Being in debt can put you on edge and make it difficult to relax. Learning to loosen up your muscles can help you feel more calm, which will help you view your debt situation realistically, without panicking.
One way to loosen up is to alternately tense and then relax your muscles all the way up and down your body. This helps to remove the built-up tension, which results in full body relaxation. The order in which you perform the relaxation exercises is important as well.
These exercises take very little time to perform, and the result is a more relaxed you. Science has shown that people who are relaxed find that they have increased energy; a greater ability to handle problems; improvement in concentration; and fewer feelings of frustration and anger.
Journaling is also a good idea for keeping your stress in check. Sometimes you just don't feel like burdening your significant other or friends with how you're feeling. For one thing, if your significant other shares your debt, he or she is in the same financial position as you, and therefore, has his or her own stress to deal with.
You can use a plain notebook for your journal, or take a trip to the dollar store, where you can usually find a cute little journal or notebook for just a dollar. You don't need to pre-plan what you say or how you say it; just start writing about your debt and the feelings that accompany it, and you may be surprised at how quickly the words flow. Remember that these are your private thoughts, and you are under no obligation to share them with anybody. You can even burn your journal when you feel that you are done with it. (Perhaps throw a stack of your paid-off bills on top of the same fire heap in celebration.)
Stress doesn't have to get you down. Learn these and other techniques to keep yourself relaxed and remember that you will get through this ordeal.