Health & Wellness Magazine HealthQuest Winter 2019 | Page 9

effects of the lies. There's definitely
a connection. Your immune system
could become compromised because
your body is stressed, making it harder
to fight off colds and flus. For some,
it’s an immediate effect," Karim notes.
"For others it’s a slow build of physical
problems, like headaches."
So other than the obvious – it’s wrong –
for your health, stop lying to your spouse
about your money.
The best day to tell them about the
deceit would have been immediately,
BUT the next best day is today.
Don’t wait. For your health and the
health of your marriage.
2. Worrying about investments
or retirement savings.
Worrying about your current and future
financial situation adversely affects your
health.
Experts list money stressors as “chronic
stress” which activates the fight-or-flight
response system at a very high level,
which damages the body.
Nancy Molitor, PhD, a clinical
psychologist and Assistant Professor
of Psychiatry and Behavioural Health
at Northwestern University Feinberg
School of Medicine says about money
worries, “It’s a kind of never-ending,
seemingly endless loop of problems that
gets created if the person doesn’t deal
with the dilemma,” she says. That type
of prolonged chronic stress response is
associated with developing problems,
like obesity, type two diabetes, stomach
ulcers and cardiac problems.
Do what you can do for your finances
and then move on. Stop the chronic
stress.
Get involved with your money. Don’t
set bills aside. Don’t put off sharing the
realities with your spouse. Don’t wait to
start investing at least a little.
that their stocks are performing exactly
as they anticipated. A lot of that is out of
your control. Imagine if a quarterback and his
receivers spent every day disagreeing
about the plan for success.
Work on what you can affect and go
to sleep to rest and replenish knowing,
today, you did your best. Identify how you deal with money
and then use those strengths to your
advantage, make a plan and work it, and
then let the chips fall where they may.
3. Tension and fighting with
your spouse about money.
In contrast to Point No.1, this stressor
identifies the potential for regular
tension, bickering, or shaming about
money. That daily icky rain cloud
dripping overhead.
Does this sound like your house?
Don’t let money get the
better of you. It’s not
worth it.
Identify your Money Personality for
FREE with The Money Couple’s online,
scientific Money Personality Assessment
at TheMoneyCouple.com.
Are you critical of every penny spent? Is
your spouse?
Did your spouse make a financial
mistake in the past that you tend to bring
up whenever possible?
Do you nag your spouse about saving
and coupons?
Are you distrustful of your spouse but
you handle it passive aggressively?
Does every conversation somehow wind
up being about money?
How often do you grumble about the
money you don’t have?
When your spouse wants something nice
do you support or shame them?
If you set a budget do you respect it?
Do you place a priority on making
memories or are the activities viewed as
expensive, so they don’t happen?
We all approach money differently. In
fact, every individual has a unique bent
towards handling money. And even how
money makes them feel.
Make a plan together to push the
boulder up the hill. Two rowers in a boat
race beat the solo rower every time. Our research shows about 70 percent
of the time individuals marry someone
who approaches money differently than
they do which offers the opportunity for
understanding and growth or … a lot of
tension and fights.
Most people don’t feel they have enough
saved for retirement and few people
high-five you on a daily basis to tell you That chronic tension is unhealthy. It
eats away at your mental and physical
health and the strength of your marriage.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Scott and Bethany Palmer, The
Money Couple, are love and
money experts, authors, speakers,
each have 20 years of financial
advising experience. Together, they
help couples solve money issues
in their relationship. Grab a copy
of "The 5 Money Personalities:
Speaking the Same Love and Money
Language," and take the FREE online
Money Personality Assessment.
TheMoneyCouple.com
9