Finances are a necessary part of life although at times they can cause stress and anxiety when you experience a financial challenge. Today’s Wellness Wednesday discussion will help identify ways that finances impact our mental and spiritual health and provide options to invest in a healthier future.
Please join Chaplain Jared Payne and Personal Financial Manager Vondi Irwin, both from the Eleventh District’s Southern region at 3:00-14:00 EDT today as they help us all prepare for everyday life events or unexpected ones.
“In every life choice you make—whether it be marriage, having a kid, or saving for retirement—finances are always influencing us,” said Irwin. “We want to let people know the resources that are out there. When people do come to see me, they always walk away surprised by how much is out there for them and their families.”
Irwin will discuss more about the Coast Guard's Personal Financial Management Program and its access to financial resources, education, training, and counseling necessary to empower personnel and their family members.
The Coast Guard’s personal finance managers have a contract with CGSUPRT that allows the workforce to have unlimited 30-minute money coaching sessions, onsite training days, as well as, monthly and sometimes weekly virtual webinars.
Knowing how to manage your finances is only half the challenge to regulating stress and anxiety. According to Payne, “From my perspective I am going to discuss not just financially investing in yourself but also investing through relationships and principles.”
Payne has participated in previous Wellness Wednesday sessions, where he spoke on healthy relationships and how to respond to domestic violence. Today, he will address the power of authenticity. “There is a temptation in relationships to seek constant affirmation from your partner, when what we should really be seeking are ways to be truly known by those we care about,” said Payne. “This is how we invest in relationships.”
Payne will discuss principles by teaching attendees to establish values and to reverse engineer their present-day behavioral actions based on who they want to become. "When we aren't careful about our direction in life we end up making choices with limited vision. When we know our guiding principles, we will have a solid foundation for our everyday choices.”
Payne said both elements of his lesson—relationships and principles—are “deeply spiritual.” “We are social beings. We exist on earth in families and communities because we have a strong need to be connected to other people,” he said. “And that’s spiritual.”
To attend today’s Wellness Wednesday, please click this link to attend Wellness Wednesday from your CG computer, personal computer or mobile device. Even if you do not have a CVR.mil account, you can still watch the stream via the link above. If you wish to maintain anonymity, log out of your normal (USCG/DOD) CVR account and join as a guest. You may also call (571) 388-3904; Conference ID 453 387 852#. If you have questions or suggestions, you may e-mail us at wellnesswednesday@uscg.mil
Resources:
- The Office of Health, Safety and Work-Life website
- CG SUPRT: 1-855-247-8778 or www.CGSUPRT.com
- CGMA - Meet with your local CGMA Rep
- FEMA www.FEMA.gov, 1-800-621-3362
- American Red Cross, 1-800-733-2767 (Opt.5)