UNITED STATES—The work week has just kicked off and I’m already stressed beyond words can describe. I’m starting to realize as much as I love Fridays, I hate and I mean hate Mondays. It’s something about knowing that you have to get ready for work, that chaos forces the body to go into fight or flight mode; well at least in my case.

Stress for the most part comes from my work (multiple jobs to be honest), worrying about monthly expenses, paying off debt and dealing with family issues. That is a lot on most people’s plates. The one thing is juggling financial expenses and work. I feel like the more I make the less that I make, to make matters worse, I’m at that point where I just want to quit my job. Like quit, I mean quit and not even think of the consequences. Why? Cause I feel this burden of stress that comes from a job that doesn’t pay enough will be lifted off my shoulders.

I hate the sleepless nights; I mean that perhaps has to be the worse. Why can’t I get a good night sleep? Because I’m worried about something, I’m stressing about something that I shouldn’t even be stressed about to begin with. I want to have inner peace. Work should be work and that’s it. When the day is over, I want to part ways and focus my attention on other things.

Finances will and probably stress more Americans than I can imagine. Worrying about rather you can pay this bill or pay that bill, or putting off a bill to put food on the table is not something that eases a person’s level of stress. Could you imagine unlimited amounts of income giving you the opportunity to freely pay off all that debt without ever running into that situation of incurring more debt?

Hmm, I think all Americans want that, which is probably the reason most of us have yet to become financially stable. We’re learning that tricky lesson of doing the financially right thing versus doing what others would pinpoint as the smart thing. Which adds to a level of stress on rather you did the right thing. Options to deal with finances include getting another job or perhaps coming to a realization that a job that isn’t producing enough income has to come to an end. It is not always the easiest choice, but when the writing is on the wall the answer is sitting right in front of you.

So what are some things Americans can do to ease the level of stress that we’re experiencing. Well, for starters do the inevitable: take a long deep breathe. Seriously, it is a must. Things may not be where we want them to be, but sometimes a deep breathe makes all the difference. It helps your body relax temporarily, not to mention it helps you relax the mind as well.

Watch a TV show, watch a movie, listen to music, read a book, engage in prepping a new dish, there are plenty of things you can do to take your mind away from the daily stressors that seem to never go away for some Americans.

Stress is life, if you’re not dealing with stress you’re not learning how to cope in unexpected situations. It’s a challenge to deal with stress. Knowing how to do so can be the difference between life and death. We’ve all heard the stories of how stress can lead to health issues and it’s very true. Cope with the mechanism that best puts you at ease; realize that what hasn’t killed you does indeed make you so much stronger.