Episode 091: The Summer Spending Spiral That Starts in May

You have not spent a dollar on summer yet, and your body is already bracing for it. The camp brochures, the vacation pressure, the casual "So what are you doing this summer?" conversations that make your stomach tighten. Sound familiar?Neuroscience research shows that your brain responds to imagined financial shortfall with the same stress response it uses for actual danger. The worry is costing you before the spending even starts.In this episode, we walk through why anticipatory financial anxiety hits so hard in May and June, what is actually happening in your brain when comparison kicks in, and one simple question that can quiet the spiral before it picks up speed. In this episode, you will discover:Why the spending spiral starts weeks before you spend anythingHow summer social comparison hijacks your sense of "enough"A research-backed way to plan from your values instead of from fearSCRIPTURE HIGHLIGHT: Philippians 4:19 (NIV)Research note: This episode references anticipatory anxiety research from Grupe & Nitschke (Nature Reviews Neuroscience), gratitude and financial decision-making research from DeSteno et al. (Psychological Science), and Emmons & McCullough’s foundational gratitude studies (UC Davis).Ready for your next step?FREE 5-Minute Daily Reset (instant download):YourNextBestStep.com Weekly encouragement + practical tips:YouTube @CoachJanetJ Instagram: @janetjjaecksIf this episode resonated with you, please follow/subscribe and share with a friend who needs their next step.  One small step. One day at a time.