How do you control stress at the time when you are trying to get out of debt?

To control stress at the time when I am trying to get out of debt, I first take a warm bubble bath to be alone and clear my head. I then take into consideration what first needs to be paid. I take care of all the "right here, right now" bills. After that, I try to take care of what is due first. If I can't pay those I pay whatever has the closer deadline. I just have to make sure the core bills are paid.

well,when i was in pdl hell.i could go out to the garage,and pop on 670 the score.it's sports talk radio.i could be so down in the dumps about everything.then i would turn on that station and LOL,LOL.people would come to the garage to find out what was going on.it sounds out there but,once i listened to that station i my troubles went away.i also thought clearer too.i guess it is true about the healing power of laughter.

The best way to control stress when dealing debt is to gather all your bills and list the balances of the bills as well as the monthly payments. If you are always late with payments and can't seem to pay what is due, well, this brings on stress. Therefore, if you are treading water anyways, why not stop stressing and get focused. Pay the minimum on the larger balances and pay off one small balance each week, bi-weekly or monthly, depending on how you receive your income. Example: $2000.00 bal., $1000.00, $500.00 and $250.00. Pay minimum on the first three amounts and pay off $250.00. As the smaller bills get paid off, you can make much larger payments thwe accounts that's to large to pay off. When the large accounts become small enough and you can pay them off too. This helps you to make steady payments instead of trying to play catch up. Make sure your rent/mortgage and car get paid because tha'ts something that can be taken away from you. Let credit bureaus know when a creditor has been paid off. Your credit will start looking good again! Good Luck! It takes a while but it is worth it.

First I pray, then I make sure I am doing everything on my end such as working as much as I can without burning myself out. I also get excercise, this helps relieve some of the stress, I also eat healthy so as not to put an unhealthy body ontop of an unhealthy financial situation. I also try to stay honest with myself and ask myself questions such as do I really need that or is it just a want? Should I eat out or would it be more cost affective to go make something just as good at home. I try to get my satisfaction in life out of the things that are free such as being with loved ones, walking my dog, being at home in my yard. The things that are free are the things we think about at the end of our life.

When it comes to debt their will always be stress. My husband and I are currently opening a business and before we decided to do this we had already accummulated a lot of debt. Now opening the business we are able to qualify for credit cards or loans because of our credit situation. Sometimes the situation can get stressful, we now take every step a little slower than we used to and have to keep a budget. At the beginning of each month we write down our monthly bills for the office and home. Then we look at our overhead... (how much do we need to cover these) Until we have that covered we cannot spend money on anything except if it is much needed or an emergency. Relaxe and take a minute to breathe when you start to feel the stressed. If you follow a budget and even possibly look into a non-profit debt consolidation company, you will be able to get out of the situation. In the end, remember what is important, and if you feel stressed make sure you let yourself have a break. Take a walk, or a bath, do something to get your mind of it for a moment. If you follow a budget completely you wont have to stress about the debt because you will be working it out everyday.

Remeber that each payment cycle is only one step towards getting out of debt not a single jump to the finish line. By having small milestones along the way, and celibrating each one accomplished, you reduce stress by knowing you are making progress each month. So you have to have the single cone at the mall, instead of a flat screen TV, it is still a celibration! Involve the family, children are always willing to ask mom or dad "are you sure that is in the budget?" We're no where near the goal but we're moving in the right direction.

I focus on what I am able to do immediately with a task list, and only look at one task at a time. Once the first task is completed, I move on to the next one. This keeps me from feeling overwhelmed and less stressed.

