Here are five situations that might cause you to suffer from financial anxiety.

Credit card bills to pay.

Student loans outstanding.

A big mortgage or car note.

Sky-high medical bills.

Family members that seem to always need loans or cash gifts.

Does any of this seem familiar?  

First, understand that you’re not alone. 77% of Americans are anxious about their financial situation.

You’re also not a bad person due to any financial predicament you’re confronting — even if you made some “mistakes” that put you in a bind or caused financial anxiety.

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It’s not uncommon to experience financial anxiety — that sinking feeling you may get in the pit of your stomach if you’re troubled about some aspect of your finances, or you’re worried about your income. Financial anxiety happens to people of all backgrounds, nationalities and income levels.

Most of us mistakenly think that wealthy people never experience financial anxiety. But that’s actually not true. Even rich individuals fret over everything from how much they’re taxed to how they’ll preserve their wealth to how and when they should pass assets along to relatives and loved ones.

So at some level: everyone has to deal with money issues and financial anxiety can creep in when you have an emotional response to a given financial situation.

For everyday Americas who aren’t part of the 1% crowd, and aren’t thinking about wealth-building, but just staying afloat, financial anxiety is running high right now due to three big challenges: inflation, higher interest rates and the prospect of a recession.

Here’s my very best advice for your wallet – and your mental health: Don’t focus on factors outside of your control.

Concentrate instead on your OWN personal financial choices and behaviors, especially when it comes to earning money — and then saving it, spending it, investing it, and donating it wisely.

With this in mind, I’m sharing 15 ways anyone can fight inflation, higher interest rates, and the prospect of an official economic recession.

Here are 15 steps that anyone can take to improve their personal finances.

Please share these tips with anyone you know who is dealing with financial anxiety and may want some good ideas in uncertain economic times.