Anyone who has faced a lot of debt knows the stress and anxiety associated with it. If left unchecked, this stress can take a massive toll on your physical and mental health. For this reason, it’s crucial to ensure that you find the mental fortitude to overcome it. 

Here are a few basic strategies for coping with debt-related stress and anxiety so that it doesn’t end up ruling over you. 

Get Spiritual

No matter what you believe, there is something to be said for centering yourself on a spiritual level. For those who believe in a deity or a higher power, peace may come with prayer, while others find great relief in meditation.

Whatever the case, consciously choosing to take your mind off your circumstances and focus on feeding your faith and inner peace can do wonders for your mental health.

Focus on the Present

A common mistake many people make when faced with financial stress is to get sucked into the twin black holes of dwelling on past regrets and worrying about an imagined future.

The simple fact is, you cannot change the past so you may as well put it out of your mind and move forward. Similarly, the future is unknown, so there is no point in worrying about that either.

It is only the present that you have control over so try to catch yourself as your mind drifts off to all your stressors and bring yourself back to your current circumstances. Train yourself to focus solely on what you are doing in the moment and what choices you are making right now, rather than becoming paralysed by the future or the past.

Don’t Shut Yourself Out 

Many people think that they can handle forgoing every pleasure in life, all in the name of saving every penny and paying off one’s debt as quickly as possible.

The problem with this approach is that it takes an inhuman amount of discipline and self-denial over such a long period that many inevitably slip into deep depression. 

Yes, live more frugally. Cut back as much as you can on discretionary spending. Look for specials on groceries and take whatever freebies you can get. Limit your social outings to one’s that fit within a well-defined budget.

But don’t cut everything out. Live your life and find pleasure in it when you can. Not everything fun has to cost lots of money. 

If you find yourself in a well of debt you’re struggling to overcome, contact Zero Debt today. We have the resources and expertise to help you find a way to a debt-free life. There is hope if you have help!