Some of the most shameful or stress-inducing events in life are being fired from your job, losing your income, or not having enough money to pay your bills. Worrying about money is the number one cause of stress globally for men and women. And knowing that, is it any wonder arguments over money is the number one cause of divorce worldwide?

We fear not having enough money or losing our jobs. Our money values and mindsets can feed these fears. And they are so deeply personal. And often so deeply embedded in us and our way of thinking and being, that we are not even aware of them.

Yet job losses, salary reductions, redundancy, divorce, surprise costs, inflation etc are a common part of living in today's world. At least some of those stressful events will happen to us at some point in our lives.

It’s time to break down our biases.

Much of the research around how and why women feel the way they do about money management isn’t surprising to us women. According to statistics, 81% of women said they’ve personally been a victim of negative stereotypes – including about their investing abilities. And while this is extremely sad, it’s not surprising to most. I, too, have experienced this firsthand on more occasions than I care to remember, even though I am a finance professional with the experience and qualifications to back it up.

Did you know that money is the number one cause of arguments in marriages?

It’s the second leading cause of divorce globally. According to a Kansas State University study, arguing about money is ‘by far’ the top predictor of whether a couple stays together or not. Researchers found arguments about money tend to take longer to recover from and are more intense than other issues.

I was recently asked for some suggestions around what people should not do with their money, so here are some small steps we can all take to ensure we are managing our money well on a day to day basis.

I am an obsessive planner who thrives on being busy. There I’ve admitted it out loud! There is nothing I like more than a good plan! It gets me excited, keeps me feeling grounded and sane, gives me a sense of purpose but most importantly for me, it focuses my mind.

Are you worried about your job security? And so wondering what your financial situation would be should you lose your job?

Or maybe you are thinking of changing careers or becoming an entrepreneur and are not sure if you can afford to be without an income for a period of time?

Here are some simple steps you can take to provide clarity over your financial situation so you can better focus on figuring out your next career move.

Money mindset fascinates me. It’s so interesting to understand why people behave the way they do with money. Every person is so different, each with their own experiences with money that plays out in their relationship with their finances. When it comes to women, I have thought about what are the most common negative associations with money we tend to have. This is just based on my experience of course, this list is endless!

Do you know how you really feel about money? Our money and financial situation can have such a significant impact on our mental, social and often physical state yet we don’t often talk, or even think about how we really feel about it.

You have decided to change or take control of your financial situation. Amazing! You are excited and motivated at first but then the doubts start to creep in. It may be that your mindset is getting in the way of you making progress and achieving your goals.