Stressed beyond belief

edean2507

Hi
This is my first post and I would really appreciate some advice as to how you all deal with stress? I am just embarking on a long journey to clear £40k worth of debt and it’s so overwhelming I can hardly breath some days let alone live my life. Heeeelp!!

doingitanyway

You are at the beginning of the journey as you say. It will get easier. It took me 2 years and there were times when all I could think of was debt and money but most of the time it ticked away in the background and I got on with my life. 

Good luck.

sourcrates

Hi,

Easy to say granted, but its only money, small little bits of paper, if this last two years has taught us anything, its that insignificant things do not matter, there are solutions in place to deal with bad debt, all you have to do is access them, they exist for a reason, to take away the stress and worry.

I assume you have a solution in place, as long as you budget correctly, so you don`t go short, life should continue pretty much as normal.

If its not, then address the reasons why, be it better budgeting, or a change of debt solution, whatever it may be, once you have a plan in place, it should be viable long term, and there should be no stress.

BlueJ94

Hello,

Honestly, speak to a charity who offer support. They don't judge and are there to listen. Do you have a plan of action on what you're doing? Maybe if you don't you could set one up and it might reduce some stress levels. 

edean2507

sourcrates said:

Hi,

Easy to say granted, but its only money, small little bits of paper, if this last two years has taught us anything, its that insignificant things do not matter, there are solutions in place to deal with bad debt, all you have to do is access them, they exist for a reason, to take away the stress and worry.

I assume you have a solution in place, as long as you budget correctly, so you don`t go short, life should continue pretty much as normal.

If its not, then address the reasons why, be it better budgeting, or a change of debt solution, whatever it may be, once you have a plan in place, it should be viable long term, and there should be no stress.

I have screen shot your reply and I will take your advice!!

BabyStepper

I was also very stressed at the start of my debt free journey. Things that helped me were: 

Starting a debt free diary on here and posting the figures, my plan, updates on how it was all going and asking for help when I needed it.

Getting familiar with all of my credit accounts and bank accounts. At one point I could tell you exact amounts for 7 different debts pus my current account, savings and spends accounts. 

Reading about wealth accumulation, learning that the journey of managing money is life long and not just for when you're paying off debt. 

Speaking to my OH aboout it and asking for support. As the one with a better head for numbers, figuring it all out came down to me, OH just had to stick within his budget. It needs to be acknowledged when one partner is under more strain than the other because of debt. 

Not looking too often at the bigger picture, but focusing on the day-to-day budgeting. Because once you have that nailed and you're living within your means, the rest falls into place. 

Good luck. 

 

northerner999

There is help out there and this forum is a very welcoming and understanding place. The regulars welcome questions and always answer in a caring and considerate way. I was much more of a lurker but found it really reassuring to read through the threads and consider how I would approach the debt and what lessons I could learn.

At times it felt overwhelming, especially in the early stages when I counted up credit card debts. I was always paying the minimum and transferring which gave me the illusion of being in control, but I promise that if you've got a plan and stick with it then it'll get better and while at the moment you may wake up thinking about it every day once you get a bit further down the line you'll begin to relax and feel in control.

Blodyn82

I'm about 6 months into my debt free journey and just wanted to let you know that you are not alone. If I think about how much in debt I am for too long it is easy to feel overwhelmed. My highest debt was £43,000 (eeek) in July 2020, but I'm much happier that I know that I have a plan and will eventually become debt free. Even not seeing the debt going up is a good start. I'm much happier knowing that I can now live within my means, and this forum has helped no end with this.

This month I will now be down to £33,000 which is brilliant but I know that I've still got a long way to go. It can be frustratingly slow at times, but I've created spreadsheets and tables and am noting every pence down. 

I feel so much more in control now than I ever did before. I use to dread checking my bank statements or opening bills, but now as I'm more in control and know what needs paying and when the stress has eased. 

You'll get there. Keep going and keep sharing on here.
Good luck