Money Matters: Why you shouldn't put off opening your post

Dealing with debt can have an enormous impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing, triggering all kinds of anxieties.

One of the most common fears we’ve come across is people being too scared to open their post.

When you’re facing financial difficulties there are any number of letters which could drop on your doorstep bringing bad news.

This is often known as “brown envelope anxiety”.

Fear of the postie arriving is natural in these circumstances and can result in unopened letters piling up on your doorstep.

However, avoiding the issue isn’t going to help and could make the situation worse. The first step is to stop over thinking what could be in the envelope and just open it.

In some cases, the envelope could even contain something which is beneficial to you.

For instance, it was recently announced that people on a traditional prepayment meter will receive their £400 energy bills rebate as a discount voucher in the post. This can then be used to top up your electricity meter at a Post Office or shop which has a PayPoint or PayZone terminal.

Of course, it won’t always be good news but at least by opening the letter you can act as soon as possible, or ask for help.

Things which require immediate action might include bills which need to be paid or a benefits form which needs filling in.

It’s important to prioritise those letters based on how urgent they are and set some time aside to deal with them.

If there’s a period during the day when you tend to have a lot of energy or feel less anxious then this is usually the best time to handle those difficult calls. Put it this way, the worst thing that can happen is that you’ll be aware of any issues and be able to get on top of them sooner rather than later.

On the other hand, avoiding opening your post means problems can quickly escalate,with unpaid bills leading to extra penalties or missing appointments which could result in your benefits being cut off.

Never be afraid to speak out if this sort of fear is impacting you, whether that’s to a friend, relative or health professional if it’s having a significant effect on your wellbeing.

If you think your debts are starting to grow out of control, then we would always urge you to seek free expert debt advice via Step Change, the National Debtline or Citizens Advice.