Money stress comes in many forms. But it all comes down to worries about not having enough money. Maybe there are more bills than you can handle. Maybe you can't afford what you would really like to have. Maybe you're not getting a fair salary, or you've lost your job. Either way, you feel that stressing about it seems justified. But it's counterproductive. Read on for the reasons why this is so, and what you can do about it.

Most people who stress about money believe that they have every right to feel that way. And on some level, they do. However, this is not about being right but about making things better. And wallowing in anger, resentment, self-pity, and/or worries about worst-case scenarios is not going to make anything better.

In fact, it's likely to make things worse. Surely, you've heard about the law of attraction. Whether or not it fits with your beliefs, you may want to give it some thought. According to the law of attraction, you'll attract more of what you want once you feel happy. Many people find that to be true, but what just as many people have found is that indulging in negative thoughts brings more of what they're worried about.

That might seem a bit far out to some, but much of it is really very basic. Imagine this: you're not getting paid what you consider a fair salary. And imagine that you're very angry and resentful about that. What do you think might be the consequences of feeling that way? Getting a raise? Not likely. Instead, you may end up grumbling a lot, making yourself known as a difficult person to work with, and as someone who is not a team player. If you're really unlucky, you might even end up losing your job.

Would that be because of the law of attraction? Well...yes. And it certainly would seem a consequence of your behavior, i.e., the grumbling and so on. Now think about what bad things could befall you if you're so worried about money that you're incapable of productive action? You may end up missing deadlines, pay bills late, forget to reconcile your bank statements and getting slapped with overdraft fees. And that's just for starters.

So what can you do? Spend some time wallowing if it makes you feel better, but then get on with things and make a list of what you would like to have happen instead. Make a list of things you can do that will take you in that direction. Then do one of the things on that list. And then do another. Before you know it, your finances will start turning around. And once again, it will be a consequence of your behavior -- which now is a lot more productive.