Have you ever noticed that when your home or office life is in a frenzy you sleep less soundly or you find yourself more prone to headaches, colds or general aches and pains?

You are not imagining things! A wide body of medical research supports the fact that chronic stress can cause the body to become more susceptible to illness. Conflicts at work, major life changes, difficult social situations and uncertainty about the future are already on the list of known stress producers. Now, one area that seems to be gaining attention among researchers is the everyday stress caused by worries over finances and debt.

THE EVOLUTION OF STRESS
The human body’s reaction to stressful situations is a primitive and natural fight-or-flight response to danger. Thousands of years ago, threats were primarily physical and of brief duration. When faced with a perilous situation—such as coming face to face with a wild beast—our ancestors would require instant quickness of mind and agility.

This automatic switch to high-alert mode, known as “stress response,” initiates actual physical changes in the body that deal with the emergency. Nerve and hormonal signals are activated. Suddenly, heart and breathing rates increase, blood pressure elevates and metabolism speeds up, providing an almost instantaneous ability to think and move faster. Once the crisis is over, the body returns to normal.

MODERN DAY STRESS
Even though we, for the most part, no longer face lions, tigers and bears, stress is still a reality in everyday life. While all stress isn’t bad (short bouts of stress such as having to meet an occasional deadline help increase one’s productivity, for example), protracted periods of stress have been proven to wear down the immune system. And unlike the old-fashioned, short-term physical threats that allow the body to return to normal after all danger has passed, these new-age stressors keep us running on high-alert mode—wreaking havoc on body and mind.

ESPECIALLY BURDENSOME: DEBT WORRIES
While some degree of debt is necessary to function in society—mortgages and other sources of credit afford us the opportunity to build a better future for ourselves and our families—managing debt is a balancing act. If handled improperly, debt can quickly spiral out of control and lead to financial and emotional distress.

A 2006 survey of 2,152 adults by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that money was the top source of stress for adults. Nearly 60% of respondents attributed their stress to money and work. The survey further revealed that stress had an effect on overall mind/body health. Adults who experienced a great deal of stress rated their psychological and physical health lower than those adults not experiencing stress.¹

Another recent study of behaviors and attitudes by Pew Research Center revealed that more than 70% of Americans say they worry about money sometimes or often.

Further, one in three Americans said they had at some point in their lives felt their financial situation was out of control.²

“The issue of feeling out of control is probably the single most important universal stressor,” said David Baron, Chairman of the Department of Psychiatry at the Temple University School of Medicine, as reported in the Washington Post³. “The key to understanding and dealing with stress and finances is sitting down and identifying your thoughts, feelings and concerns, and what you can do about it.”

HOW TO REDUCE DEBT STRESS
Many people aren’t in a position to eradicate debt entirely. However, there are some conscious steps individuals can take to help reduce stress and chip away at debt, according to Kelly McGonigal, a psychologist and researcher at Stanford University⁴:

1. Confront Your Debt
   It’s important that you make your debt “known.” By not looking at bills and not totaling up what you owe on paper, you are making the stress chronic. The less you know about your debt, the more your mind will try to solve the problem subconsciously and perpetuate stress.
   
   
2. Talk to Someone
   Seek assistance with a knowledgeable professional who can review the numbers with you and can explain what will happen with your debt over time. This will help expose the problems so that you can make real decisions about your future.
   
   
3. Take Control
   Tackle the matter head on and create a plan for paying off your bills so that your situation is no longer out of control -- even if it means paying a small amount each week or each month.

Published: February 28, 2008