I do a combination of things to help keep my stress in check. They seem to work well together - & by themselves - they aren't as helpful in controlling the stress "beast." Here is what I do:
1) I make sure that I eat breakfast, lunch & dinner - & eat as wholesomely as possible (tuna, grains, lean beef & vegetables. I cut out sugar, salt, candy & useless "white" foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, etc.)
2) I go to the gym (or walk) at least 30-45 minutes a day - in the morning. I tend to stay there closer to an hour & once done in the morning, I can't "skip it" that evening.
3) I walk the dog daily & use it as a time to meet the neighbors walking their pets & chit chat a little. Mention the economy, & everyone is watching their pennies. It helps to hear that someone else is in a financial bind other than just me. Plus today, a woman I met, who's little dog played with mine, told me about a coupon site where she found dog food coupons, food coupons & online surveys. Good info!
4) I try to make sure that I go to bed & rise at the same time every day. Once I start staying up late, then I get less & less sleep. Next thing I know, I'm too tired to think & my stress rises even more.
5) I surf the internet for a limited amount of time so that I don't "rest my mind" by surfing & "losing time" that I should be using in better ways. Like sleeping!

6) I try to not isolae myself, & I try to not be too hard on myself. I just try to keep my head up, my nose above the water (even when I have ony a straw to breathe through) & keep trying to put 1 foot in front of the other.

I'm not always successful, but debt is like weight. It took me more than overnight to gain the weight, it'll take me more than overnight to lose it. Ditto with the debt.

Personally, I don't think that you ever can really control stress 100%. With the economy the way it is right now, there is a lot of stress all around us and it is very hard to get away from and some people, well, things keep getting worse and worse and it seems like there is no getting away from the stress. I know that feeling because I get to that point, and then it gets a little better and then right back again. I can't say you can control stress, but there are things you can do to help relieve some of it, even if it is temporary. Here are a few things I do:

> I try to keep my sense of humor. I have always heard that laughter is the best medicine, so I try to laugh when I can and I try to make others laugh. I know that I have dealt with people on the phone and they have been having a bad day and it sure is nice to hear that because I made them laugh, it brightened their day and that helps to brighten mine.

> Sometimes I call a friend up or my mom and we talk about things. That gives me a chance to vent about things and it also gives the person I am talking to a chance to vent and then next thing we know we are talking about something that doesn't even have to do with what the original phone call was about. Takes the mind off one's problems, even if it is for a little while.

> Doing something with or for my family. Whether it is playing a game, doing yard work, cleaning house, acting stupid and singing and dancing to old records, or even listening to my daughter talk about all the boys she likes or my son and finding out what all he has been up to. Sometimes just staying busy helps relieve that stress somewhat. I am not one for going to the gym or anything like that, but I can find things to keep me busy.

> Believe it or not, just sitting quitely and petting my dogs helps to relieve some stress. Heck I can even talk to them and they listen and don't talk back. I can cry and they comfort me and ask for nothing in return. Pets are a great stress reliever and that is one thing I can vouch for.

>I talked about crying, heck there isn't nothing wrong with a good cry. If things get that bad, let it out. Sometimes, crying, yelling, screaming, punching pillows or something like that can let off a lot of stress and tension. You will feel better afterwards, trust me I know. I have done this many times myself.

> Speaking of stress and tension reliever...married folk, there is s e x. Shhhh, the young'uns don't need to do this but for us old married folk, it sure can relieve some stress and tension and that is all I am going to say about that.

> A biggie is praying and believing that "HE" will look out for you. Sometimes I forget about this myself, but I do know that it does work. I just have to remind myself of this and do it more often.

> Another thing is this wonderful board and all the wonderful people here. It helps knowing that you are not the only one in a certain situation and that someone understands where you are coming from. For me personally, I have not felt as alone as I use to when things have gone bad. The kindness this board shows to those in need is amazing.

I don't believe that stress can be controlled, but I do think it can be relieved, at least for a little while and things can be a little less stressful at times.

My stress relief comes by knowing that I will NEVER get myself into this mess again. Also, I shared my situation and solution with my closest family and friends- their support has been immensely helpful in dealing with stress. In addition, I set a goal for myself- once I clear the debt, I will continue to save the same amount every month that I set aside to pay these PDL jerks back with and then my daughter and I are going on a vacation together.

When I first began the "get-out of debt" process, I was really stressed out. I mean there were these collectors calling me all the time, I could not get approved for ANY type of loan, and my credit report looked so negative that identify thieves would not touch my personal information with a 10-foot pole!

