Money. It’s one of those things we carry with us every day, in thoughts, transactions, emotions—even when we’re not “thinking” about it directly. And if you’re anything like me, the end of the year tends to bring those little whispers: Did I manage it well? Should I have done more? What now?
For years, I avoided those questions. Not because I didn’t care, but because they often felt overwhelming, tangled up in guilt, comparison, or confusion. But recently, I’ve started reframing how I relate to my finances. Less panic, more presence. Less pressure to be “on top of everything,” more curiosity about what’s really supporting my life—and what isn’t.
This year, as winter settles in and my calendar slows just enough for deeper reflection, I’ve made space to do what I now call financial self-care. Not the kind that’s about perfect budgeting apps or investment strategies (though those have a place), but the gentler, more sustainable kind: honest, grounding, and tied to the life I actually want to live.
1. Checking My Money Stories—Not Just My Balances
Before I pull up my online banking or spreadsheets, I start with something less concrete but equally powerful: what I’ve been telling myself about money this year.
Sometimes our financial stress doesn’t come from the numbers themselves—it comes from the story we’ve built around them. Maybe it’s: “I’m bad with money.” Or “I’ll never have enough.” Or even “People like me don’t do investing.”
Taking time to name and notice these inner narratives has been surprisingly freeing. I sit with a journal and gently ask: What beliefs have been driving my money behavior lately? Are they still true? Were they ever?
I’ve learned that updating my beliefs often leads to better financial action—not the other way around.
According to research published in the Journal of Financial Planning, individuals with higher financial self-efficacy (aka belief in their ability to manage money) tend to have significantly better savings habits—regardless of income.
2. Doing a Values-Based Year-End Review
Instead of asking, “Did I spend too much this year?” I’ve started asking: “Did my spending align with my values?”
This shift has helped me feel more connected and less reactive. I look through the year not to critique, but to notice:
- What purchases felt truly worth it?
- What made me feel stressed or regretful?
- What did I invest in that supported my health, relationships, or creative growth?
Sometimes it’s little things—like realizing I spent more on takeout during a busy season, but it allowed me to sleep and stay sane. Other times, it’s noticing patterns (like subscription creep or default shopping during low-energy weeks) and gently questioning them.
This isn’t about judgment. It’s about awareness. And awareness creates choice.
3. Tidying the Financial Clutter I Usually Avoid
You know the stuff: that forgotten credit card, the random autopay you meant to cancel, the messy email full of receipts and renewal reminders. These are the digital junk drawers of our financial lives, and they quietly drain more than just money—they drain mental space.
So before the year ends, I carve out a calm hour (usually with tea and music) to open the virtual drawers and take inventory:
- What subscriptions am I not using anymore?
- Are there lingering balances I’ve ignored out of avoidance?
- Is my digital budget system still working—or just sitting there, unused and unhelpful?
I give myself permission to close accounts, consolidate, update passwords, or even ask for better rates. This isn’t about overhauling everything—it’s about creating clarity. Because when things are simplified, my mind feels lighter.
4. Creating a Restful Cushion, Not Just a Rainy Day Fund
For a long time, I saved out of fear—emergency funds, disaster prep, worst-case scenarios. And while that kind of saving is important, it never felt nourishing. It felt tight, anxious, like bracing for a crash.
This year, I’ve shifted toward building what I now call a “rest fund.” It’s still a savings account, but the energy behind it is different. It’s not just for crises. It’s for recovery. For breath. For not needing to hustle when I’m tired or burned out.
It might be used for taking a week off between contracts. Or saying yes to a short getaway that helps reset my nervous system. Or just giving myself permission to slow down when life gets heavy.
This approach reminds me that money isn’t just for survival—it’s for sustainability.
5. Setting One Financial Intention—Not a List of Goals
I used to make a whole checklist of financial goals each January: Pay off this. Earn that. Save x amount. It looked good on paper, but by March? I’d often forgotten half of it.
Now, I pick one single financial intention that I want to guide my year. Something that’s emotionally anchored and practically flexible. This year, mine is: “Make money feel nourishing.”
That might mean setting more honest rates. Or learning about ethical investing. Or making peace with earning more. Or spending with joy. It’s not a rule—it’s a reminder.
And that’s what self-care is, in the end. A way of treating yourself with attention, intention, and kindness, even in spaces like money, where we’re taught to be rigid or ashamed.
Life in Focus
Name your money story. Bring awareness to the beliefs behind your habits—you can’t change what you can’t see.
Audit for alignment, not judgment. Review where your money went this year, and ask: Did this support my actual values?
Declutter your financial inbox. Cancel what no longer fits, simplify what feels scattered, and let clarity create calm.
Build rest into your savings. Create a cushion not just for emergencies, but for care, recovery, and space to breathe.
Pick one guiding intention. Let it lead your decisions with clarity and calm—not urgency or guilt.
Letting Your Money Reflect the Life You’re Creating
Here’s the gentle truth: You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to “fix” your finances overnight. You don’t need a spreadsheet with 17 tabs or a perfectly optimized budget to start feeling more at peace with money.
You just need to pause, pay attention, and ask better questions—questions like:
- What’s actually working for me?
- Where do I want to feel freer?
- What would feel supportive—not just smart?
Because the point of money isn’t to win at it. It’s to let it support the kind of life you want to build: grounded, flexible, values-aligned, and human.
So wherever you are right now—whether you’re checking your balances daily or avoiding them altogether—know this: You can always begin again. And financial self-care isn’t a sprint. It’s a rhythm. One that gets easier the more you listen, adjust, and come home to yourself.
The year might be ending, but the invitation? That’s timeless.
