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Recently, I finished a six-week Mindfulness Course.  I

I was referred to the course by a healthcare professional to help with the anxiety that I have lived with for many years and is a consequence of living with a long-term neurological condition.

Everyday Mindfulness, describes it as:

Mindfulness helps to change the way you think and feel about your experiences, especially stressful situations.  It involves paying attention to your thoughts and feelings in order to become more aware of them, less enmeshed in them, and better able to manage them.

Throughout the course, we learnt about the principles of mindfulness; specifically the triad of awareness, acceptance and non-judgement that the technique is based upon.  Mindfulness teaches us to be focused and aware of the present moment, to acknowledge and accept our feelings without judgement or battling against them, to be better able to embrace them and ultimately let them go.

As the course was facilitated by Mental Health Services, the sessions were focused on the technique being used for anxiety and depression; our negative thoughts were described as being like trains, and when suffering from anxiety we enter the train letting those negative thoughts circumvent our brain.  Mindfulness, however, teaches us to stay on the platform, but allow the trains to pass without getting on.  Such a brilliant and simple metaphor to explain what mindfulness is and its function.

Mindfulness teaches us to let our thoughts pass instead of becoming entangled in them
Mindfulness teaches us to let our thoughts pass instead of becoming entangled in them

As the course progressed, I began to realise that the technique could not only be used for anxiety management but also help with the stress that living with a long-term health condition can have, and as I read further to even help manage chronic pain, which something I have been struggling with for some time now.  This is supported by much research which has shown that patients with chronic conditions reported feeling calmer, better equipped to deal with illness during times of stress and reported higher levels of well-being after incorporating mindfulness into their daily routine.

[Tweet “Acceptance, in essence, means acknowledging that of what we have no control of”]

After starting the mindfulness and relating it to my life with a neurological condition, I came to realise how little I have actually accepted my illness.  When we are mindful, we give our full attention to whatever is happening in the present, and without changing the narrative and judgement of our thoughts and feelings. Acceptance, in essence, means acknowledging that of what we have no control of; accepting life as it is at this exact moment.

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While in the midst of excruciating and debilitating symptoms, however, it is difficult not to judge – ourselves, for our perceived weakness or our failing bodies which cause these symptoms, to begin with.  Nor do we as patients sit there without attempting to change our current experience – we try medications, heat/ice packs, warm baths,  anything to try and ease the symptoms that are consistently bothering us.

Often I feel at war with my body when my symptoms are severe; I curse, hating my weak legs and the other symptoms giving me grief, wishing that at that time I was someone else, had someone else’s body. I worry about the implications of living with a long-term health condition, such as worrying about the future and as a result, my head becomes permeated with worst case scenarios.  So perhaps I hadn’t reached acceptance as I thought.

Mindfulness in many ways somewhat resembles autumn (or fall).  It is said that autumn is a beautiful reminder what a relief it is to let things go that we no longer need, or does not serve us any purpose.  As trees shed their dead leaves during the season; mindfulness allows us to let go of any negative thoughts which don’t help us and only allows us to get stuck in the depths of despair and hopelessness.

[Tweet “Mindfulness allows us to let go of any negative thoughts which don’t help us… “]

Mindfulness instead teaches us to focus on the present; accept our illness and the way its symptoms make us feel allowing these thoughts and feelings to fall into the background enabling us to focus on the positives.  For example, instead of focusing on the pain in my legs, I allow myself to enjoy the feel of the sun on my face or savour the taste of hot chocolate (my favourite Autumn/Winter indulgence!).

Mindfulness is much like autumn reminding us of the benefits of letting go

I am beginning to incorporate mindfulness during my daily routine, alongside the usual practices such as taking medications and journaling.   It is not, unfortunately, a cure for the symptoms associated with my neurological condition, they still exist, but it is a coping strategy for times when everything feels out of my control (which is a lot!).  There are days when I find it difficult, but like anything, it can take practice to perfect the technique.

[Tweet “Mindfulness is a useful coping strategy for times when everything feels out of my control.”]

Mindfulness I have realised can be a mechanism to help find the light, during the darkest of days.

