If you’re feeling some energetic resistance or emotional triggers when it comes to wealth and success, money blocks may be the cause.
A ‘money block’ is where there is something getting in the way of money flow and usually pertains to your mindset; what you believe, think and expect when it comes to money.
One of the first ways to identify a money block is to ask yourself the most basic question “Money is _____________?”
Without thinking about it, what is your instinctive response? That money is abundant in the world and that you love it flowing into your life? Or that money is the root of all evil and is the cause of greed and unfairness? Or perhaps you’re somewhere in the middle?
If you generally have the belief that ‘money is bad/lacking/evil/mean’ the good news is that it’s not your fault – you’re not actually money blocked per se, it’s just that there might be some past money trauma which needs healing or money mindset work required to enable you to move forward.
If you think about an actual block getting in your way, like a boulder on your road to success which is obstructing money, what do you do? Decide it’s too big and run away? Or chip away at it until it’s small enough to walk past? Hopefully it’s the latter! It might take a bit of persistence and strategic chipping, but it’s definitely something you can overcome.
Remember, abundance is your birth right and there’s no reason why you can’t overcome financial blocks in your life and business.
Here are 7 reasons why people find themselves experiencing money blocks:
1: Your messaging around money during childhood
Our core beliefs about the world are formed before the age of 7 and that includes our beliefs about money. What did your parents/caregivers unwittingly ‘teach’ you about money? Maybe you saw that money causes arguments, is something to be kept secretive, that it’s lacking in the world, or that it’s like some kind of magic that takes away sadness?
For me, I learned that money was scarce, that it caused anger and upset, and that people who had it were greedy or bad. I also learned that people without money needed to be rescued by rich people.
Questions to answer
- What is your first memory about money before age 7?
- Were your practical/material needs met? (clothing, food, school trips, uniform, pocket money etc.)
- What phrases or sayings did you hear around money?
- What practical ways can you start to address some of these past issues?
2: Not doing well in school
Did you struggle at school, especially in math and sciences? Maybe you got outdated (and quite frankly, sexist) subliminal or blatant messaging around girls being better at things like English and Art, and boys being better at Math and Science? Whilst this might have had some truth in the past, the most recent research proves otherwise.
I remember having a teacher who took me out of my classroom and physically shook me roughly by the shoulders because I had left my math workbook completely blank – I hadn’t understood her teaching. It left me traumatised and gave me a clear message that I was ‘no good with numbers’; a message that followed me well into adulthood.
Questions to answer:
- Were Math and Science tricky at school and if so, why?
- Could you dispel any negative beliefs with positive evidence? i.e. if you tell yourself you’re no good with numbers, what evidence do you have to the contrary?
- How could you become more confident with numbers and finances? Remember, everyone has the capacity to learn new things.
3: Having low self-esteem and self-worth
The more I’ve learned about money, the more I’ve seen how directly related it is to self-worth. Working with hundreds of women in my Tapping into Money challenges has shown me that how we feel about ourselves directly affects our levels of success in business, financial or otherwise. In other words, if you feel like you’re not ‘worth’ your pricing, are constantly comparing yourself to other people who are more qualified/confident/money savvy than you and you’re battling with negative self-talk, the more likely you are to be experiencing financial blocks too.
This can come from emotional your needs not being met in childhood, or past life experiences which have knocked your confidence.
Questions to answer:
- Were your emotional needs met in childhood?
- Do you feel as though you care for yourself adequately? (are your physical, mental, emotional, social and spiritual needs met)
- Is negative self-talk a common part of your daily life?
- How could you increase your feelings of self-worth?
4: Bad past experiences when it comes to losing money/assets
Maybe you’ve experienced some losses financially, such as getting into unmanageable debt and/or filing for bankruptcy, losing your own home, or falling out with a friend or family member when it comes to money. These negative experiences can tarnish your view of money, albeit at a subconscious level. Whilst you might be feeling ready for financial success, if you have a subconscious belief that things might go sour, then you’ll always find ways to sabotage your progress.
Questions to answer:
- What are your 3 most significant negative experiences when it comes to money?
- What feelings are associated with each of those experiences? i.e. shame, guilt, regret, anger, frustration
- In what ways could you begin to release these negative emotions?
5: Being made redundant or getting fired
If you’ve ever been made redundant, you’ll know how much it can affect your sense of identity and self-esteem, as well as being incredibly stressful financially. Don’t underestimate how this can impact your money mindset – redundancy is in the top 10 most stressful life events. This can cause money blocks because of the direct link between a job/business (money), your sense of self (I am) and your beliefs;
I’m a failure, I could lose this job/business, this job can be taken from me, if I was better this wouldn’t have happened, I’m not enough, I need to be better, I ‘lost’ my job, it’s my fault…and so on.
Questions to answer:
- Was it just you who was made redundant? How many other people? Did it feel personal and if so, why?
- What positive things, if any, came out of the experience?
- How could you improve your confidence in your career or your business?
6: Someone teased you, or was mean to you about money
If you’ve ever been shamed, teased, bullied or belittled when it comes to money, you may have underlying blocks about your ability to manage finances in the future. Your negative inner chatter may mimic the name calling you experienced – “you’re so bad with money, why would I pay you when I can do it myself, you’re tight with money, you’re stupid, you shouldn’t be buying that, you wasted money”.
Please note, financial controlling can be common with domestic abuse, so if you’re in that situation, seek help and support for economic abuse as soon as possible.
Questions to answer:
- How did this experience affect you?
- What do you believe about your ability to manage money now?
- How can you build your confidence about managing money?
7: You have cultural and generational money blocks
Often money blocks run deep and are passed down from generation to generation. I remember my mum telling me her dad advised her to ‘marry into money’, as though that would be the only way a woman could acquire wealth.
Going back further, you’ll know that for thousands of years women were seen solely as child-bearing individuals who had to run the home, raise children and serve the patriarchy. No independence, no votes, no jobs and certainly no money. In some cultures women are still expected to take care of everyone else, even when they are suffering and needing care themselves, which shows how little women are valued.
There is a lot of generational shame and guilt around women and money – we should be good girls who don’t take more than we need, if we work then how can we be good mothers? if we have too much then we’re heartless rich bitches!
Questions to answer:
- Tracing back as far as you can go, what are your familiar patterns when it comes to work and money?
- Can you think of other cultural or generational blocks which could be impacting your current situation?
- In what ways can you reprogram your mindset when it comes to old beliefs and patterns with money?
Moving forward and releasing money blocks
I’ve done a LOT of work on this myself and know how complex money blocks can be. As a reminder, none of this is your fault and it’s actually pretty amazing if you’re reading this because you have awareness, and that’s where it all starts.
It may be that you need a little support and guidance along the way, particularly if you can relate to experiencing trauma around money, in which case, I’d love to help you work through things in a kind and nurturing way. You can learn more about my packages here.
If you’re confident to work through money blocks alone, go you! Start small and work through things step-by-step, finding tools and resources which you resonate with along the way. It can also be useful to keep a money journal and start documenting your thoughts about money.
