You might see the phrase “financial wellness” and think of it as a wishy-washy statement that doesn’t mean much.

In fact, financial wellness is simply another way of describing financial freedom, security, and peace of mind.

When it comes to your health, you might regularly measure several metrics to see how well you’re doing, including cardiovascular fitness, body fat percentage, mobility, and mental wellbeing. If your health isn’t at its best, you may be looking to improve it through exercise, a balanced diet, and perhaps even medical intervention.

Apply the same principle to your finances, and you may be able to identify gaps in your “wellness” and take proactive steps to improving your situation this year.

Here are four ways to improve your financial wellness in 2025.

1. Make small, frequent steps towards your financial goals

One key driver of financial wellness is a sense of achievement. If you feel as if your efforts are going nowhere, you could be met with stress and anxiety about your wealth circumstances – the opposite of the peace of mind you’re aiming to achieve in the long run.

So, it’s important to take small, meaningful steps towards your financial goals this year. Rather than aiming for one “big win”, discover ways to feel a sense of financial achievement all year round, which may make you feel empowered, driven, and “financially well” on the whole.

You might wish to start by:

• Making weekly or monthly investments from your income, rather than investing a lump sum at the end of the year
• Setting more achievable, regular savings targets when building an emergency fund
• Creating a retirement to-do list and tick items off throughout the year
• Spending your hard-earned wealth only on things that matter to you – be it holidays with your family, high-quality equipment for a hobby you love, or your dream home.

Being able to measure your achievements throughout the year and celebrate them by spending with purpose may be just what you need to improve your financial wellness for the years to come.

Read more: 5 financial new year resolutions that could revolutionise your personal finances

2. View your wealth as a vehicle for happiness

Often, we think of money as the ultimate goal. You might imagine that contributing a certain amount to your pension or achieving a specific figure with your bank balance is your target, and so strive towards achieving it.

Yet in reality, money is not your objective, but rather a tool you control to reach your life goals. In turn, this is what then leads to fulfilment and happiness in the long term.

So, rather than treating a certain amount in savings and investments as the destination, it might make more sense to view your wealth as the vehicle that drives you towards your goals.

For instance, you likely receive annual valuations from your pension and investment providers. Without relating these figures to your goals, they’re simply numbers on a page. Whether your portfolio has risen or fallen doesn’t strictly matter in a numerical sense – it’s the real-world effects on your financial plan that matter most.

This mindset is key to financial wellness. Rather than positioning yourself at the mercy of markets, banks, and the economy, you might start to understand that you’re in control of how you use your wealth, who has access to it, and how you can position it to accomplish your goals.

3. Consume financial news from reputable sources only

Reading and watching the news is a common pastime that you likely perform on a regular basis. While there’s nothing “bad” about doing so, it’s worth paying attention to where this information is coming from. Dwelling on polarising headlines could be detrimental to your financial wellness.

To name one example, sensationalist news following the election of a new political leader that says this person will “ruin” the economy or “send markets into chaos” might lead you to dispose of shares you weren’t originally planning to sell. What’s more, these media headlines could keep you up at night, worrying about how you and your family might be affected by events outside of your control.

In truth, there’s no need for the news to impede your financial wellness. Turning to impartial, balanced, reputable sources and digesting information without giving in to knee-jerk reactions might calm your nerves and enable you to make well-reasoned financial choices in 2025.

Plus, taking the time to talk with an expert about any financial news that worries you might enable you to contextualise the information and feel calmer day-to-day.

4. Work with a professional who can help to bring your goals to fruition

The journey towards achieving financial wellness is often mental rather than physical.

You are likely already earning enough to gain security and peace of mind for the future – but reframing the narrative and taking control of your wealth can be harder than it looks. It’s easy to become stuck in a loop of negative thinking, made worse by gloomy news headlines.

That’s where bespoke financial planning can help you. We work exclusively with business owners who want to manage, grow, and reap the rewards of their personal wealth (or in other words, achieve financial wellness).

Email us at clients@iqf.ie, or call 353 71 915 5560.

Please note

This article is for information only. It does not constitute advice.

It describes financial planning services that iQ Financial can offer to you. Financial planning services are not regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

The value of your investments (and any income from them) can go down as well as up and you may not get back the full amount you invested. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Investments should be considered over the longer term and should fit in with your overall attitude to risk and financial circumstances.