Living with M.S.

"Living with M.S. is sort of like training for a long race. The harder you try, and the longer you keep at it, the stronger you become.
Eventually, looking back, you may be amazed at the power you possessed, even when you had no idea it was within your reach." (Linda Ann Nickerson)

Monday

MS can be a ticket to de-stress

 

Life with multiple sclerosis can be exhausting. Add the occasional (or frequent) sudden onslaught of MS-related fatigue of biblical proportions, and it’s almost unimaginable.

 High-energy people may find it difficult to empathize or understand what the MSer means, when he or she describes a titanic tiredness that saps all strength and sends energy and motivation limping away.

 Physicians may call this lassitude, and it's a hallmark of MS. It’s physical and mental weariness, a crippling sluggishness. And it can come on suddenly, seemingly without warning.

 One thing we know for sure – MS hits us the most when we are tired and stressed.

 


Maybe it’s time to let MS be our ticket to de-stress and recharge.

 Here are a few strategies for minimizing the stress that can aggravate and increase the fatigue that goes with MS (and that can leave the MSer extra vulnerable to a full-blown flare-up).

  1. Clutter is confusing and chaotic. Simply clearing off a kitchen counter, putting away clean laundry, or tossing out junk mail helps remove stressors.
  1. Multitasking can be unmanageable. Efficiency is lauded as a virtue, but too much multitasking can send our minds awhirl and our energy away.
  1. Tackling to-do lists reduces stress. Sometimes it helps to make to-do lists and then knock off one task at a time. By listing even the smallest chores, we can gain satisfaction with each completion. At the end of the day, we can review what’s done and feel a bit of accomplishment. If MS has us homebound, sidelined, or otherwise restricted, this strategy can be extra important.
  1. Realistic goals are our reality. Sure, we like to stretch ourselves, often past our own limits. But setting more reachable objectives can be rewarding and simplifying. The net result is often less stress. The tricky thing is, MS can change our energy resources spontaneously and unpredictability. (Ever heard of The Spoon Theory? We never know how many we’ll have in a day.)
  1. Learning to say “no” is life-changing. Boundaries can be a new best friend to the MS warrior. They don’t come easily, because we tend to want to volunteer and participate and be active helpers. That’s one way we get worn out extra quickly, so we have to choose carefully when to say “Yes,” if someone asks.
  1. Granting ourselves permission to rest is powerful. Stopping our self-expected activities isn’t easy. Who doesn’t want to feel productive and useful? Yet those living with MS may need more rest than those whose myelin isn’t threatened and compromised? We may need to curl up with a book, stretch out under a blanket, or even catch a catnap to regather ourselves and avoid the overdoing that can invite MS to wreak its havoc on us again.

 Self-management is tough, especially with the ever looming challenging that the MS MonSter brings to our lives. And it’s not like we want to cop out of life, escape all responsibilities, and sit idly by. But it’s critical to be deliberate about our mental and physical exertions, if we are to reduce stresses and build ourselves to battle the dreaded beast as best as we can.

 Preaching to the mirror here. I know. Remind me again … soon.

 

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Image/s:  Adapted from public domain image.

 

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