Do you dread hearing the phone ring, fearing the person on the other end is trying to collect money on an unpaid bill? Do you get your mail, only to stuff it unopened in the kitchen drawer to go over “later”? Do you avoid checking your balances or accounts because you don’t want to see the amount of debt you owe? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are likely experiencing anxiety due to debt.

Let’s be honest, most of us have some level of debt, and most of us think about it and prefer to not be indebted to anyone. Just as each individual has their own debt situation, we each handle the stress that comes with it differently. For some people the way they are handling their debt is costing them more than money, it is costing them their health.

As more and more people struggle to keep their head above water, the stress caused by worrying about debt and finances is taking a toll emotionally and physically. Some of the regularly reported ailments include headaches, ulcers, anxiety, muscle tension, depression and even heart attacks. Stress will affect your quality of sleep, how you deal with pressure at work, and your patience level with your spouse and kids.

If you recognize any or all of these symptoms, it is time to get a little control back in your life, to ease the strain of your financial situation, and regain a better quality of life for yourself and your family.

You are not alone- It may seem that you are up against the world, when in fact there are millions of people in the same situation as you are. That may not make you feel any better about YOUR situation, but knowing that you are not alone might help you in the following steps.

Get over it- You may find yourself constantly thinking of what you did wrong, or what you could have done better to not be in your current financial situation. I have spent hours and hours of lost sleep going over in my mind how had I let myself get this far in debt.

While it is important to recognize what behavior or habits can be changed to prevent further indebtedness, there has to come a time when you stop thinking of how you got where you are and start a plan of action to get control of your life and reduce your stress.

Know what you are dealing with- It seems that the higher the debt goes, the less likely we are to know how much debt we have. Sounds silly right? Well for many people at some point (probably when you know you are in trouble) you may fall into a type of denial. As if not knowing makes it NOT THERE. However this behavior will not make things better. The debt is still there and growing for however long it is that you decide to keep your head in the sand. You must make up your mind get those bills out of the kitchen drawer and face how much you owe and to whom.

Develop a strategy- Regardless of how you decide to deal with your debt, such as credit counseling, debt consolidation, or many of the other options available to you; having a strategy is the next step towards regaining control of your life.

Once you start to feel in control of your life again, you will be able to focus on more important things than worrying about money. If you cannot even begin to think beyond your money worries, than you can not afford to wait another day.

There is a saying that “life is too short” and it is. While money is clearly a very important part of our lives and culture you should not let the amount of money that you have or money that you owe determine your happiness. It’s time to take back your life, your health, and your future.