Years ago, I received a surprise in the mail: a $500 bill for a recent X-ray. I was earning an entry-level media salary at the time (for the uninitiated, that’s equivalent to peanuts), and the shock of having to figure out how to cover an unexpected expense sent my pulse racing with anxiety and my head pounding with stress.
I was in good company. Research shows again and again that our finances can take a toll on our minds. Money has consistently topped Americans’ list of stressors since the American Psychological Association began running its annual Stress in America Survey