Get Out, Get Fit and Stay Out of Debt

Stomach turns? Sleepless nights? Ah, the memories of your time before filing bankruptcy. Not much fun, were they?

Despite all the things that your robust credit limits may have provided you (it's okay to admit it), somehow you would have given it all back to stop the phone from ringing and guilt from weighing you down. And while that is what bankruptcy did for you, the numbers show that a number of people often have to file a second time. Don't do that to yourself.

To pull yourself away from the lifestyle habits that contributed to your first go-around with Chapter 7, start a new life by determining what is most important to you. Make a small list of the things you would do if you had an hour of free time. How about time with friends? Get back to the gym? Maybe start mountain biking again. Whatever is, do it.

Keep your list handy and start small. Don't try to entrench yourself into a lost hobby right away or it will remain lost. Schedule a time with friends or a local group once a week with a similar interest, whether its running, walking or even rock climbing. The group dynamic will encourage you to participate.

Fitness has proven to be a fantastic stress reliever. If you still have the mountain bike collecting dust in the garage behind the water heater, get it out and get on the trail. Cycling has become a tremendously popular form of exercise and there are clubs in every major city, just poke around on the Internet. The outdoors, challenge and even the occasional tumble down an embankment will do a lot to put your mind in another place.

What to do with all that money you no longer have to pay to unsecured creditors? Consider joining a gym. You would be very surprised at how cheap many gyms are today. Market competition has demanded many fitness centers charge as little as $9.00 a month. Best of all, many of them do not require any sort of contract, which means your credit will not come into play upon joining. Once there, don't just jump on the treadmill or recumbent bike--pick up some weights. Look around online for new exercises that push body weight mechanics and combine aerobic activity so your muscles are challenged each and every time. You'll come out of each workout feeling great about yourself and full of the endorphins that incite happiness and confidence. Little by little, you will discover a new body--and state of mind--that you didn't realize was there.

On the psychological level, exercise simply makes you forget what it was you were so worried about. A long hike in the woods or climb in the rock gym makes your focus switch to the physical nature of your situation, whether it be one grab left on your first 5.10 climb or a steep scramble up a local ridge line. Experts have found that these brief moments of concentration on physical challenges can quickly clear your mind and help your body relax in order to overcome it. In that process, the stress of the day is what gets left behind.

Beating the stress of financial worries is no easy task. Countless books have been written and studies published that discuss the harm stress can have on our physical make-up. Muscle aches, joint pain and serious health issues are often traced back to personal stress. Exercise literally pushes it out of your system, gives you a sense of personal accomplishment and helps you build a new lifestyle.

The first step to releasing the stress of debt is to talk to an experienced bankruptcy attorney. In North Carolina, contact the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt to set up a free and confidential debt consultation. Call +1-833-627-0115 or visit www.billsbills.com for more information.

See you on the trail!