Why Financial Anxiety Lingers: Even when the Crisis is over

Why does financial anxiety still show up, even when things are finally getting better?

This is the question I’ve had to sit with in this new season of rebuilding.

After three years of caregiving for my husband during his unexpected spinal injury only one month after our blended family wedding, we’re finally on the other side of the emergency. He’s healing. He’s driving.

The bills are no longer stacking up in the same way.

And yet… some days I still catch myself holding my breath around money.

Have you ever held your breath just thinking about money?

It’s been confusing, especially as a 3rd generation financial expert with almost 3 decades in public & corporate accounting.

We survived the storm.

We stretched every penny

God provided resources just in time, every time

Our Fears diminished as our Faith was strengthen.

BUT the pressure, it still hasn’t fully left my body.

A few days ago, I opened my Bible to Joel 2:25:

“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…”

In that moment, I felt my shoulders soften and my chest fill with the deepest breath.

I felt the Holy Spirit guiding to remind me that God’s promise isn’t just about recovering what was lost in the moment.

It’s about restoring what was lost over time:

The years.

The energy.

The breath.

I didn’t just lose money during those three years of caregiving.

I lost momentum.

I lost my rhythm.

And in so many ways, I lost my sense of financial safety.

Even now, with signs of progress all around me, I still feel that quiet hesitation creep in when it's time to make small decisions:

The uneasy feeling in my stomach if I have enough cash in hand in the grocery store line.

The pressure on my chest wondering if I wait to pay a bill or take care of it now.

Sometimes it’s not the money, it’s the memory of what the money moment used to mean.

That’s how financial anxiety lingers.

Joel 2:25 gives us permission to acknowledge the loss of years, not just dollars.

The Hebrew word for “restore” (shalam) doesn’t just mean to give back. It means to make whole, complete, and full again.

That means God isn’t just promising repayment.

He’s promising Restoration in you:

• Restored trust in your ability to make decisions

• Restored energy after years of survival mode

• Restored joy in stewarding your finances again

It’s not just about what’s in your account.

It’s about what’s in your heart when you engage with money.

Need a Practical & Emotional Reset?

Here are a few gentle practices I’m using as I rebuild:

1. Pause and name the fear

When money triggers come up, I ask:

Is this fear about right now or about what happened back then?

That question gives me space.

2. Breathe through the burden

Before making a financial decision, I take three deep breaths.

Then I ask myself:

“What am I willingly accepting & what do I need to release?”

That question grounds me.

It reminds me that the air I breathe is a renewable source I’m grateful for.

And so is money.

3. Celebrate small safety steps

Sometimes, the victory is just logging into your account without spiraling.

Sometimes, it’s paying one bill early or not overexplaining a financial boundary.

You’re not behind.

You’re rebuilding.

That’s worth honoring.

Here is my Encouragement to you this Week

If financial anxiety has followed you into your healing season, you are not alone.

Your nervous system just needs time to catch up to your progress.

I’ve created something for high-achieving women who feel caught between external success and internal shame because I believe healing is gentler (and more powerful) when we do it together.

But for today, grab a notebook & a pen, and just begin here:

What part of your money journey still feels too tender to talk about?

That’s where restoration starts.

And I’ll be right here with you

Breathing, Rebuilding, and Believing again.

Tricia C. Daniel, MBA, CFLP, CFEI

Wealth Advocate for Women Rebuilding After Life Shifts

Founder, SOWN Financial & Starting Over Wealth Network

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Part devotional, Part financial wisdom & Always filled with care.

You’re invited to walk with me, whether you’re just starting to heal from financial trauma or just ready to make your financial impact on the world

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