Money is just one of those things that sometimes brings people as much pain as it does pleasure. As the economy in an up cycle of the recession, things are looking better but just the thought and uncertainty of an unstable economy is often enough to bring the fear back into people’s minds

The first step to managing financial stress is to identifying what is beyond your control.

For most of us, a few things on the long list of uncontrollable circumstance are: the stability of our global economy, the ups and downs of the stock market, your own job security, and attitudes of the people around you, and changes in technology.

Next, ask yourself “What could I control in my life that I’m not currently controlling?” Focusing on the things you have control over helps make the best of a challenging situation.

Five tips for managing your financial stress are:

Go outside
Read something other than red numbers
Accept the things you can’t control
Cut your losses
Eat well & exercise regularly

Another tip? Consider whether you hold other people accountable for your financial stress. Before you place the blame on others, examine the facts. For example, instead of blaming your partner for spending all of your money, take a look and determine if that’s really true. Either way, if you’re experiencing financial stress, it’s probably a good idea to talk about ways the two of you can cut down on your joint spending.

Accept responsibility for the role that you play in creating or maintaining your financial stress.  When you step back and see that it is up to you how you approach these situations, you are empowering yourself to look at the situation from a positive angle.

Keep track of what stress relievers work best for you and what you do to manage and control the stress in your life. Choose strategies that are healthy, helpful and productive in the long run instead of the quick fixes.