work life balance of sleep I get of sleep I get

MONEY IN OUR LIVES

One of the longest relationships we will have in our lives is our relationship with money.
When we are in the womb, our parents are probably talking about money…
”How are we going to be able to afford this child?”

And then throughout our whole life, every day, whether we enjoy it or not, we are managing our finances,
and thinking about money. Therefore, it is vital to ensure we have a good relationship with it.

In today’s society, two things we feel uncomfortable talking about are

1) money 2) our financial wellbeing.

Studies show that over 60% of women would rather talk about death, than their finances2
which is quite outrageous!

1https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2022-11/22-020676%20Global%20Advisor%20Mental%20Health%20%28September%202022%29%20final.pdf
2https://www.ml.com/women-financial-wellness-age-wave.html

HOW TO BE MENTALLY HEALTHY (AND WEALTHY) x

 MONEY STRESSES
The Curve and BraveFace both have the mission • The top contributing factor to Millennials
to empower people. The Curve empowers women & Gen Z’s financial stress is in relation to
to talk more openly about money, and to learn both their long-term financial security,
how to have a better relationship with their
finances and BraveFace empowers those who as well as their day-to-day finances.
refuse to be held back by stress and worry. • Nearly half of Gen Zs, and nearly 40% of
Millennials, feel stressed or anxious all the time.3
To shatter money taboos, we need to educate and • More than half of over 40-year-olds
communicate more effectively with those around
feel anxious about retiring.4
us. The more open and honest conversations we
can have about money, the more support we can
So, we will say it again, if you feel stress and
provide each other, and the better off we will all be.
anxiety around money - you are not alone.
Financial stress can be different for different people.
We can’t escape money stress. It will rear its ugly head
But no matter how ‘big’ or how ‘small’, stress is
multiple times throughout our lives. Whether it’s a
stress - it’s valid and it’s important to manage those
constant, or situational - being aware of it, knowing
stresses before they become unmanageable.
what signs to look for, and taking steps towards
Stress related to money has been identified
navigating through the stress are the best ways to keep
as one of the most important factors that can
it at bay. Learning how to manage these stresses can be
increase the risk of mental health problems.
an absolute game changer, so give yourself a little pat
on your back for being here and taking the first step.
And financial stress doesn’t discriminate
when it comes to age; whether you are 18 or
80, you can experience financial stress.

KNOWING YOUR “MONEY STORY”

There are so many influences that will shape the way you view money, and in turn your relationship
with your finances.

The biggest impact on your behaviour and reactions to your finances stems from the way you were
brought up. So the way money was modelled to you as a child, would have moulded your relationship
with money today.

Therefore, the most powerful force in your financial life to this day is quite possibly something you’ve
never really considered - your money story. A great way to understand yours is to start by reflecting.

start to ask yourself

So, sit down, grab a journal, and
these questions…
ory?
• What’s your earliest money mem grew
ing that surroun ded money in the home where you
• What was the feel
up?
towards
• What was the overall attitude
spending money?
saving money?
• What was the attitude towards ?
ude tow ards giving money away and buying gifts
• What was the attit n to you about
or father pass dow
• What messages did your mother
mon ey?
parents talk (or fight) about money?
• Do you remember hearing your as your
e than/less than/about the same
• Growing up, did you have mor
peers?

3
https://www.deloitte.com/content/dam/assets-shared/legacy/docs/about/2022/
deloitte-2022-genz-millennial-survey.pdf
4
https://www.independent.co.uk/money/retirement-anxiety-finances-savings-b2146178.html

HOW TO BE MENTALLY HEALTHY (AND WEALTHY) x

 NOW, TACKLE THESE FIVE FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS:

1 Can I see any direct links between the money mindset of my parents
growing up, and what mine is today?

2 What aspects of my money story feel like mine and what aspects feel like
they’ve been passed down from my parents?
3 How are these money beliefs helping me?

4 How are these money beliefs hurting me?

What do I want to leave behind now that I am aware of them, and what do I
5
want to choose to keep?

Unpacking your unconscious money beliefs can help you understand your behaviour and overall
attitude towards your finances. Sometimes we are reacting purely out of learnt behaviour - what
we have seen modelled from our parents or others around us. Rather than continuing to have an
unconscious relationship with money, reflecting on your relationship with it can help you decide what
aspects you’d like to keep, and what you would like to change.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP YOUR MENTAL WELL-BEING?