The first thing that I learned throughout this whole process is to treat debt one-step at a time. At first, I wanted to tackle my entire debt! I called every creditor, I tried to work out a settlement with everyone! Well let's face it, I'm not a millionaire and cannot settle every debt at once. When that didn't work I ended up getting more stressed out, I ignored more phone calls, changed my phone numbers again, etc. Eventually, I ended up pulling my annual credit report. I tackled one debt at a time. I knew what was on the report, but I was going to start calling these people one at a time. If a particular debtor did not want to settle on my terms, then I discontinued the conversation and found a creditor who would. When debtors called me, I stopped ignoring them. I talked to them and I made them listen to me. If not, then I wouldn't talk to them. I started paying back the debts with the least amount of money owed and it worked out great.

Another way to deal with stress is to remember that you are in control! The debt collectors do not control your debt...you do! It's your money, your bad expenses. When we ignore the phone calls we put them in control. Talk to these people! If they don't want to settle with you then tell them that they can call again when they have an offer for you that is lucrative to your financial means...not theirs! I would talk to debt collectors on the phone, but all forms of settlement would be handled in writing...return receipt requested! When you control your finances (whether it's debt or income) there is no stress involved because you have the upper-hand!

A final way to deal with stress is to keep informed as to what is on your credit reports! When I first saw my debt, my mouth opened so wide that my lower jaw almost separated from the upper! When you initially know your debt, yes it's a shock and knowing (at first) can cause a lot of stress! But keeping up with getting those debts off your report and checking up on it every year and finding less and less "negative stuff" is a very good feeling. Keep yourself informed as to what is going on with your credit...not being in shock is equal to not as much stress!

Overall, debt is nothing that we need to allow ourselves to overly obsess about. I also look at the forums and post on there because it gives me a feeling that there are other people within cyberspace that are like me. By doing these 4 things caused me to have less stress throughout this whole process...and I bet it would work for anyone else!

Exercise is the key during any stress full time! Schedule a fixed time (30 min) to go for a walk or jog; clear your mind while getting some fresh air, and keep in mind that this is ONLY a financial problem - nothing else. Spend about 10 minutes to meditate before going to bed at night. Also, keep track of all everything else you are being blessed with. Do not let financial crises take over your life.

The way I handle stress with debt is to allot a specific amount of time to deal with it.

For example, I allow myself 30 minutes a day to deal with finances. This gives me time to look at my calendar and see what is due that day, or what needs to be done concerning my finances. Once I see what is on the calandar, I make the payments, do it by phone, or whatever your method is. I then look to see if I need to send a letter that day to my creditors, or need to call or confirm something with my creditors.

At least three times a week, I call our banks' automated services, get my balance and balance my checkbook, so there are no surprises.

When all of this is done in the 30 minutes, I go outside , take a walk, or do something that takes my mind off of it and get it out of my head. I also go to the park several times a week to just walk and concentrate on what's going on around me. This exercise not only helps with stress, it is healthy too.

Also, just alking about it with someone can relieve some of the pressure.

There are two approaches I have used quite successfully, FIRSTLY; bedtime I find is the hardest to combat, sleeplessness and constant thoughts of the problems keep one awake and increase stomach tension. CURE: Commence deep breathing through the stomache, slowly and concentrating on relaxing each body part. Accompanying this I create pleasant but difficult problems to solve. my favorite is designing a golf course. I'm asleep before the second hole is completed.

SECONDLY is day time, if working is suffering from the stress, I stop, take a break, go outside (if sunny) and bask forten minutes in a medative state. Sometimes I use the golf course scenerio, othertimes i focus on nature, plants, insects, clouds. The latter I find more effective in the awakening hours.

best wishes.

First make sure you have sound family ties....or if no family, sound friends, meaning hard working, good natured, know they are there in case of emergencies. Second, if not retired, have a full time job so you can put aside savings that will help you get out of debt. If retired get a part time job (if able to) and all this money will go towards paying your debtors, whatever amount of time needed. Third, have a good hobby....this will take your mind off a burden that will stay with you until you take care of it.

