Three Top Tips for Relieving Stress and Preventing Flare-Up in the time of the Coronavirus Pandemic
We are living in a worldwide pandemic, and it has affected us all in different ways. However, I do think that three things are consistent for all of us.
1) This pandemic has affected us. Our lives are not the same as they were 5 months ago, no matter how much we want it to be.
2) The future is uncertain. We are not sure how long this will go on, or what this world will look like when it’s over.
3) This uncertainty and instability has increased our stress in multiple and new ways.
This relates specifically to us, those of us living with autoimmune disease and chronic illness, because heightened stress leads to a higher potential for a flare-up.
Here are three most important things you can be doing right now, to relieve stress as triggered by the pandemic and quarantine.
Breathe. I know this sounds silly, because we are always breathing, right? Well- the thing is that in times of stress, we tend to hold our breath and breathe shallow, while holding tension in our chest. And we often do that without even noticing. So, check in with yourself- are you experiencing chest tension? Are you holding your breath? Do this check-in periodically throughout the day and just noticing the tension will help you release it. Taking some deep breaths will help too.
Schedule times to read the news. If we are constantly checking in with the news all day, we are going to walk around with constant tension, whether we know it or not. So, give yourself a break from the constant news ticker. Maybe check in once a day, catch up on your news, and then put the phone down, or turn the tv off.
Exercise. When we are living in constant stress, we are constantly thinking. Our brain is always on the move. So, it’s important to give our brain a break- and we can do that by moving our body. When we focus on our body, our mind gets a welcome rest.
These are very simple but effective ways to handle to pressure we are all under right now. Give it a try and see how it feels? And if you want to exercise but don’t know where to start, Autoimmune Strong is here to help!