Managing Money Stress with Lindsay Bryan-Podvin

Financial anxiety often feels overwhelming, but understanding its roots can transform how you relate to money. Lindsay Bryan-Podvin explains that financial worry is often a protective behavior learned from past struggles or family history, like fear of debt or scarcity. For example, someone might avoid spending even small amounts due to past financial hardships or inherited trauma.

She suggests that noticing when anxiety strikes and extending compassionate curiosity—asking why you feel this way instead of judging yourself—can help break the cycle. Pairing financial actions with positive routines, like enjoying coffee while checking your account, can also rewire anxious associations into neutral or positive ones.

Connecting with your deeper motivations, such as wanting community and safety, rather than just focusing on numbers, allows you to move through money stress with more ease and intention.

• Financial anxiety can affect anyone regardless of financial status or savings.
• It often stems from deeper fears and past financial traumas, not just money scarcity.

• Lindsay shared a story about someone who struggled with credit card debt early in life and now is very strict about spending.
• This anxious spending behavior helps them feel safe and avoid repeating past financial struggles.