I'm a single parent, with two children eighteen and over. I have a daughter who is attending a University in Arizona, and the way I deal with stress while trying to get out of debt, is to watch alot of comedy, and laugh my stress away. People often say that laughter is the best medicine, and I believe it is true. I never thought I would be raising my children alone, and I had always thought I'm young, I can deal and cope with my problems, but that doesn't always apply. I never had the chance to save like others, I was put onto Disability before the age of 40. But I'm proud to say, that even thou I facing a criteria now, that I can rest assure there is help somewhere, and I can be worry free. Thank you!

Stop what you are doing and take a Deep Breath.
Take a short walk.
Fix yourself a cup of non-caffinated tea.
Make sure there is not any "white noise" where you are working, ie: Television or Stereo.
If you have a companion animal, such as a dog or cat, take time out to pet and play with your fur friend.
Contact a friend or family member who you can trust and ask them how they deal with financial stress.
Nearly every one encounters debt anxiety at one point or another, we can and do work through it.
BREATHE!

Twenty years ago Reader's Digest reprinted a study that numbered 1-10 the most stressful events in life. I can only remember the first five. 1. Death of a child. 2. Death of parents. 3. Death of spouse or divorce. 4. Loss of job or starting a new job. 5. Loss of house or moving away from family and friends. Debt was lower on the list..

I learned in school that humans need five things to live: Oxygen, water, shelter, food and clothing. Everything else is a desire that is not needed to live. I certainly did not need a credit card to live, but I wanted one and now I rue the day I did.

It makes no difference who purchased what. The blame game only causes angst and more stress. I own it and I am responsible for it. There are four things that can happen with CC debt when the collectors come calling. Bankruptcy, mitigation to reduce the amount, the debt is forgiven or judgement. Whether I file bankruptcy or the debt is forgiven the end result is the same. My credit history is a matter of fact and it will take a long time and alot of work to rebuilld it. I probably won't live that long.

Accepting facts helps reduce stress. Learning how to budget and sticking to it builds confidence and reduces stress. Paying bills on time and in full rebuilds credit and helps reduce stress. Saving money helps reduce stress. Not living check to check helps reduce stress. Anger increases stress; it is not your friend. I learned stress-busting techniques, too.

It may sound silly but it works. Do not drink caffeine, liquor or soda or any kind or flavor; it increases the heart rate. Drink water instead. Breathing exercise reduces the heart rate. Teach your body to relax; you will de-stress doing it. Be a kid. Ride a bike, swing, run, jump rope, skip, walk in the grass barefoot. Go into the woods alone; commune with nature. i used to live in the country where there were many birds. Every night during the summer the hoot owl and I would hoot back and forth at each other.
For that thirty minutes nothing was more important than my time with the owl. I never did see it. Everytime I think about bill collectors I change the tape in my head and think of the one place I liked better than any other place in the world. To this day I can see it, feel it and taste it as if I were there. Sit in a quiet place and chant. There is something about the repetative vibration in words like "OMMmmmm" that is de-stressing. If you have a lake nearby, walk by the water and listen closely to the waves slap the shoreline.

If none of the above is appealing, then do something you like. Play Scrabble with your kids. It is amazing how imaginative kids are when it comes to making up words. A nine-year old taught me how to play chess. Talk to your pet; they love the extra attention. I read this story years ago. It inspired me enough that I would like to repeat it here.

A young social worker was sent to her first client. They lived in the wrong part of town in a old but neat house with a big yard. The woman had a sailor hat pulled down over her face. The young caseworker ask what worried her. Her young daughter was pregnant. Her mentally challenged brother was being relsased from state care. Her husband didn't have a job and their bed broke. She didn't know what she was going to do. The case worker asked her what she needed most. The woman lifter her hat . (she had no teeth) and said, "If I could get my teeth fixed I could eat. If I can eat I can figure my way out of this mess." A dentist agreed to fix her teeth and and six months later the caseworker retured. The woman was all smiles. She said her husband went to Goodwill to get a bed; he got a job and the bed, too. The brother was in the back yard in a swing the husband fixed up for him and the new granddaughter was healthy. "Life is good."

