Take Care Of Your Self
Taking good care of your self bodily can impression your psychological well being as nicely.
Get transferring with some gentle train, dont skimp out on sleep and discover time to attach together with your family members, Rebell mentioned.
You might also incorporate respiration workouts and meditation practices to assist your physique recuperate from the fight-or-flight mode attributable to debt stress, Kambolis mentioned.
Extra From GOBankingRates
Your Plan To Beat Debt
Now that you looked inside and got to the root of your overspending, it is time to make a plan to get out of debt once and for all.
If you search online for how to get out of debt, you are going to find numerous methods. Im going to tell you the one that worked best for me because I think it will work great for you as well.
Here are the steps to help you get out of debt once and for all.
Step #1. Look At Your Income And Expenses
Look at your income and expenses and see what you spend your money on. Ideally you will do this step for one month.
Write down every penny spent and then compare that to how much you have left in your bank account. Chances are when you do this, the two wont balance out. You will have forgotten to record an expense here or there.
This is OK. Just add a line for the difference and call it WTHK, which is short for Who The Hell Knows. The goal here is to make sure this amount doesnt amount to anything substantial.
For most people, try keeping your WTHK under $20.
During this first step, your objective is to make sure that you know where your money is going. This will allow you to easily make adjustments so you can pay off your debt faster than you otherwise thought.
Step #2. Understand Your Values
Teach yourself to look at your budget as the story of your life. Where are you spending your money? Do the things you spend money on add value to your life? Chances are they dont.
Step #3. Review Your Cash Flow
Step #4. Look At Your Income
Realize Money Isnt The Be
Somers says even in the midst of financial stress its important to count your blessings to stay grounded and hopeful. Always remember there are other resources in life than money, other sources of joy and meaning, she says. It also helps to balance debt repayment with other priorities, including self-care, Clayman says. Too often, people think they can only feel better once the debt is paid off. But the better approach is to help yourself feel secure that your needs will be met even as you work to get to a zero balance, she says, adding one way to do this is to give yourself credit for the progress youre making. For every year of on-time payments, for example, find money in your spending plan to treat yourself to something you enjoy as a reward for a job well done, she recommends.
You May Like: How To Calm Down When Stressed
How To Beat Debt: Your Guide To Getting Out Of Debt
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY DISCLOSURES FOR MORE INFORMATION
Are you in debt? If you are like the typical American, then you are in debt. Do you want to know how to beat debt? Are you tired of worrying how you are going to pay your bills when they come in the mail? Or worse, are you losing sleep over your debt? Do you want to overcome your debt once and for all?
I was in your shoes a few years ago. I was once in credit card debt to the tune of roughly $10,000. I wasnt happy, my work, health, and relationships suffered, and dreaded getting the mail.
But I was able to beat debt. How did I do it? With hard work, reflecting on how I got in debt, patience, and a lot of failed attempts along the way.
Trapped In The Endless Debt Cycle
If you have tried to get out of debt only to find yourself right back where you started, I can sympathize with you. I had a large balance on one credit card when I decided I was going to pay it off and get out of debt. Here was my original plan for how to beat debt:
- Open up a second credit card, one with a 0% balance transfer offer and move my debt over to this card. I would make my payments on the new card while saving money on interest charges.
How well did that work out for me? It was a complete failure. While I did transfer my balance, I simply started to spend on the original card once again. After a few months, I put my foot down and said enough is enough. I was going to beat debt this time.
How Can Mental Health Problems Affect Your Finances
There are many reasons why mental ill-health can make it hard to manage your money.
If youre depressed, you might not have the energy or motivation to keep track of your money. If youre going through a manic episode, you may make rash or unwise decisions with your spending. If you need time off work or a hospital stay, you may be faced with a sudden reduction in income and difficulty keeping up with your bills.
Some mental health problems may make it difficult or impossible for you to make decisions about money. The ability to make decisions is known as mental capacity. If you dont have mental capacity, someone else may have to make decisions on your behalf. Our page on mental capacity has more information, including ways to plan ahead in case you become unable to make your own decisions.
You May Like: What Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
How To Get Out Of Debt And Put Debt Related Stress Behind You
You are not alone through your debt struggles. We can connect you to the industrys best debt programs through our financial experts who can offer debt consulting services with the necessary tools and expertise to help you take back control of your finances. With effective strategies and solutions to alleviate debt, know that it is possible to get back to a place where you can save money and live a debt free stress-free life. Contact us today and well help provide you with options on how to to handle debt and work toward building a path to wealth.
