Why Financial Anxiety Persists Even When Assets Increase

I used to believe that "if I had more money, my anxiety would disappear."
However, even as I watched my savings grow little by little in my bank account, for some reason, a vague sense of anxiety—'Is this really okay?'—never went away.

Then, at one point, I realized that the cause of my anxiety was not that I didn't have enough money.

In this article, I will explain why anxiety doesn't disappear even when assets increase. By the time you finish reading this, you will understand the true nature of that vague 'anxiety' and see what you need to do starting today.

What is the true nature of the anxiety we feel even when we have more money?

First, I thought about 'what makes people anxious' in the first place.

1. The problem of 'uncertainty'

• Not knowing how much you will need in the future

• Not knowing how many years you will work

• There is no single correct way to spend money

Is it okay to get married now? Can I afford to buy a home? How many more years do I need to work to be secure in my old age...? I think everyone has had these kinds of worries at least once.

When I was just starting out in my career, I realized that the anxiety that persisted despite having savings was precisely because I didn't have my own answers to these uncertain future events.

2. People tend to compare themselves

• Comparing with others

• The influence of social media and those around us

• The feeling that 'it's still not enough'

Even though other people shouldn't matter in your own life, perhaps due to the influence of growing up in a competitive society, I think we have a tendency to compare ourselves to others, thinking, 'That person is amazing!'

Also, social media can be seen as a tool that 'encourages comparison with others,' can't it?

For example, it's easy to come across glamorous information like 'Reached 100 million in 3 years!', 'Visited XX on an overseas trip!', or 'I live in a high-rise condo with a view of Tokyo Tower!', which I think makes it easy to feel anxious and think, 'I'm just...'

I remember feeling down myself when I saw this kind of information somewhere.

3. The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility

• High satisfaction in the beginning

• Getting used to it once you cross a certain line

Have you ever felt like, 'The first beer tastes great, but the second one and beyond aren't as good,' or 'I achieved a great performance review at work, but the joy diminishes when I keep doing it year after year'?

It is exactly like running a marathon without a finish line, where no matter how much you increase your assets, you cannot feel satisfied... I myself have experienced this endless marathon firsthand.

It really makes you think about how important it is to 'know what is enough' in all things.

How to manage money without anxiety

So, now that we know the true nature of anxiety, what should we actually do...? This also serves as a summary of what we have covered so far, but most of your anxiety will be resolved if you address the following.

• Visualize future expenses (marriage, childbirth, housing, retirement, etc.) through a life plan and know in advance how much money you will need.

• Engage in dialogue with yourself and develop your own criteria for judgment that isn't swayed by those around you.

• Properly set a goal (dream) for your asset formation.

Also, as a side note,
I was the type of person who would get lightheaded and faint when extremely nervous.

However, through trial and error after experiencing it several times, I was able to resolve this anxiety by learning my own coping methods, such as thinking, 'Oh, I feel faint coming on, but I'm still okay up to this point,' or 'I was cornering myself, so maybe doing this will make it a bit easier.'

From this experience, I feel that regardless of the genre—whether it's money or health—in order to know yourself,'engaging in a solid dialogue with yourself'is truly important.

I also recommend taking some time to reflect on yourself so that you can live more easily!

Please refer to the following article for how to create a life plan ↓

Also, household budget management is essential for estimating expenses, and I have explained how to deal with tedious household account books, so please check that out as well ↓

Money is a means to increase life's options

In the grand project of life, I believe the correct way to use money is different for everyone.

To find my own answer, I first started by deciding'what kind of life I want to lead','where the final goal I want to aim for is'.

And I realized that my dream was to 'spend more time with my family and watch my children grow up close by.'

To be with my children for a long time, I have to choose a job that allows for a lot of telework.

To do that, I must prepare so that I won't be in trouble even if I make the decision to quit my job or change to a lower-paying job in the worst-case scenario.

So, if I decide to quit my job in the worst case, how can I make sure I don't have money problems even if I lose my salary...?

In this way, once I set a goal (dream), I broke it down into steps on how I should face money to achieve it.

As a result, I arrived at the path where living expenses < passive income is what I should aim for.

How about this approach of first 'finding your own satisfying way to use money from the goal you should aim for'? Please try it as a reference.

Summary

We have organized the reasons 'why future anxiety does not disappear even if assets increase.'

・The true nature of anxiety is not that you don't have enough money, but that you don't know how much is enough to feel secure.
・Set a goal for asset formation, do not compare yourself with others, and have your own criteria for judgment to know what is enough.

I believe what is important is not just increasing your assets, but 'understanding your own situation'.

You don't need to organize everything perfectly from the start. In fact, it is important to 'visualize' things little by little.

For example, how much do you spend each month? If your income were to stop, how long could you sustain your lifestyle?

Just by confirming these things one by one, the true nature of the anxiety you feel will gradually become clearer.

Why not start by getting to know your financial situation just a little bit?

Thank you for reading until the end! I hope this article is even a little bit helpful to your life.
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*This article does not recommend the purchase or sale of any specific stocks or financial products. Investing involves risks, including the loss of principal, so please make final investment decisions at your own responsibility.