You've probably experienced anxious feelings and thoughts if you have a chronic illness, worsening health, or degenerative condition. You are, however, not alone. The good news is that strategies are available to help you feel less anxious and worried.
Give Yourself Some Grace
Don't try to suppress your feelings. Instead, treat yourself kindly. Accept all of the feelings that come along with living with a chronic disease. Uncertainty, concern, and doubt are normal emotions to experience while traversing treacherous terrain.
It would be best if you didn't repress your feelings. Stressing that you should "just get over it" just serves to compound your feelings of guilt and isolation while you're still experiencing the unpleasant feeling.
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Try this exercise in self-grace the next time you're confronted with worry or fear: just sit with it. Calm down by relaxing your muscles slowly. Feel the stress and emotions in your body. Calm down with five slow, deep breaths out.
Cognitive Reframing
Behavioral and cognitive treatment (CBT) teaches you to look for and identify emotional, cognitive, and behavioral patterns. CBT's notion of cognitive reframing involves a new way of looking at problems.
It's important to get in touch with your emotions and how much agony you can take. Try to accept your feelings and the fact that you have to deal with emotional as well as physical suffering.
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The ability to challenge and reframe your thoughts may help alleviate tension and anxiety by allowing you to perceive a situation more favorably.
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Get Yourself A Mantra That Fits You
One more piece of advice? Saying to yourself, "This is transitory" or "I can get through this" while you're in the midst of a terrible flare that's really getting you down will help remind you that flare-ups have come and gone before.
Ask Yourself If These Thoughts Are Helpful
Fear by itself is neither beneficial nor negative. Fear may serve as a survival mechanism. But chronic worry may have negative consequences.
Try to evaluate the usefulness of your present level of worry. To what extent can it be preventing you from progressing? Want to lend a hand?
If so, you should be grateful for your anxiousness. You should give yourself credit for worrying if it ends up helping you in the end (via instinct or self-defense, for example).
If worrying doesn't help, you should try something else. Thank your mind for keeping you safe and refocusing on what you want.
If you find yourself worrying too much, ask yourself what you might do if you put that focus elsewhere. Using this technique may allow you to put aside emotion and recall the facts. Anxiety sufferers might find relief with this therapy.
Distract Yourself
You may utilize your distress tolerance kit if you're having a rough day. Your distress tolerance reflects how well you can push through complicated feelings in order to complete tasks.
You've got skills that help people tolerate one another better. Some examples of constructive leisure time activities are reading or watching comedies. Reframing is an option to think about after your worries have lessened.
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Ask For Community Support
Peer support has been shown to help those with chronic illnesses feel less alone and more motivated to take care of themselves. You may want to check out some local meetups or support groups on the internet.
Sharing your concerns and anxieties with others may be a terrific way to let off steam and connect with others who understand you, whether the group is focused on coping with anxious emotions or meeting people with the same chronic health difficulties as you.
