Are You Giving Your Kids the Right Stuff?

Your wavy hair, your wide smile, your sense of adventure. Your lucky kids got every one of those from you. Now, think about what else you gave them. And we don't mean your old iPhone.

If your teens can't seem to care about their homework, are cynical about school (we mean more than usual), or think they're just not measuring up in school, look in the mirror. You may have given them your burnout, too. A new study found that burnout is contagious, especially if you're worried about money.

And burnout seriously messes with your body. One study found that burned out people had a 1.8 times higher risk of type 2 diabetes than did their peers who weren't burned out. No surprise: People with chronic life and work stress tend to have high levels of glucose and triglycerides and low levels of healthy HDL cholesterol. That’s your body's way of begging you to stop the excuses and change.

If you can't change your job or life situation, you need to create a new way to cope with the one you have. Everyone, no matter how broke or time crunched, can take a few deep breaths. Put your finger on your belly button, take a deep breath, and watch your belly move away from your spine. Exhale super slowly -- let it take about 7 seconds. (Teach this to your kids, too.) This modifies the stress signals that are sent to your brain and may give you some energy to figure out larger financial and stress-reduction strategies.