Money, money, money
Must be funny
In the rich man’s world
Money, money, money
Always sunny
In the rich man’s world
– ABBA
Half of Canadians recently reported that they are having trouble sleeping due to worries about finances. There’s no doubt a strong link between mental health and money – money is a tool that can help us get what we want, but it can also cause emotional pain and anxiety.
That’s why our month on financial fitness in the ICBA Wellness program is so important. Understanding how we feel about money is a major step toward empowerment. Hope, for example, is not a reliable investment strategy (sorry, Lotto 6/49 players). We need to make important financial decisions based on facts, not emotion.
Easier said than done, of course. But don’t let fear, shame or guilt get in the way of speaking with someone trusted and qualified about your financial situation. In many cases, one of the smartest things we can do is find the courage to trust a professional and ask for help.
We talk a lot about the stigma around asking for help with mental health. We shouldn’t forget to break the stigma around asking for help with finances too.
Each week, ICBA’s Jordan Bateman reflects on what we’ve learned as we participate in ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program. ICBA’s Workplace Wellness Program is helping more than 80 companies and 8,000+ construction professionals better understand mental health. This program is free for all ICBA members – check out icba.ca/wellness for details.