[00:00:29] The Podbreed Network is strictly for the small podcasts that are up and coming in the vast world of podcasting. Podbreed is made up of many diverse podcasts coming together to achieve the same goal of being the best damn podcast network on the planet.
[00:00:46] Find out more at podbreed.com. For some reason I've had to record this episode over three times so I hope you enjoy it. In honor of Men's Mental Health Month I wanted to do an episode talking about budgeting as it pertains to mental health.
[00:01:11] I came across an article on Healthline.com entitled Personal Budget Tips for Mental Health, 14 Tips by Stephanie Orford and I thought I would list a few. Welcome to the short form podcast Dreas Point of View. I am Andrea, your hostess.
[00:01:25] I invite you to follow me at Dreas Point of View on IG, Pinterest, Facebook and threads. You can also follow me at Dreas Point on X and Spill.
[00:01:34] I know when I'm mentally drained I find it challenging to keep up with my finances because well either I just don't have the energy or time. So hopefully this list will definitely be of help to someone. The first tip is to use mental health apps.
[00:01:53] When you're depressed, this may be of some value either along with professional therapy or on its own. One of them is the DailyO app. You can track your mood by choosing what type of mood you're in.
[00:02:05] It will help you set your goals and keep you informed of your emotions. You can use a seven day free trial to see if it's something that interests you. Another app is iBreathe which consists of daily breathing exercises.
[00:02:22] You know I've noticed in doing my research that breathing exercises seems to be the answer for most things. The next idea is using worksheets and workbooks based on the type of therapy that you want.
[00:02:38] They may have free workbooks that you can work on instead of going to a therapist. Cognitive behavioral therapy therapy is one that comes to mind. Finding cheaper therapy by going to treatment.gov. Find treatment.gov.
[00:02:53] You may be able to pay on a sliding scale after checking with your insurance to see if it covers it. For those who prefer to go the virtual route, you can go to online therapy dot com.
[00:03:07] You can budget your time better by focusing on one task at a time. Also sticking to your set routine helps. If you have a weekly class that you go to and you're running late, you can opt for a class on YouTube.
[00:03:21] So that you're still in line with your goals. That makes sense. You know so many people do yoga and other things and for whatever reason they can't make it and they just skip that week. Well, just find something on YouTube.
[00:03:35] If you're a student, you can check with your school to see if they offer programs. Your HR department should have some mental health professionals as well. Another tip is to track your spending by cutting back transportation expenses.
[00:03:53] If you're addicted to ride shares or spending a lot on gas, you try another mode such as car shares or public transportation. Set aside money for an emergency fund. I know this is hard for many, including myself. Except or especially with these rising costs.
[00:04:17] There are apps that can help with that or you can cut back on something like that. Starbucks. It's insane. It's so addicting. I'm not really big on coffee. I go maybe once, twice a month.
[00:04:29] I love their fruit drinks and I miss their popcorn that they used to have too. I don't know why they took that away. But yeah, I'm not standing in line for any of it. It's insane. What five, six dollars for small?
[00:04:44] So yeah, you can cut back on that and put that money in a separate savings account. Or if you have to treat yourself, it doesn't have to be every day. It's okay to make coffee from home. Avoid impulse spending. One of my guilty pleasures is clothe.
[00:05:00] So I am learning to cut back. I know this lady that I know. I've been going to her shop for years now and she doesn't see me in her store as much because I'm really trying to cut back, especially how my closet is looking.
[00:05:16] I definitely am in no need for clothes. If any special occasion comes up, I'm definitely ready. Since this is Men's Health Month, I thought I would also list some statistics about it. According to MHA, national.org, Caucasian men over 85 have the highest suicide rates.
[00:05:45] I would have never guessed that. Suicide is the seventh leading cause of death. Gay and bisexual men are more likely to develop mental health disorders than heterosexuals and are more likely to have higher rates of sexual abuse.
[00:06:02] Male veterans experience almost twice the rate of drug use as women. There are some famous athletes with mental illness as well. Ex-quarterback Terry Bradshaw was diagnosed with clinical depression in the 1990s. Basketball player Larry Sanders left basketball to deal with his mental health issues, including depression and anxiety.
[00:06:26] Keon Dooling suffers from PTSD and left the NBA to become an advocate for abuse victims. There are a slew of others in sports and I admire them for being vocal and advocates. There are also organizations that do important work around mental health for men.
[00:06:45] Some of these include Face It, Heads Up Guys, Next Gen Men and Men Living. There's also the National Institute of Mental Health and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. So if you think that you are experiencing signs of mental illness,
[00:07:02] visit MHAscreening.com to freely screen for PTSD, anxiety or substance abuse. You may leave your comments at Dreya's point of view at Yahoo.com. Make sure that you sign up for my free newsletter. Comes out every Saturday at Dreya'spointofview.substack.com. As always, I thank you for listening.
[00:07:24] Until next time, this has been Dreya's Point of View.