Useful Reading about Mindfulness and specifically its use to help chronic pain and chronic illness: 

  • Living Well With Pain and Illness: Using mindfulness to free yourself from suffering by Vidyamala Burch
  • How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness: A Mindful Guide by Toni Bernhard
  • Mindfulness for Health: A practical guide to relieving pain, reducing stress and restoring wellbeing by Vidyamala Burch

 

 

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Welcome to the Health Activist Writer’s Month Challenge brought together by WEGO Health – a social network for all health activists.  Again, I am participating in the annual Writer’s Month Challenge in which I will be writing about my health activism and health condition based on given prompts.

Sunday 19th April: Stress Awareness Month 

What’s the best way you deal with stress?  How do you like to let loose to escape common stressors?  Share with us your favourite ways to shake off the stress

Stress is defined as “the physical, mental or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension”.

Stresses can be external (from the environment, psychological, or social situations) or internal (illness, or from a medical procedure for example).   When these stresses are triggered, it initiates a complex reaction of our neurologic and endocrinologic systems also known as the ‘fight or flight’ response, in other words, our body prepares us to either fight the cause of our stress or run away from it.

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Everyone is susceptible to stress and is something that everyone will experience many times during the course of a lifetime.  It can be caused by anxiety over exams, financial problems, family arguments to name but a few examples.

Chronic Illness Cat understands that stress levels can increase when living with a chronic illness
Chronic Illness Cat understands that stress levels can increase when living with a chronic illness

Furthermore, everyone is susceptible to the effects of stress.  However, living with a long-term health condition makes you particularly vulnerable.  In addition, to challenges that are normally faced, chronic illness can provide new stressors, including:

  • pain or discomfort from symptoms
  • managing the condition and coping with the treatments
  • adjusting to the new limitations that are caused by the condition
  • feelings of frustration loneliness and isolation

There are several strategies that they suggest to increase the quality of life for those living with chronic conditions and to minimise the challenges that go with living with a long-term illness, such as:

  • Self-Management: Making positive conscious decisions to help ease the symptoms experienced and to improve quality of life.  These include the choice of eating nutritious foods, getting plenty of sleep and exercise, all of which can help improve mobility and ease symptoms as well improving mood and lessening the effects of stress
  • Developing adaptability: By accepting your condition and the limitations that arise as a result can allow you to take control of the condition as well as allowing you to develop coping strategies that work for you.  And by doing so also allows you to better manage any new challenges as they arise
  • Understanding the condition: It’s always helpful to learn everything about symptoms and treatment options.  It’s also helpful to observe your body and learn any triggers that exacerbate the symptoms as well as those which ease the symptoms as they will not be the same for every patient.  Use a journal to record the insights that may help you manage the symptoms.
  • Managing emotions: Experiment with different strategies to manage stress and other negative emotions.  Find the strategies that work well for you can incorporate these into your daily, or weekly routines.

What has worked for me? These are some of the strategies that I have found particularly helpful, and not only for stress management but distracting me from symptoms such as chronic pain:

  • Listening to music: When I am stressed or experiencing excruciating pain then I like to press play on a playlist of my favourite songs and listen to them whilst lying down on my bed with my eyes closed and focusing on the positive, inspiring and uplifting lyrics482887415
  • Breathing and relaxation exercises: As someone who experiences anxiety as part of my condition, or when I am experiencing insomnia I find breathing and other relaxation techniques very useful to help.  It is important to regularly practice these types of techniques, as they are much like muscles which need to be worked on to be effective.  And after practicing these techniques I usually feel so relaxed that sleep comes very naturally!Word Relax on beach
  • Colouring-in: A new technique that I have discovered, yes, it’s no surprise children are so relaxed as colouring books really help with switching off the brain and helping us to unwind from the stresses in our lives.  Although, I have been using it as a distraction technique to manage the pain I have been experiencing, which is helping and is an activity I am very much enjoying!

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  • Puzzle Books: These are another great distraction technique from stress, anxiety, and pain.  The concentration needed to complete them is a welcome break from worrying about the little stresses in life, or about the troubling symptoms.  My recent favourite puzzle has been the codebreaker – what is yours?
  • Painting Nails: If  am feeling low or particularly unwell, painting my nails with a bright, bold colour always cheers me up, and as someone who suffers from shaky hands I also need a lot of concentration to do a good job and in doing so any pain or stress that I may be experiencing is forgotten!

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