Finding Financial Freedom By Doing Your Own Healing Work with Diania Merriam

“The reward for many of us, for retiring early, is an existential crisis. I think there’s a lot of different elements to why people feel this way when they retire early.”   Today our host Ed Coambs embarks on an insightful journey with Diania Merriam, founder of the EconoMe Conference and fellow podcaster. Diania unravels her personal journey from being financially illiterate to achieving financial independence, retiring at 33, and its impacts on her mental health. She emphasizes the need for financial literacy, discernment, and adapting financial decisions to our unique circumstances.   In this compelling episode, Ed and Diania explore the intersection of mental health and early retirement, discussing how the shift from external pressure to autonomy can be challenging, especially when dealing with mental health issues and childhood trauma. They discuss the power of attachment theory in the healing process and the challenges of processing trauma without the appropriate language. All this and more on today’s episode of Healthy Love and Money!     Key Topics: About Diania and her discovery of the FIRE Movement (02:51) Diania’s Four-Hour Work Week (05:59) Investing In Your Business (12:22) What Does Money Mean to Us? (15:29) Unpacking Diania’s Mental Health (20:24) Childhood Trauma and its Effects on Early Retirement (23:52) Attachment Theory (29:34) Releasing the Trauma (33:08) Advocating for Your Mental Health (39:22) The Importance of Understanding Mental Health (43:26)     Resources: Diania Merriam on LinkedIn Optimal Finance Daily Podcast     Connect With Healthy Love and Money:   Schedule your free 30-Minute Discovery Call About Therapy-Informed Financial Planning™.   Learn about your money and attachment style with this short Attachment Style Quiz.   Buy the Double Award Winning Book: The Healthy Love and Money Way.    Hit Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Player To Get the Latest Episodes.