u/cman7513

Context: ran up 3 credit cards plus an affirm BNPL

Apple: $8400 - paid off 2/1/26, CO 5/1/24

Discover: $8500 - paid off 9/1/25, CO 7/1/24

PayPal: $750 - paid off 5/1/26, CO 9/1/25 (hasn’t reported yet to reflect 0 balance)

Affirm $1200 - unpaid, CO 6/1/24

The elephant in the room is the last one yet to be paid off, however I’ve gone from 500 to nearly 660 since paying off the rest of the balances. Can I still get lender trust even with this one still on there( for now ). I have 2 secured cards perfect payment history and usage, I’m an AU on 2 accounts so I’m able to keep my utilization low regardless. One secured card is coming up on 10 months, the other is about 4 months old. I’m more so aiming for an unsecured card for cash back and miles but having no luck with any pre approvals just yet.

• Sleep at least 7.5 hours a night consistently and go to bed around the same time every night
A stable sleep schedule helps regulate cortisol, adrenaline, blood pressure, heart rate, and nervous system recovery. Poor or inconsistent sleep can make you more aware of your heartbeat, increase anxiety sensitivity, and make normal body sensations feel threatening.

• Drink 80–120 oz of water per day
Dehydration can cause dizziness, palpitations, fatigue, headaches, increased heart rate, and anxiety-like symptoms. Staying hydrated helps maintain proper blood volume, circulation, and nervous system function.

• Lift heavy 3–4 times per week and do 30 minutes of intentional cardio daily
Strength training and cardio improve cardiovascular efficiency, circulation, blood pressure, heart recovery, and confidence in physical exertion. Exercise also teaches your brain that an elevated heart rate is normal and not dangerous.

• Eat whole foods and get roughly 0.7–1g of protein per pound of body weight, 150–250g of carbs, and 70–90g of fat
Proper nutrition supports hormone production, blood sugar stability, muscle recovery, brain health, and energy levels. Undereating, nutrient deficiencies, or constant junk food intake can increase fatigue, weakness, anxiety, and physical sensations that fuel cardiophobia.

• Maintain a healthy body weight
Being overweight or severely underweight can place extra stress on the cardiovascular system and nervous system. A healthy weight generally improves energy, sleep, blood pressure, fitness, and overall confidence in your health.

• Keep stress levels as low as possible
Chronic stress keeps the body in a constant fight-or-flight state, increasing adrenaline, muscle tension, chest tightness, heart awareness, and anxious thinking. Lowering stress helps calm the nervous system and reduces hyperfocus on bodily sensations.

• Abstain from alcohol, nicotine, and weed
Alcohol, nicotine, and marijuana can all affect heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline, sleep quality, and anxiety levels. They can also increase body awareness and trigger panic symptoms, especially in people with cardiophobia.

Ask yourself honestly which areas still need improvement, and if you do that does not mean something is wrong with you. It means there are still lifestyle foundations you can strengthen. These habits create the blueprint for a healthier nervous system, better cardiovascular fitness, and reduced fear surrounding the heart and body sensations.

I finally can say that I have beat this ugly disease for good, ask me anything

We adopted a 4 year old lab mix rescue from a foster on Sunday. She’s great to other dogs, kids, anyone really, but is very shy overall. She does not like to go to the bathroom outside yet and will only go indoors in an area that we do not visit much, aka the stairs by the door. No worries, we pick it up and show no emotion so she isn’t scolded. This happened for a couple days before we decided to kennel her unless supervised to prevent accidents and hope for appropriate behavior outside. We live in an apartment and everytime we remove her form the kennel we go straight outside and spend 10-15 min to try and get her to go. She’s startled by any noises but has gotten better through positive reinforcement aka when there is a noise and she gives me her attention instead I reward. We are still stuck on getting her to go. We will do whatever it takes and are open to any suggestions!