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Take time for exercise and friends

When you're in financial stress, your first instinct may be to cut back on everything—even the nonmaterial or relatively low-cost things in life that make you feel better, such as exercise.

"That's what people end up dropping first, and it's the one thing anyone can do that can help," Rego says.

Take the time to do the things that make you happy, such as spending time in nature or hanging out with friends, he says. "Stay focused on the other valued things in your life, because money isn't everything," Dr. Gold says.

Next: Understand how you got here