I buried a child. I recently moved to a new house, I can't work, My parents are dead. My daughter, my dog and my spouse are dying and I'm in debt up to my ears. Academy Collection Services, Inc., of Philadelphia is on my case like a dirty diaper. There is nothing I can do about any of it. I can choose to stress, or I can choose not to stress. I chose the later and found an attorney to represent me at no charge. The spouse, daughter and dog are alive today, there is food in the pantry and the utilites have not been shut off. Life is good.

This is a very hard question. Most of my stress is caused by money issues, like many others. : ( I worry about how are we going to pay all of the bills and if when we have to be late, which ones are priority.
My husband and I talk alot, it helps get things out so we are not keeping it all inside and stressing even more.
With money being short, we still do family activities. I have felt down at times since we are not able to afford to take our boys to the large amusement parks or the water parks, but with four young boys, the cost is outrageous. I wasnt able to afford to take my boys to the county fair this year so they could ride those rides, that is very stressful, so they went through their toys and i did some cleaning and we had a yard sale. It was $85 for wrist bands for all of them and we made over $150 that weekend. They got to see the value of money and had to prioritize their toys as well as to which were most important to them and how much they wanted to sell the ones they chose to sell. We do alot of cheap usually FREE family activities, which relieve alot of stress. We go to parks, swimming, fishing and have picnics. I love watching our boys play and have fun that has to be one of the best, if not the best stress reliever. We dont talk about our money issues at that time or our jobs.
Another thing that has helped is coupons, oh i have loved those coupons, they are a stress reliever in their own way. There are times I wont purchase an item, but when its on sale and I have a coupon its a great feeling and in a way a stress reliever.
To sum up, My husband and I talk about our finances and keep them in the open and discuss which are priority. We take inexpensive if not FREE family outings and have fun as a family. I have been teaching my boys the value of money as well ~ letting them know how to put values on their personal things to sell them to get something else they really want. We do alot of family time whether it be picnics at the park, or going to our boys, baseball,football or basketball games.

I am a single Mom and have managed to acquire a lot of debt due to My Daughter graduating High School. I have worked 2 jobs off and on. I did take off for a few months so I could spend time with Her before She went to college. I lost my full time job recently and have been on unemployment but have managed to keep up with my bills. I am working on finding 2 jobs, maybe 3 for a while until I can catch up. I think it is important to keep a good frame of mind and make family a priority as well as friends. I try to help people with finding work and networking at all times. I know things will get better but it will take some time. My Daughter is most important because She deserves a chance and I have had mine.

Its amazing how when we are in the process of getting into debt, we are stressed. But getting out of debt, we are about to jump of a cliff. Putting my self in this mess, I have gone through a ton of stress. The only way I cope is knowing when I am done digging myself out of this, I will no longer have to stress over this. Owing everyone in the sun is horrible and it feels like I have been going through this forever. I think the only time I had decent credit was when I was about 8. I want to be able to know my credit is good enough to get a house or to afford a car. I want to be able to make sure my kids go to college. Not have a gazillion calls on my phone or those blank generic letters in the mail will be a relief. Thinking about how I won't be stressed when I am out of debt is how I deal with stress.

What I do to try to control my stress is I pour myself a glass of wine. I put on soothing music. Then, I take a nice long hot bubble bath that smells really good and softens my skin....I take long deep breaths. I close my eyes and as I'm laying there I envision myself laying on a warm sandy beach with the warm wind hitting my body and the sun shining on me....I can hear the sea gulls above and around me....I hear the sound of the waves splashing against the shore. It relaxes my whole body and mind.

