Coping with money worries

The rising cost of living is on everyone’s mind right now and is having an impact on most people’s personal finances.

Money worries can also have an impact on our mental health and wellbeing. If you're having to make hard decisions about what you can afford, it's normal to feel stressed or down.

Support and advice for money worries

If you’re struggling with money worries and the cost of living, here are some sources of practical advice:

• Citizens’ Advice Scotland has a range of information and advice about extra help you might be able to get if you're struggling with the cost of living

• Visit the Scottish Government’s Cost of living support site to find help during the cost of living crisis
• Mental Health and Money Advice has resources to help you understand, manage and improve your mental and financial health
• The National Debt Line offers free and independent debt advice over the phone and online
• The Scottish Government and Money Support Scotland have information on benefits you could be entitled to
• Step Change has free debt advice and information on coping with the rising cost of living
• Social Security Scotland provides information on a range of benefits and payments you could be entitled to
• Advice Direct Scotland provides free and practical consumer information and advice
• Healthy working lives has a range of free information and support for employers to help them promote and support mental health and wellbeing in the workplace
• Shelter Scotland provides information and advice on housing and homelessness
• MoneySavingExpert has advice on council tax and housing government grants
• MoneyHelper has a range of impartial money and pensions guides and YouTube videos to help you manage your money in uncertain times - you can also contact them by phoning 0800 138 7777
• Visit MoneyHelper’s Talk Money guides for advice on how to talk to the people in your life about money

Top tips for saving money

There are resources available that provide helpful tips on how to save money:

• Citizens Advice Scotland: Money map will help you find sources of online support to increase your income, reduce your bills and ease the costs of daily living
• Money Saving Expert: Energy help, budget guides and more
• BBC Scotland: Money saving tips to help reduce the cost of living
• Which?: Best ways to save money

Other things you could do to help

It may also help to:

• share your worries with someone you trust
• see your friends, even when you don't feel like it
• stick to a daily routine as much as possible
• use exercise to lift your mood
• try to eat a healthy balanced diet
• reset your body clock by getting up at the same time every morning
• figure out what makes you feel relaxed and then do more of it
• keep an eye on how much alcohol you're drinking

Visit Mind to Mind to hear from people who have experienced anxiety, panic, stress and sleep problems.

If nothing you've tried seems to be working and your distress just isn't going away, please don't suffer in silence. If you need to talk to someone you can phone:

• NHS 24 mental health hub on 111
• The Samaritans on 116 123
• Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87
• The British Red Cross support on 0808 196 3651

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, phone 999 and ask for an ambulance.