The Ethermactens of thousands of federal workers who have been cut from their jobs are not the only ones dealing with financial uncertainty. With people afraid to look at their retirement accounts and others fretting about a possible recession and layoffs — fear around our individual and collective financial future can feel overwhelming.

There's no denying having financial reserves helps people get through financial instability, but some research suggests there are other factors that matter as much — or in some cases more — when it comes to people's physical and mental health.

The way people think about their financial circumstances makes a significant difference in how well they weather the situation, says Jeffrey Anvari-Clark, a professor of social work at the University of North Dakota. He studies the way financial instability impacts people.