When I feel like I am starting to get stressed out I focus 100% on my family. I put all my spare time and effort into having a good time with them even without spending any money. I then feel that if I have a roof over our heads, food in our mouths, and everyone is happy and healthy at that point nothing bothers me and I am able to relax and deal with life and my BILLS with a fresh new perspective. Life goes on whether you are in debt or not, it just depends on how you are going to tackle the situation. No one likes living paycheck to paycheck but that seems to be the norm now a days. If you let it effect your life it effects everything in your life, and that is when you get stressed out. Money or no money you need to make the best of life and your situation, it may sound corney but you still need to live your life and letting your personal finances take over will ruin everything. Take it day by day and things will eventually work out if you have the initiative.

Let go and let God. Through him all things are possible. Have faith. Pray.

Well first and most of all I DON"T WORRY about it because what does "Worring about the Debt" help or change?? NOTHING AT ALL!! I also try to do other things that will distract my mind from all the bills that are past due. Organization is always a plus!! Simply live your life because you only live once!!

watch a funny movie and get laid to go to sleep every night.

When I start to get stressed I either pick up a book and start reading or I play with my nephews...listening to them laugh helps me to loosen up and forget about the stress for a while. I also play with my dog because she can be just as funny as the kids...

This is a great question! I have found that just sitting and doing something I love totally relaxes me. I try and remind myself that the situation will pass and that soon (very soon), it will be behind me. I also try to find things that make me laugh, like watching a funny movie or reading the comics. I have a picture of my grandfather, whom I love very much, dressed up in my grandma's clothes for Halloween and looking at it reminds me of the strength of human character. He was on his own from the time he was 11 years old, living on the streets during the 1920's because he mother had passed away when he was three and at 11, his father decided he could not longer take care of him. He made his way in the world and died a successful, happy, loved man. These memories and laughs help relieve my stress.

One thing I have found is that stressing never paid off a debt for me. Quite the opposite, when I allow myself to be consumed by stress, I tend to eat more, spend more and generally create more stress. Consequently, when I am trying to overcome debt or anything that seems insurmountable, I take a deep breathe and grab the bull by the horns. I begin by accepting and appreciating where I am and how I got here. Then, I release the tension by engaging in a structured exercise program to create continuity, accomplishment and endorphins (make it fun!). I let today be a starting point for tomorrow one day at a time. In the past while raising my two children without child support, my credit got so bad, I could not open a bank account. My friend opened an account in his name for my personal use. At the same time, I wrote a list of all the things I wanted that seemed impossible and ended it with "Thank you Jesus". That list included my own bank account, a cell phone, my debts paid off, a higher income number, etc. I put the list on my closet door and perused it daily checking each accomplishment off. I couldn't afford the gym so I walked and jogged especially if I was having a bad day. With each step, I envisioned myself rising above my struggle. Shortly after, having noticed me banking through my friend's account, the bank opened a personal account in spite of my history. Soon after, I started a job that "coincidentally" provided a cell phone. Later, I found an even better job that paid my higher income number. Unable to get a cell phone account without a large deposit, I discovered a special deal on a pay as you go phone plan where I received numerous minutes up front. The minutes would roll over if I bought minimum minutes every month. As the minutes accumulated over a few months, the cell phone company offered me a permanent account using the accumulated minutes as a deposit (I actually created cash on the deal). More recently in a psychological slump, I did a vision board where I put my face over a yoga positioned silhouette. Among other things, in one hand I put a picture of a large dollar sign. I also did a list which included "financial freedom" and "debt-free". About a month later, I injured my wrist and came into a substantial amount of money. Guess where the point of the dollar sign landed in my vision board. I wish for others easier ways than wounding oneself, but the point is I am in the process of clearing all my debt and will shortly be debt and financially free. Bottom line, rather than focus on the negative aspects of debt and allowing stress to own me, I focus on the possibilities, i.e., my capabilities. I then do the footwork and trust my needs will be met. Sometimes, in this busy world we live in, we just need a reminder. "Seeing is believing".

I control stress by trying to control my mental attitude and my reactions.I try to talk about the situation with my friends and relatives,identify the reason why such a thing happened.
To keep away from stress i attend various recreational events and spend time holidaying and sharing light moments with children.Sometimes i do meditation which helps me to calm down, when i am in stress.

