Managing stress is difficult for most of us. However, it is especially difficult for the person suffering from a chronic illness, as they experience a lot of pain and fatigue at all times. And this pain and fatigue over time can cause stress on their own.
The best thing you can do with stress is learn to cope. Today, I’ll show you how to manage stress in six easy steps.
1. Deal with pain or discomfort right away instead of waiting until the pain is so bad that you feel stressed. You may want to take a pain pill or just rest. But listen to your body.
2. Practice self-care. The best way to reduce and manage stress is to constantly take care of yourself, even when you feel fine and everything is fine. Do things that you enjoy every day. Don’t forget to meditate and breathe deeply. All of this will help you feel better in the long run.
3. Deal with feelings of frustration, confusion, and anger right away. If you’re feeling really frustrated or angry, it’s time to stop and take things off your to-do list. Please don’t go ahead. Instead, take the time to make room for yourself and how you feel. Everyday, crochet, go for a long walk, take a long bath. Do whatever it takes to help you focus.
4. Take steps to maximize the quality of your life. It can be difficult to do this all of a sudden. However, if you take your time to do the things you enjoy and don’t overdo it and put yourself first every day so you don’t stress too much, you will be improving your quality of life.
5. Understand your condition. They say that knowledge is power. And this is absolutely true when you live with a chronic illness. You should try to know as much as you can about what you are experiencing. Go to workshops and read books about it. There is a lot of literature on all the different chronic diseases.
6. Observe your own body. Determine if you are becoming more disabled or if your condition is getting worse. Take the time to look at yourself in a full-length mirror frequently. This will also give you a good indicator of whether you are standing, what your posture is like, etc.
By following these steps, you will manage your stress and take a bold step toward living better with your chronic illness and breaking the cycle of pain and disability. Only you can do this for yourself.
