The ONLY Tip: Relax. Both physically and mentally. Here's how:
Physical Tips
- Take a warm (not hot) bath - Yes, this seems counter-intuitive because your skin is already "burning," but it actually can help. Use bubbles! Not sure if they actually help, but they make me happy. :-) Also, I have these amazing bath crystals that are "anti-anxiety"--they're very minty. I don't even like mint, but they really do calm me down.
- Wear comfortable clothing - I have the luxury of not having to be at a full time job right now. So I'm in sweats and hoodie. Not attractive, but so comfy! If you're already hurting, why would you want to squeeze yourself into clothing made of "harder" material? Also, no heels! I spent all of Sunday in heels--could it have contributed to why I'm having such a severe flare-up now? Probably.
- Stretch - I try to do yoga every day. I am absolutely not feeling yoga today. But if I'm watching TV, I could very easily sit on the floor with my back against the couch and do gentle stretching. This really does help me feel better (as long as I don't push too far), because it helps my blood more a little more than if I was just sitting and it can get your metabolism going a tiny bit faster.
- Eat healthy foods - I know that a lot of fibro patients have to pay special attention to what they eat, even though they don't necessarily have food allergies. I'm no exception. If I don't eat a serving of fruit in the morning, I feel it. If I eat too much sugar, I definitely feel it. If I eat too much throughout the day, I'm comatose the next day. "Too" has to be an individually defined term; but for me, even slipping for a day or two on "healthy" food can mess me up for a few days. I know during flare-ups it's hard to eat healthy food--I just ate some chocolate I'd stashed because it makes me feel happy. But there's a difference between "happy" and "better." I will regret the chocolate later today. Flare-ups are not the time for comfort food.
- Keep your house clean - Right now, I am having a hard time relaxing because I have dirty dishes on the end tables in the living room and snack wrappers lying around. Trust me, I know it's hard to keep it clean when you don't feel good. I was planning on cleaning it all yesterday, but I didn't because I felt so awful. But it will lower your stress levels if your house is clean.
Mental Tips
- Don't think about work - Easier said than done, right?! I know! You are at home because you can't work, so you're freaking out in your head. After three hours of mentally freaking out, how do you feel? I'm willing to bet the answer is "not good." You need to accept that you're at home and you have to relax. Work will get done. It's always there; it's not going anywhere. So let it go.
- Find your happy place - I accidentally stumbled upon a TV show called "Too Cute" on Animal Planet. It's about kittens from birth to eight weeks old. And they are adorable. I mean, who can't feel better after watching 44 minutes of cuteness?! So watch something cute, read something funny, or remember a great time in your life. You need to get yourself back to your happy place.
- Recognize the good things - It is so easy to get bogged down in feeling sad and sorry for yourself. But think about what you do have. It's different for everyone, but for me, I've got my family, my fiancé, my kittens, a roof over my head, and a lot of potential. There are so many things we take for granted and, even though we have fibro, we still have it pretty good!
- Clear your mind - Meditation is something that really helps me. It's not a religion, it's just emptying your mind of everything. It leaves you calm, but focused. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it!
- Don't diss yourself - There's a huge amount of guilt that is associated with not working and being the "reason" your family is having financial problems, or your relationships aren't what you want them to be, or you're not doing enough and know you could be doing so much more, or a million other things! But you know what? Yes, you have fibro, but no, it's not your fault. So don't sit around all day telling yourself that you "suck" or you're "not contributing" and you're "not worth anything." You're great! But you'll never see it if you always look at yourself through a cloud of "not good enough."
I hope this helps some people! I hate flare-ups, but with these basic tools, you should be able to get through them a little bit easier. :-)
"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi
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