'Be grateful for what you already have' - Prevention magazine

We all have a relationship with money - sometimes healthy and sometimes not. The unhealthy habits include compulsive behaviours such as overspending.

Prevention magazine has written an excellent article (available in Apple News+ here) that sets out how to break your bad habits. They explore five  bad habits that we are prone to and offer ways to break them.

Each of the five bad habits they cover can have negative affects on our lives. Let's delve in to one of these and see how breaking the habit can help you with your money.

Overspending

Many of us love to shop, but often this can become compulsive and lead to too much shopping and overspending. Prevention magazine suggests a couple of short term fixes - to delete certain apps on our phones (removing temptation) and to unsubscribe from email promotions.

However their top tip for a more permanent solution to breaking the habit is to feel grateful for what we already have, claiming research has shown that gratitude can reduce being impulsive. So the next time you have an urge to buy a 'nice to have' item, take a moment and try to appreciate what you already have instead.

Granted, it's easier said than done, but knowing this may just help. The other four habits...

Drinking too much

Checking mobile phone

Overthinking

Feeling unmotivated

Being able to focus on breaking these habits will certainly be beneficial for your wallet. Either by giving you a stronger mental mindset or by simply giving you back 'time' - both giving you the mental strength and time for you to clearly focus on your personal money situation.

Head over to Prevention magazine's article (here) to read more on this and to take the next step towards a healthier mindset and having more time back.