Control your finances
A Guide To Coping With Debt And Financial Stress
According to an AICPA-commissioned Harris Poll study of 1,004 U.S. adults, 56% of Americans reported that their debt has negatively affected their lives. The survey also found that 28% of…
According to an AICPA-commissioned Harris Poll study of 1,004 U.S. adults, 56% of Americans reported that their debt has negatively affected their lives. The survey also found that 28% of debtors stated their debt caused stress in everyday financial decisions 21% said it had caused conflicts with their partners and 19% indicated that collection agencies had contacted them.
Additionally, nearly a third of debt-burdened Americans worry about it in general, while a quarter think about it at bedtime. And, 18% admitted that they think about their debt at work.
Considering that the average American debt among consumers is $92,727, its also essential to understand why people are stressing over their debt. As a consequence, this can have an impact on all facets of your life. The effect can range from not being able to cover your monthly expenses to retirement planning. For example, 84% of borrowers claim that student loans have negatively affected the amount they save for retirement.
Recommended Reading: How To Lower Blood Pressure When Stressed
Youre Addressing Your Feelings Not The Problem
Youre using emotion-focused coping skills right now. That means youre doing things to help you feel better in the moment. Emotion-focused coping skills can be helpful in situations where you cant solve the problemlike when a loved one is sick.
But debt is a problem that needs to be solved. Feeling anxious over a pile of bills is actually healthy. Rather than give yourself a quick-fix to feel better , tackling those bills head-on will give you long-term relief.
Reviewing your financial situation will likely cause a spike in your anxiety at first. But as you begin solving the problem , your anxiety will start to decline. Addressing your debt will help you feel more in control of your life. And thats key to long-term anxiety management.
Theres a clear link between mental health and financial health. They go hand-in-hand. Tackling both issues at the same time can help you feel better while also helping get a handle on your money.
Managing Stress And Debt
If you are experiencing debt-related stress, you should consider attacking the root of the problem. Generally, it takes time to work down debt, but that doesnt mean you cant manage the stress during the interim period.3
Developing a strategy to eliminate your debt is the first step to lowering stress, since the sense of control that a strategy gives you might furnish you with hope and optimism.
Its also important that you keep your debt worries in perspective. Remind yourself that debt may not permanently ruin your life. Writing in a journal can be helpful as an outlet to the worried thoughts that can cycle endlessly through your mind. Seek social supportknowing that family and friends are in your corner can be a great source of strength.
Finally, find time for laughter and extending small kindnesseseach unleashes wonderfully positive chemical reactions that are good for the soul and the body.
1. BusinessInsider.com, Aug 22, 2020 2. MayoClinic.org, 2019 3. This is a hypothetical example used for illustrative purposes only. It is not representative of any specific debt-reduction strategy or approach.
Recommended Reading: How Much Can Stress Raise Blood Sugar
Pay Off All Your Debt
Yup. I mean all of it. You already know how stressful it is to have to worry about paying your bills when youre already living paycheck to paycheck. Just imagine what it would be like if you didnt have to keep giving your paycheck to student loans, credit cards, medical debt, vacations and more. Seriouslyjust imagine!
When you know your why, youre ready to start attacking that debt with a vengeance! And Ive got a plan for how to do just that: Its called the debt snowball. Heres how it works:
Step 1: List your debts smallest to largest, regardless of interest rate. Pay minimum payments on everything but the little one.
Step 2: Attack the smallest debt with everything youve got. Once that debt is gone, take that payment and apply it to the second-smallest debt while continuing to make minimum payments on the rest.
Step 3: Once that debt is gone, take its payment, and apply it to the next-smallest debt. The more you pay off, the more your freed-up money grows and gets thrown onto the next debtlike a snowball rolling downhill.
Its worth mentioning: If youre in the middle of any kind of emergency , things may need to look a little different.
The best thing to do in that case is only pay minimum payments on your debt and focus on taking care of your Four Walls instead: food, utilities, shelter and transportation. This will help you stay afloat until things get back to normal.
Make A Plan To Pay Off Debt
Once you know how much you owe and to whom, youll be in a better position to make a plan to pay off debt. Creating a plan to eliminate your debt will help ease the mental and emotional burden, while also giving you the hope and motivation you need to become financially free. With a plan in place, youll feel an immense sense of relief knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and that youre taking the necessary steps to reach it.
The first thing you should do is to prioritize your debts in order of importance. Priorities will be different for everyone, so its important for you to decide which debt you want to pay off completely first. Then, you can put together a budget, which weve explained in depth here.
