I recently did an interview with Authority Magazine, discussing the 5 mindful tweaks to make an impact on your financial well-being. You can read the full interview here. I discuss a bit about my family’s money story, what I learned while starting my business and more.
1. Start Speaking to Yourself With Kindness
Most people try to change their habits by shaming themselves into “doing better.” It doesn’t work. Our brains don’t know the difference between when someone else says something mean to us or when we say it to ourselves — we subconsciously process negative self-talk as a threat. Shame shuts down the nervous system; kindness opens it. When I start working with someone new, I try to gently point out where they may be mean to themselves, and I tell them we will be focusing on self-kindness. Virtually everyone’s response is, “That’s going to be really hard for me.” We are all so hard on ourselves, and it doesn’t prevent future mistakes, it often makes them more likely.
A client once told me she’d say to herself, “You’re so bad with money” every time she checked her bank account. No wonder she avoided it. We worked on replacing that internal script with “You’re learning…you’re allowed to take this one step at a time.” Within a month, she was checking her accounts weekly without spiraling.
2. Practice One “Micro-Boundary” a Day
Wellbeing improves dramatically when people stop abandoning themselves in tiny ways. A micro-boundary might be: closing your laptop at the time you said you would, saying “I need a minute” before responding, or not adding one more thing to your plate when you’re already stretched.
A client started saying, “Let me check my capacity,” before agreeing to any new commitments. Though this micro boundary is not exclusively financial, this change had a big impact on how she spent and saved money. She stopped going to events that she didn’t really enjoy but felt obligated to attend. This saved her money and energy. In micro ways, she reinforced the importance of prioritizing her own self-care, and it spilled over into every area of her life.
3. Track Your Spending — Manually (Yes, Really)
This is the least glamorous advice I give, but it’s the one that changes people the fastest. Manual tracking creates awareness, and awareness creates choice.
A client once told me she felt she was “flying by the seat of her pants.” We started a simple practice: twice a week, she recorded what she spent so far that week. No judgment just clarity. After two weeks, she said, “I finally feel like I’m in the driver’s seat.” Nothing about her income changed — only her clarity did. Manual tracking slows your brain down just enough to reconnect you with your values.
4. The “Pause + Name” Spending Practice
Before making a purchase — especially an emotional one — pause for 10 seconds and name what’s driving the urge: comfort, boredom, stress, celebration, comparison, loneliness, fatigue.
One client realized he bought things online every time he felt unappreciated at work. Naming the emotion didn’t magically fix the job, but it gave him back his agency. He started asking himself, “Do I need this item, or do I need a moment of care?” Sometimes he still bought the thing. But often, he chose a walk, a stretch, or a conversation instead. Naming interrupts autopilot and brings you back to yourself.
5. Add Some “Slow Dopamine” to Your Routine
We’re surrounded by fast dopamine — scrolling, snacking, shopping, refreshing. It’s quick, numbing and addictive. Slow dopamine is the opposite: grounding, nourishing, and stabilizing.
A client who felt constantly overwhelmed started a five-minute morning ritual: tea, sunlight, and three deep breaths. That was it. She told me, “It’s the first time in years I’ve started my day with myself instead of my phone.” A lot of her shopping stemmed from surfing social media while still in bed in the morning. Because of her new ritual her spending decreased, her anxiety softened, and she felt more present with her kids. Not because she tried harder, but because she added something that aligned with her human brain. Slow dopamine can build resilience.
Which one do you want to try? Reply to this email and let me know what you think.
