Living with an autoimmune disease one common piece of advice I hear from my primary care giver, my specialist doctors, and even my therapist is to manage the stress in my life. I always look blankly at them like they were not just listening to my list off the multiple things causing stress in my life. What I wasn’t doing myself is listening. They are not telling me to reduce or minimize the stress in my life, they are telling me to work on MANAGING the stress!
My purpose in this post is to provide you first with the realization that stress will always present itself in our chaotic spoonie life. Secondly I want to equip you with tools to assist you in managing the stress when it presents itself. This post will be about relaxing your mind & body, with other posts to follow. So do me a favor and take a deep breath. Hold it in for a few seconds and then exhale. Do you feel more relaxed? Breathing exercises are one way to relax, and being relaxed helps ease stress, relieve anxiety, depression and sleep problems.
How can you relax your mind and body? Try some of these relaxation tips to see what works best for you.
Take slow, deep breaths.
Soak in a warm bath.
Listen to soothing music.
Practice mindful meditation.
Write about your feelings or journal.
Body relaxation tips:
Do yoga. Some yoga poses are harder than others but there are some even bed bound persons can attempt!
Take a walk or do some other activity that you enjoy.
Get a massage or have someone give you a back rub.
Have a warm drink that doesnt have alcohol or caffeine in it, think herbal teas or warm milk if your stomach permits.
There are many different ways to relax. Hopefully this post helps you find one or more ways to calm you down and feel at peace. Leave a comment if you have other tips not mentioned!