A budget ensures youre living within your means, and it will also give you a set timeline on when you can expect to become debt-free. This interactive, budget calculator spreadsheet will help make the budgeting process less painful. If your income isnt enough to cover all your expenses, youll have to make some adjustments to your budget. This is something a credit counsellor can help you with.
An accredited, non-profit credit counsellor can also help you make a plan to pay down your debts, which well discuss a bit further down in this article.
Don’t Miss: How To Deal With Chronic Stress And Anxiety
Its Nice To Imagine All The Things Youll Get To Do When Youre Over The Hump
One thing that helped me as I was climbing my mountain of debt was visualizing all the things I was excited to be able to do once that burden was off my shoulders. Im not really talking about the law of attraction here either. I just know that for me, it was easier to pass up expenses I didnt need to incur by thinking of what I could use that kind of money for instead, once the debt was behind me.
I have grand plans including grad school, a trip to Bali, a trip to South Korea. Lots of traveling, concerts, events, conferences, etc. And sure, I could have done all these things while still in debt, thus catapulting me into more debt. But, instead, I chose to hold off and use these things as rewards. The visualization gave me a taste of what I could enjoy once I got myself together. And I know that I, personally, enjoy a vacation more when Im not constantly worrying that Ill go bankrupt because of it.
The beach is for relaxing, not stressing!
Negotiate With The Lender
Sometimes there may be situations when you may have taken all possible precautions and yet find yourself in a bind with no way to repay the credit card debt. In such a situation you dont need to lose hope. Assess your financial situation. If you feel that you will be able to reinstate the card payments after a few weeks or a month, convey the message to the issuer. Issuers may give you a chance to convert your debt into an easy EMI or refrain to take any adverse action against you considering your position.
Don’t Miss: Can Stress Cause Seizures In Dogs
How To Deal With Debt Stress
Being in debt is never fun. In fact, it can be downright stressful! But with rising rent prices and student loans, debt is a reality for most people. In fact, the average American has around $38,000 in personal debt.
If you carry debt, you know the weight isnt a physical burdenits a mental and emotional one. See how debt stress manifests itself in real life and what to do about each one:
Money Stress Is A Common Problem
Studies have found that many people experience symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder with regard to their finances. In fact, one third of millennials reported such symptoms. This stress can manifest itself as:
-
Worry: Excessive concern about being homeless or other worst-case scenarios related to being unable to pay off debt.
-
Nightmares: Sleepless nights can have severe impact on your day-to-day life.
-
Avoidance: If you dont pay bills on time, you could incur late fees.
-
Denial: You ignore the reality of the situation and dont take ownership for paying off debt.
If any of this strikes a chord with you, youre not alone. Over 40% of U.S. households have credit card debt, with an average balance of over $6,000. The interest on that could cost nearly $1,300 per year. Its no wonder were stressed about money.
Understanding your reaction to money problems can help you adjust your approach, take control of your finances, and reduce your stress levels. These four tips can help:
Recommended Reading: How To Deal With Post Traumatic Stress Triggers
How To Deal With Debt Stress And Get Debt Relief
Debt affects more than just our financial well-being having money problems can also affect our physical and emotional health, which is why its important that we understand how to deal with debt stress.
Debt and stress often go hand-in-hand. When weve fallen behind on our payments and our creditors begin calling, its common to get overwhelmed with worry as we start wondering whether well ever get our finances back on track.
If youve found yourself overcome with debt-related stress, below are some strategies you can use to help you deal with debt stress and get debt relief.
Start With Small Goals
Once you have a plan in place, look at your spending and saving on a day-by-day, case-by-case basis so that you dont feel overwhelmed.
Set small goals and work your way up instead of trying to tackle it all at once, which could overwhelm you and make the stress worse, said Braxton Yeoman, business consultant at Success Financial.
Take a Look: 101 Easy Ways To Save Money Daily
Read Also: Can Stress Raise Your A1c
Is It Better To Pay Off Debt Or Invest Your Money
Yet, if youre willing to do the work, debt stress relief is possible even if your debt lingers. Getting to safety isn’t as simple as running away from a hungry predator, says Amanda Clayman, financial therapist and Prudential’s Financial Wellness Advocate. Getting out of debt takes time, and sustained effort, so we will likely have to tolerate the stress for a while. In a sense, debt stress is more noise than signal, so we have to learn ways to manage it in order to not suffer additional adverse effects.
