What advice would you give to a person paying off debt?

This is a question I’ve always wanted to ask people who have paid off something big. I owe the Art Institute in the thousands still &I’m still slowly but surely starting back to make payments again. But it feels like forever.

Plus I have y own place so I have extra bills to pay plus I’m still trying to be human and do things that make me happy. I’m trying not to get over stressed like I use to & I’m trying to calm my overthinking about how I just owe places money An that I can never have fun cause I have to pay for crap. All advice is welcome on how to be consistent on making payments & how to stay positive about life.

For I wasn’t brought into this world to just pay bills & suffer day in and day out. Also, I don’t have a degree but I was accept to a University before I withdrew from Ai in 2015. Problem is they need my final transcript so I can finish college. But I must pay off Ai, an I owe them in the thousands.