3 Ways Reducing Debt May Improve Your Health

Published June 2021
Doctor with stethoscope holding piggy bank Being able to effectively manage your economic life may have surprisingly beneficial effects on your physical well-being, overall health, and quality of life. 


Key Points: 

  • Debt-related stress affects you physically, mentally, and emotionally.
  • Reducing debt can eliminate chronic stress from your life.
  • Reduced stress has been shown to help lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and depression and may improve sleep and mental focus.

Exercising regularly and watching your diet do wonders for your health. Being able to effectively manage your economic life has surprisingly similar effects on your physical wellbeing, overall health, and quality of life. 

You can work on your financial health in many ways but reducing debt and staying out of debt is one of the most effective measures you can take.

According to a Bankrate study, 23% of Americans lose sleep over financial woes. Most of these people worry about not being able to save enough for retirement, pay off healthcare bills, or get out of credit card debt. Debt can easily become a constant source of harmful stress.

How Reducing Debt Improves Your Physical Health 

By reducing debt, you eliminate the burden of constant stress from your life. The problem with the sort of stress worrying over finances brings to your life is that it’s chronic stress. Unlike acute stress, which is an important part of your survival mechanism, chronic stress exerts a heavy toll on your body. 

When you eliminate the chronic stress of debt from your life by getting credit card debt relief, you eliminate a problem that promotes some of the leading causes of death, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, among others. 

Constant stress also leads to health problems such as chronic insomnia, frequent infections, nervousness, dry mouth, and loss of libido.                                       

Reducing debt and getting your financial health in check can be a starting point for other positive changes. With more money at your disposal, you can afford better food, better preventive healthcare, and activities such as working out regularly in a gym. 

Without the cost of consumer debt draining your wallet, you can afford to create an emergency fund. The mere existence of this fund can stave off a lot of worrying and stress. Knowing that you can handle an emergency without sinking back into debt is a reassuring feeling. 

The Mental Health Benefits of Reducing Debt 

Most of the direct causes of financial stress are predictable and preventable. When you get rid of your debt, you also get rid of the mental effects financial stress bestows on you, such as: 

  • Racing thoughts and the inability to focus
  • The tendency to procrastinate
  • Disorganization
  • The inability to plan ahead
  • Poor judgment

The Emotional Benefits of Reducing Debt 

On the emotional front, the constant threat of financial disaster can provoke issues ranging from depression and anxiety to irritability. Debt-related stress can also lead to mood swings and compulsive behavior. 

You can reach out to a mental health professional for help, but eliminating the root cause of the problem is also a good approach to dealing with it. 

Standing outside watching the sun rise
The discipline and resilience you show while dealing with your debt will carry over into other areas of your life. You will continue to reap benefits long after your debt problems are but a distant memory. 

If you are now feeling the ill effects of debt-related health problems, don’t hesitate to take action. Draw up an action plan first and set it in motion. Seek credit card debt relief from a trustworthy source like ClearOne Advantage. Contact a ClearOne Certified Debt Specialist at 866-481-1597 and get a personalized debt relief plan today. 

If you want to know exactly how much you can save through debt settlement, get a free savings estimate now.

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The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. Please consult a medical professional for your personal physical and mental health needs.

 

 

Topics: Financial Education