Stop Calling It Self Care If It’s Making You Broke

By: Chase McCormick

Let's be real: Gen Z is out here tipping $3 on a $7 coffee, dropping $400 weekly on Uber Eats, and buying anything TikTok tells them while saying "I can't afford to invest." No judgment. But there's a conversation to be had about what social media tells you is self care compared to what actually buys peace of mind.

Spoiler: it's not another Stanley cup.

Money Stress Is a Mental Health Crisis in Disguise

Financial anxiety isn't just about numbers. It's the background noise that never turns off: the knot in your stomach when your card declines, the 2am spiral about rent, the feeling that no matter how hard you work, you're just treading water.

For Gen Z, that noise is loud. We entered adulthood during a pandemic, inherited a housing market that makes homeownership feel like a fantasy, and watched inflation eat our paychecks in real time. It makes sense that a lot of us adopted a "why bother" attitude toward long-term money stuff — especially retirement.

And honestly? That mindset is completely understandable. It's just also really, really costly. And I’m here to tell you that knowing your finances are taken care of for the long term will do more for your mental health than that meaningless purchase you convince yourself will be worth it. 

"I Can't Even Touch That Money" — The Retirement Myth

Here's the thing a lot of young people get wrong about retirement investing: they think the point is the money at the end. It's not. The point is what happens to your mindset in the meantime.

When you know — concretely, mathematically know — that you are on track to retire with millions of dollars, something shifts. The anxiety quiets. You stop feeling like you're behind. You start making decisions from a place of intention instead of panic. And best of all, when you know you have a bright future ahead, the issues in the present moment don’t feel as heavy. That is a mental health benefit you can start collecting right now, decades before you touch a single dollar of that account.

And here's the part that genuinely sounds too good to be true but isn't: beginning to invest a few hundred dollars a month in your 20s will very likely make you a millionaire. Not because you're special or lucky. Because time is the most important ingredient and you actually have it in abundance right now.

The Real Self-Care Math

That $400/month? Here's what it competes with in real life: going out to eat, nail appointments, expensive work out classes, new clothes, massages, really any "treat yourself" spending. Society has hypnotized us to believe that spending money we don’t have is a form of self care, when really it’s the opposite. The truth is, when we give our budget an honest review: that money is in there. 

None of those things are bad. But none of them will give you the feeling of opening your investment account and watching your net worth grow while you sleep. The most luxurious thing you can do for your mental health isn't a spa day. It's knowing you have a golden future ahead. Not just this month, but for the rest of your life.

Start Somewhere. Start Small. Just Start.

You don't need to overhaul your entire life. A few places to begin:

• Open a Roth IRA. Contributions are made with after-tax dollars, so your growth and withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. It takes about 10 minutes to open one.

• If your job offers a 401(k) match, take all of it. That's free money: always take the match first.

• Automate it. Set up an automatic monthly transfer and pretend the money doesn't exist. Future you will be overwhelmed with gratitude.

• Start with whatever you can. Even $100/month is $1o0/month more than nothing and it builds the habit.

The Bottom Line

Gen Z gets a lot right. But while our embodiment of the wellness era does do a lot of good, it also comes with a heavy price tag that brings on additional financial stress. SO next time you’re spending a ridiculous amount of money on something you don’t need, and telling yourself it’s helping your mental state, consider the feeling of knowing your future is taken care of. 

Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management is an investment advisor located in California. Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management is registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Registration of an investment advisor does not imply any specific level of skill or training and does not constitute an endorsement of the firm by the Commission. Gerber Kawasaki only transacts business in states in which it is properly registered or is excluded or exempted from registration. A copy of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management 's current written disclosure brochure filed with the SEC which discusses, among other things, Gerber Kawasaki Wealth & Investment Management's business practices, services and fees, is available through the SEC's website at: http://www.adviserinfo.sec.gov . 

‌ 

Chase McCormick is a Financial Advisor of Santa Monica, California-based Gerber Kawasaki Inc., an SEC-registered investment firm with approximately ~$4.09B billion in assets under management and advisement as of 12/31/25.  The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. To determine which course of action may be appropriate for you, consult your financial advisor. No strategy assures success or protects against loss. Readers shouldn't buy any investment without doing their research to determine if the investments are suitable for their situation. “All investments involve risk and one should consult a financial advisor before making any investments. Past performance is not indicative of future results." Every situation is unique and you should consult a tax professional and a financial advisor before making any decisions.