Everyone has a period where there’s a problem concerning paying bills. It could be for many different reasons but no matter what the reason is, the pressure feels great. A reality most people don’t know is that you always feel worse when you don’t know what to do than once you figure out and start to address the issues. Here are 5 things you need to do along the way towards getting back your peace of mind.

1. Figure out if you’re really in financial distress or not. This involves a word some people think is ugly, budgeting and yet it’s a necessary thing and truthfully not as evil as some people think it is. Trust me, it’s comforting knowing that you have a lot more money than you thought you did if you do it right, and sometimes even if you don’t have as much as you hoped, you find that you have enough to pay everything if you just spend smarter.

2. If you’re close to being in trouble the first thing to do is figure out what you’re allowed to be a little bit behind on. Try to never fall behind on credit card payments because they’ll jack up your interest rate and that adds to your outstanding debt greatly. Services like phone, cable, even your power will often allow you to miss the date of payment and tack on maybe a $15 late fee, and some don’t tack on anything. This is a short term solution if you know you can catch up.

3. You just might have to get rid of some things or reduce other things. Sorry, but comfort just might have to take a minor hit along the way. If you have to turn off or reduce cable for awhile it’s something to think about. Do you really need that big package on your smartphone or regular phone or can you drop something for a short period of time?

4. Pick up the phone and call. Hiding won’t make things go away, but picking up the phone and making a call can help greatly. If you have a car payment sometimes you’ll find out that they give you so many “grace” payments during the course of your loan, which means you’ll get to skip a payment or make a very much reduced payment. Sometimes your credit cards companies will give you a reduced payment rate for a few months as long as you agree not to use the card at all and won’t jack up your interest rate. Many companies in today’s world will accept a one-time smaller payment if you tell them what your situation is. Almost everyone will work with you, but you’ll never know if you don’t try.

5. Don’t panic; get help if you need it. Why are accountants around? Why is there an organization called Consumer Credit Counseling? Why are there other people who can help you with budgeting and planning? Because many people need help with their finances and it doesn’t always get to the point of having to declare bankruptcy. Get help if you need it; if you don’t, then do what you need to do to get out of trouble and regain your peace of mind.