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Vying for a promotion, meeting tight deadlines, navigating office politics and job insecurity. Work stress can arise from these and many other circumstances. And while some bouts may be temporary, others can have more lasting effects. Chronic stress can eventually start taking a toll on an your productivity, health and well-being.

It’s rarely the plan, but it happens — you’re faced with a financial crisis and have to find extra funds fast. The need may arise from many circumstances including a medical emergency, costly home repairs, job loss or escalating credit card debt.

Saving for retirement is very important, but many people feel that they can’t spare the money to participate in a retirement plan or even create a basic savings account. Retirement plan consultants suggest that the first step is to create a budget. Once you figure out where your money is going, you can look for ways to save more.

Track your spending

When planning for retirement, we typically focus on things like asset allocation, 401(k) performance, Social Security and the like. However, there are many nonfinancial aspects to preparing for this exciting phase that can greatly impact your quality of life. Here are some tips and strategies for a happy, healthy and well-rounded retirement.

Credit card debt left unchecked can significantly hamper your efforts toward securing a comfortable retirement. Instead of contributing to your 401(k), you end up forking out precious dollars toward interest payments on revolving credit lines each month. Having an actionable debt pay-down plan can make the difference between a relaxing retirement and feeling the pinch.

It’s rarely the plan, but it happens — you’re faced with a financial crisis and have to find extra funds fast. The need may arise from many circumstances including a medical emergency, costly home repairs, job loss or escalating credit card debt.

Full retirement age (FRA) for Social Security benefits is currently between 66 and 67, depending on when you were born. Benefits are determined based on your 35 highest years of earning on record with the Social Security Administration, but will be higher or lower depending on when you file. If you file at FRA, you’ll get your full monthly benefit.

If you thought that retirement started at 65 for most Americans, think again — according to a recent Gallup poll, the average reported retirement age for currently retired Americans is 61. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a person who has made it to their early 60s can, on average, expect to live another 23.3 years.

Sadly, finances are a very common source of worry for many Americans. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2018 Stress in America report, adult survey respondents ranked money and work as top stressors — even above concerns over health or the economy. Money worries can bring with them feelings of anxiety, depression, shame, guilt and inadequacy.

The arrival of spring has brought warmer weather, longer days, a renewal of life … and the yearly desire to clean out and get organized. It’s also the perfect time to get your financial house in order. Here are some housekeeping tasks you can tackle to help make sure you and your money are headed the right way in the year ahead.