When you face a large IRS debt, your mind may keep replaying the situation: Like a broken record endlessly playing in your mind, you may think, “How will I get through this? Why didn’t I do something different? What if I lose my house, business or family? What’s going to happen next?”
Such repetitive thinking—known as rumination—can cause depression, anxiety and health problems. Plus, it hinders sleep, affects concentration and damages relationships. However, here are six tips from science help you break this unhealthy pattern of thought.
Distract yourself. Do something that requires your entire engagement—such as play a sport or spend time with a loved one. But if you choose to spend time with others, don’t use it as an opportunity to tell them how worried they are; instead, focus on their needs.
Reframe the problem. Instead of focus on your mistakes, ask yourself what you’ve learned from your debt, and positive outcomes can come from this newfound self-knowledge.
Start a gratitude list.Gratitude improves your physical health, boosts your immune system and helps you manage stress. It also refocuses your mind off negative thoughts and onto the good things in your life.
Make small changes. You can’t wave a wand and make your debt or thoughts disappear. However, you can make small changes. Examples include exercising or seeing a professional therapist.
Schedule a worry break. Mark a few minutes on your calendar that, if needed, are time when you’re allowed to write down your worries and move on. However, if you begin to ruminate at other times of the day, remind yourself that you have a worry break scheduled, but right now, worrying isn’t on the table.
Meditate. Mindful meditation helps you see things differently, manage stress, reduce negative emotions and concentrate on the present instead of the past or the future.
It’s easy to ruminate on your IRS debt, but this thinking pattern only causes more problems. We encourage you to put these six tips from science into practice, and contact Highland Tax Group at 720-398-6088 for assistance handling your IRS debt once and for all.