When the stress starts to get overwhelming, I remind myself that I didn't get into this mess overnight, and it's not going to go away overnight either.
I constantly remind myself that it may take time, but I will get through this and be a better person for it.
I also spend more time with my family which takes my mind off all of the worrying and I have found that doing projects around the house and keeping busy also helps.
I look to the future and think to myself "this will pass and things will get better".

take it day by day. leave it in gods hands and he will help you.
and also pray about it.

For years, I have always been the one to handle not only my finances but, my sick father\'s. Trying to maintain two households was stressful but it was done. Now let\'s fast forward to now. I have been one to hide from my responsibilities and I got to the point where if I don\'t see it, it won\'t be there. So guess what happened, things did not get paid. Then the dreadful PDLs\', I was fooling myself into thinking \"Oh, I can pay this\" but getting trapped in that cycle to take a loan to pay a loan quickly set in and all my accounts were so red, if I wrote a check it would bounce from here to kingdom come! Now, all this was done without my husband knowing and keeping that inside created such stress, I could not eat or sleep and it was driving me nuts. I figured out how to control the stress and how to make things right. TELL MY HUSBAND, GET A BUDGET GOING AND STICK TO IT! It\'s was hard at first but now getting into a rhythm, we are really getting it together. We want to get a house soon and we are on the right path.

I did a search to look out for the stress warning, signs and symptoms (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm). I looked at the list of cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral symptoms to see if I maybe displaying any of them and work to find low cost solutions from there.

If my stress makes me smoke or eat more than I should, I would take up a craft that will engage both my hands so that I will not think about finding solace in them. A good one would be papermache where glue is required. As I can use old newspaper, it is low cost. It would also be so troublesome to stop to smoke and eat as I would have to wash the glue off my hands each time.

If the stress is making me moody, I will look through my collection of movies or CDs that I have enjoyed before and know will make me happy watching them again. This will also give me an opportunity to lie down and relax.

If I am not able to control my temper and feeling restless, I would take up a sport, like a game of squash or hitting out at a punching bag. That will allow me to express my frustrations without hurting anyone.

To get myself out of any cognitive symptoms that I am suffering from, I would take up yoga. I can learn it free from religious societies that offer them or learn it off the internet. Here is one I discovered:

(http://www.yogaclass.com/central.html)

If I am feeling depress, I think a library is also a good place to visit. Though it is quiet, there are people around who I can engage with if I feel up to it. That should eliminate that sense of loneliness and isolation that I may be in and prevent me from committing silly acts that will harm myself.

While I am there and if I feel up to it, I can read up books or watch videos related to the debt crisis I am in to see if I can find solutions. From reading, I may find inspiration to write about solutions I discovered and share them on my blog or website like debtconsolidationcare.com. Responses from readers may give me even more ideas to work on.

I would also read about the problems people in debt are facing. Maybe after reading them, I may realise that I am wallowing in self pity because there are others in worst off condition than I am in. Reading how others solved their debt problems will also motivate me to work in that direction and get me out of the stress symptom of procrastination and make me responsible again for my problems.

I'm an amateur photographer. So, I do what I love. I take my camera out, and go for a very long walk, looking for the beauty in what I see. Since I already own the camera equipment, it doesn't cost me anything, and reminds me that there is something out there that won't cost me anything to see or do.

For me as a single mother, I take some "me" time to reduce my stress. I read books borrowed from friends or checked out from the library or give myself a mini pedicure. I also take the kids to the free concerts in the parks on Saturday nights in my area with a Pic-nic dinner. That we can still have fun family outings and no one feels the money crunch which realy reduces stress.

