If the thought of sorting out your long-term finances leaves you feeling like you’re wading through quicksand, you’re definitely not alone.
As someone who’s spent years researching how people relate to money, I can say confidently: feeling overwhelmed is not a flaw, but a feature of being human.
Why does this happen? Well, it’s because long-term financial planning isn’t just about numbers. It’s a mental challenge, full of emotions we don’t often talk about: worry, anxiety, even shame.
And when the pressure mounts, our brains do what brains do best: they try to keep us safe, sometimes by shutting down or telling us to run away.
The mental side of money
On our recent Money:Mindshift podcast, we explored the deeply-engrained drivers behind financial overwhelm. One key perspective we discussed, drawing on the insights of our most recent guest Catherine Morgan (a financial coach and educator), is that money issues are rarely about the money itself. More often, they’re about identity, self-worth, and the emotional patterns we pick up throughout life.
Financial anxiety can be tangled up with old beliefs about what we deserve, what’s ‘normal’, or what we’re supposed to feel capable of handling.
The good news is that feeling overwhelmed doesn’t mean you’re bad with money. It means your mind is trying to process a complex web of needs, hopes, and fears. No wonder it feels so intense at times.
What's the difference between stress and overwhelm?
It’s easy to feel like you’re stressed, or overwhelmed when it comes to money, or managing finances. But labelling and understanding emotions is core to regulating, and moving through them.
Put simply, stress is what happens when life feels like a frantic juggling act. Overwhelm is what happens when the balls drop and you can’t even work out where to begin.
When we’re overwhelmed, making decisions, even simple ones, can feel impossible – it can be hard to respond to offers of help, and even basic tasks seem out of reach. You couldn’t possibly think of anything else. And if you’ve ever found yourself walking around in circles when it comes to money, muttering under your breath, you’re in good company.
How to worry about money if you’re overwhelmed
Here’s four practical tips to help with the overwhelm, based on what I've seen work for real people:
1. Name it, don’t shame it
Recognise what you’re feeling, and acknowledge that it exists – rather than ignore or hide it. If you’re overwhelmed, say so. At least to yourself. Naming the feeling makes it less slippery and easier to manage.
2. Try ‘non-doing’ before problem-solving
The antidote to overwhelm is often a period of ‘non-doing’. That might mean taking a short walk, having a cup of tea, or simply sitting quietly for 10 minutes. Non-doing isn’t laziness: it’s what lets your mind reset, so you can approach your next step with a bit more clarity. Check out our article on why health is wealth when it comes to your financial wellbeing for more.
3. Get curious about your emotions
Instead of telling yourself to ‘just get on with it’, try a little gentle curiosity. Ask yourself: what’s really behind this overwhelm? Is it fear of making a mistake? Is it too many choices? Is it uncertainty about the future? You don’t have to solve it all at once. Just notice it existing.
4. Treat your emotions as useful information
Ask yourself: ‘Why do I feel this?’ That question, simple as it sounds, can be transformative. If anything, it’s useful information to solve. Once you identify what’s driving the overwhelm, you can take one small, manageable action, even if that’s just writing down your worries, or picking one thing to focus on.
Because money worries, left unchallenged, could become a mindset. One that distorts life. That delays joy. That says safety is everything. Even if it comes at the cost of experience, purpose, or connection. We've written an article on how to overcome money worries, if you'd like to know more.
Money worries aren't a sign of failure
Long-term financial planning can feel daunting, but overwhelm and worry are not signs that you’re failing. They’re normal reactions to a complex and deeply personal challenge. To worry may actually be the responsible thing. It keeps us cautious, prepared, sensible. Head over to our article on what it means to be financially thriving for more.
By naming what you’re feeling, giving yourself permission to pause, and using your emotions as data, you can begin to move from paralysis to progress, one small step at a time