I have been through a tough couple of weeks there have been many separate entities all buzzing around my brain of late. Each of them possessing a little sting in their tail I am guessing to keep me on my toes that little bit more. Although I know that life can be like this, it doesn't make it any easier when you are trying to keep going and keep living. from my last blog post you can see that coping sometimes just comes,even if you are not sure where it comes from. This is how I have been living for the past week and a half. Just coping and carrying on! Now that sounds sad, but it really isn't. It is at times of fear and trepidation that we realize just how open our eyes actually are. It is a p
Flare ups are frightening
I have been suffering from the most unbelievable flare up imaginable of late. The pain cannot be put into a blog post as nothing could truly reach an accurate enough level, so I wont even try. What I will say is that it has caused me numerous nights of zero sleep - you know that cruel thing that Lupus does when you cannot sleep because you are simply TOO tired too. That is the most ridiculous thing to state but it is ever so true.
On top of this flare up I have also had some changes in my life that have meant I have had to think on my feet, get resourceful and heal emotionally. Change is tough at the best of times, but even tougher when you are not physically strong enough for it!
However it is in these periods of stress and change that we can truly overcome our fears in life, move forward and hold our heads high at the end of it. So how do you do this exactly?
Never forget to breathe
This is the first and most important thing to do because not only will it calm you down, it can also help to focus your mind. In my last post I mentioned how I use breathing to find strength but it is also one of the most powerful tools for overcoming anxiety for many reasons.
Firstly when you focus your mind solely on your breathing, you have a habit of forgetting what it is that is causing you distress in the first place. What a nice break that is from reality - the chance to sit, breathe and refocus your mind.
Next you will be balancing out your oxygen levels, however you have to be careful not to take this to the extreme. In order to prevent hyperventilating and ultimately making yourself feel worse, you need to take slow deep breaths. This way you will get back to the right amount of oxygen, you wont feel faint and you will slow your heart rate down.
Work it out...
One thing I will say for change is that the anxiety that comes with it can consume you all to easily. This week I feel like I have had a permanent level of stress that is completely unwavering and has made me even more anxious than I was originally! Anxiety has been an issue for me for many years really, it is something I find it very hard to fight against. So when big things change in my life such as jobs, I really struggle until I actually start. Well I have started now and although this means a massive weight is off my shoulders, I will now have to make sure my health hasn't suffered because of the anxiety.
One of the first things I am going to do is up my exercise as much as I can. Although I have been unwell of late, there are some things that I can do to get those endorphins moving. I will be making sure that I walk more, I shall do some more swimming and this weekend I am camping so I will be enjoying some hiking. Each of these things are healthy ways to combat that stress, breathe in the fresh air and get those hormones going.
Eat more than three times a day
This is one that has been advised by the doctors and not me coming up with it myself....however I do know people that do this as a rule anyway. I need more energy when I am having a flare up, well we all do and I am doing this by splitting my meals into smaller, more manageable sizes but having more of them a day.
I have noticed a few things already. Firstly I am actually feeling hungry....something that doesn't usually happen when I am stressed at all. Normally I feel full from the emotions, almost like I have eaten the stress so I don't need to eat again. By splitting my meals into regular, smaller portions I have experienced more hunger and more enjoyment for what I am eating.
What tips have you got for healing during times of stress?