When things feel out of control, focus on what you can control. While you can’t control the cost of things,
you can take charge of your money and the way you respond to situations. The first step is often the
hardest, so we have come up with five things you can do that require the least amount of effort to start
making a difference to your finances - and your mental well-being.

Here are our top 5 tips to start sorting your finances

5 TOP TIPS (and get rid of that unnecessary stress!)

1 BREAK DOWN YOUR SPENDING

Understanding where your money is going is the first
step to managing your spending. Once you see just how
much of your income is going towards each area - like
food, transportation, or bills - you can focus on where We have created a spending
you can make improvements. tracker for you to download
As the brilliant famous investor, HERE
Warren Buffet says…
Fill in the grey boxes and feel free to
“Do not save what is left after spending personalise to suit your situation
but spend what is left after saving.”
We have a great savings tool to
help you available
2 PICTURE FUTURE YOU
Thinking about what you want to do with your HERE
money is the first step to setting goals. Do you want
to own your own home? Or have a comfortable A resource that will help you set
retirement fund? Having goals keeps your eyes on your saving and investing goals is
the prize and means you are less susceptible to also attatched!
going off course. It also gives you motivation!

How do I do this? Start with a goal and work

backwards to figure out how much you need
to save or invest today.

HOW TO BE MENTALLY HEALTHY (AND WEALTHY) x

 3 GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE SAND
Debt can really hold you back from growing your wealth but ignoring that pile of unpaid parking
fines won’t make them go away faster. Take charge and address them head on - even if it’s the last
thing you feel like doing. Trust us, you will feel SO much better later.

How do I do this?
• Make a list
• Organise it by interest rates, or by the smallest to largest amount owed
• Then start tackling them one at a time

They won’t all go away at once but being organised will free up space in your head because you
know that you’re looking after yourself. Just like cleaning your bathroom, or having a spring clean
of your bedroom - you’ll feel so much better afterwards.

4 TALK, TALK, TALK

Humans are mammals and supposed to live in communities with support networks so sharing your
worries can make you feel so much better. The more we share our financial stress, the less heavy
it becomes (and you will probably realise other people have the same concerns too!). A problem
shared, truly is a problem halved (even if that’s just with your journal).

How do I do this?
• Confide in someone that you trust.
• Social connections are so important for our mental health, and you might find you are not alone
in worrying about money.
• Keep each other accountable, and have regular check-ins.

5 DON’T FORGET ABOUT FUTURE YOU

Knowing that you are working towards having a comfortable retirement fund will remove so much stress.
That underlying knowledge that you are putting money aside now, for Future You, will make the day-to-
day expenses and bills feel less overwhelming.

It doesn’t need to feel daunting, start small – even if it’s $5 a week, that’s so much better than nothing! Try
your best to regularly contribute to this fund, set up an automatic payment and take out any obstacles!

How do I do this?
• Go through your budget (that you’ve created above) and see what is left over to contribute towards
this retirement fund.
• Use a fund comparison website (e.g., Sorted if you are in NZ) and find a fund that has a risk level and
investment strategy you are comfortable with.
• Remember; if you are younger, you can take more risk (because your investment time horizon is
longer).

A TOOL FOR YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND WEALTH

As an added bonus - we have included 2x money + abundance focused meditations recorded by the brilliant Claire
Robbie, Founder of SOMM @wearesomm_The School of Modern Meditation They are a brilliant way to shift your
mindset and just like anything - the more you practise, the easier you’ll find it.

The first one is ‘Unlocking your Money Stories’: You will be asked 4 questions that are aimed at bringing some of
your limiting beliefs about money to light.

The second is ‘Manifesting Abundance’: an abundance mentality requires two important ingredients. In this
meditation you will explore what abundance truly is and how easy it is to cultivate it in our lives. You will need to
have a notebook and pen handy for this one.

We recommend using these meditations daily for a three week period. Alternating between the two recordings,
you’ll be amazing with how you feel!

Listen to: ‘Unlocking your Money Stories’ Listen to: ‘Manifesting Abundance’

HOW TO BE MENTALLY HEALTHY (AND WEALTHY) x