Controlling stress is not an easy task. Many struggle with this task on a daily basis and actually succeed. But the key thing to realize is that what works for one, may not work for another. For those of us who are religious, leaning on our faith helps to relieve the stress. For those of us who are hands on, visiting "smash" stores (stores where you can pay to smash dishes to relieve stress) helps a great deal. And to those of us who are heath nuts, practicing yoga, arobics or some other form of physical labor helps out really well. For me, it is a combination of the three. I am highly religious, so I lean on my faith in God and pray when things get a bit testy. I also incorporate stretching activities and massage pressure points daily to help relieve stress. And, the topper on the cake is heavy cleaning. I start with one area of my home and keey myself busy and my mind free of my problems by rearranging furniture, going through old boxes, washing clothes, cleaning out closets and then exercising. It works really great and I wind up feeling much better; inside as well as out.

Stress relief can be done many ways. A long hot bath with candles is a nice way to relax and clear out some stress. I also like to spend time with my kids. They keep my mind off of all the stress in my life. Going for walks with them and watching the clouds go by. Simple things that life used to be all about make it easier to deal with the stress.

WE CAN CONTROL SRESS IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES TO MAKE LIFES PROBLEMS MORE EASILY MANAGED.ESPECIALLY DURING TIME OF DEBT,OUR STRESS IS INCREASED TENFOLD.THERE ARE MANY SIMPLE PLEASURES OF LIFE THAT WE TEND TO NEGLECT DURING TIMES OF INCREASED STRESS SUCH AS SIMPLY GETTING A GOOD NIGHTS REST.8 HOURS OF SLEEP CAN GIVE YOU A WHOLE NEW FRESH OUTLOOK ON THE THINGS STRESSING YOU OUT.WE ALSO TEND TO TAKE TOO MUCH ON AT ONCE.JUST SLOW DOWN AND TAKE ONE THING AT A TIME AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO BREATH A LITTLE EASIER.AS WELL IT IS IMPORTANT TO UTILIZE YOUR SUPPORT GROUP,FAMILY,FRIENDS AND THE LIKE CAN BE DELEGATED TO LIGHTEN YOUR LOAD...ASK FOR HELP!!!LASTLY LAUGH,A POSITIVE ATTITUDE THE WORLDS BEST MEDICINE:)

I have found that as I am trying to get out of debt, the best way is to look at the light at the end of the tunnel. There is a way out and by focusing on it, I have found some comfort. I know this is crazy-sounding but it works. I know that some day I will be out of debt; it is my goal. I hold hard and fast to that.

Dealing with debt is very stressful! My first response to stress while dealing with debt is coming here and discussing my problems.. it gives me a place to vent and even help others, either by my experience or by just letting others know that they are not alone. The advice I recieve here always makes paying debt easier to manage. Dealing with debt head on often makes me feel better about the situation, who knew?!? Other ways to deal with stress is exercise (I love walking my dog!) and being around loved ones. I personally find pray as a good stress buster but any form of meditation will work as well. You have to find what gives your inner strenght and keep at it. Remaining calm has helped me handle my debt much more efficiently.

I looked at the worst case scernio of what really could happen. I take that and add a faith, hope, family, prayer and alot of good luck and I always come out alright. God bless us all.

Personally I have found that getting out of bed every morning and going to work has been my 8 hour vacation from my personal stress. Although my job is stressful-I'm a workers' compensation claims adjuster, and I do get a couple collectors that try to contact me there I actually don't have to deal with it at work. Everyone should try the 8 hour vacation and only try to deal with debt when not at work. I'm more productive at work and actually nicer to everyone in my life when not dealing with work and debt at the same time.

My sweet wifey and I have innovated a new instrument for distressing ourselves. Hoping to get a patent on it :lol: The instrument is known as ???????De-stressing Party???????. Sounds weird? Here????????s it is ???????? How it helps us to de-stress ourselves. We throw a party in our house during the weekend and invite our closest friends who are also reeling around debt. In the party we get together and share light moments with each other and exchange views on the different ways possible of getting rid off debt. We also talk about our young days, our first crushes, some weird situations and all sorts of light moments. The only thing we spend in this evening de-stressing party is quality time with each other along with the munching of snacks. I also attend the Yoga classes to relieve my stress and listen soothing music. That????????s how we de-stress ourselves.