Take Your Mind off Your Money

Tempted to tally up all the money you spent last month? Here's a reason to limit your assess-the-damage session.

Dwelling on money spent can mess with a person's well-being, research shows. Not only does confidence take a hit, but personal pain thresholds dip, too. So do a quick tally, but don't obsess. Instead, focus your mental energies on staying under budget in the coming months.

Money on Your Mind
Here's another little thing you might do to feel better about your finances. Count out that jar of change you've been collecting. Researchers found that counting money helped people feel more confident and more comfortable. Need help managing your money worries? Take this quick quiz for helpful tips.

Dollars and Symbols
In a small study, college students who were asked to count out stacks of money were less likely to feel rejected when they later played a virtual game of catch and got excluded halfway through it. Funny how thinking about money changes the way our minds and bodies work -- even when the money isn't ours! Are you feeling a little bit humbled by your finances? RealAge has some tips and tricks for getting money woes under wraps:

• Try these 9 simple ways to stress less.

The symbolic power of money: reminders of money alter social distress and physical pain. Zhou X. et al., Psychological Science 2009 Jun;20(6):700-706.