FM: Anti-Stress Tips

[Guest guest]

Anti-Stress Tips

By: beth Deffner

FMOnline vol. 8, no. 12

Work responsibilities. Family friction. Healthcare challenges.

Economic tumult. We all know there are plenty of reasons to feel

stressed out—and we all know that too much stress can impact our

health: increasing blood pressure, disturbing sleep, even paving the

way for a fibro-flare.

We also know the best ways to stave off stress: stay as healthy as

possible by maintaining a good diet and getting enough sleep,

exercising the body, and taking time to relax. But what to do when

stress hits anyway? That's the question we asked FM patients. Here

we share their top suggestions.

Eyes and Ears

You may benefit from carefully considering what you watch and what

you listen to. Call relaxes every day with " Reduce Stress and

Anxiety, " a DVD by Dr. Illig, or Dr. Weil's Mindbody

Toolkit, which includes breathwork, meditation, guided imagery, and

sound therapy. It's not difficult to find soothing CDs of ocean

sounds or bird calls; perhaps classical music is key to calm for

you.

" When I am having a flare-up. I sip warm tea, curl up with my

heating pad, cuddly throw and just close my eyes and listen to the

ocean, the rain, and beautiful music, " says Suzanne Blaquiere.

Daily affirmations may be helpful for you as well. There are many

books available, as well as page-a-day affirmation calendars. You

may also want to search online for a website that can emailyou a

daily affirmation.

Four-Legged Assistance

Study after study has shown that animal interaction benefits people

physiologically—and Arlene LaBarre Kempf of Amity, Ore., has

experienced this firsthand. " With everything I've been through, my

love of my horses, my complete involvement in their care and

training—as well as the high level of fitness and the amount of

exercise I was getting—always so completely occupied my mind that it

allowed me to de-stress, unwind, let-down, relax, " she says.

While maintaining a stable may be out of economic reach for many

people, there are plenty of inexpensive ways to interact with

animals—from renting a horse to go riding, to owning a small pet

such as a guinea pig, to pet-sitting for friends and neighbors, to

volunteering at an animal shelter or veterinary clinic.

" Relieving stress for me meant totally occupying my mind with the

one thing that I loved more than anything else in the world, " says

LaBarre Kempf. " Occupying my mind with something I felt passionate

about … causes me to forget about the pain and the stress for those

periods of time when I am on a horse's back. "

" I raise Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats and Chihuahuas, " says

of the southwestern Missouri Hoof Print Farm. " When I get

that feeling of stress, I go to the barn and hug goats or just watch

them. I feel so good when I go back up to the house. "

" I have a cat. She purrs and when I need some loving, I pick her up

and she purrs and all things don't seem as bad, " adds Sandy Crary.

Focus

When Anne Kennedy feels stressed, she takes time out to sit

comfortably somewhere and " center " herself. Then she begins to

consciously relax her body, a little bit at a time, taking deep

breaths as she does it, and focusing on the areas where she is

experiencing a lot of pain. " Sometimes it'll work after one try;

other times I keep at it until I relax, " she says.

Change Your Mindset

Family squabble got you stressed? Is your boss in a bad mood? Break

your favorite piece of china? Take a deep breath and remind yourself

that these are small bumps in the road. Few things are worth the

pain of a fibro-flare, so don't let small annoyances stress you out

and put you in one.

" When I get up in the morning I actually do make a conscious

decision to be happy and not let things get to me, " explainsAngie

of Burlington, Iowa. " When things do get to me I ask myself

one question: `In the big scheme of my life, does this really matter

that much?' A lot of times I discover that it doesn't and I'm able

to deal more effectively with whatever is bothering me.

" I really think that the best first step to controlling stress in

anyone's life is to recognize that the control is ours! We can make

all the difference in the amount of stress that we have in our lives

each day simply by paying attention to our attitudes. "

" I learned that when the stress gets out of control, I need to

change the things I can, and it helps me to deal with the things I

can't, " says Michele Stobbe Schenck.

Exercise

You don't need to do aerobics to experience the de-stressing

benefits of exercise. A leisurely walk outside may offer you a new

perspective on the issues that are causing you stres and release

some endorphins, raising your mood and even decreasing your pain

levels.

" Exercise definitely helps, " says S. " At first I didn't believe

it. Exercise in the last thing you think you need when you are

curled up in bed, especially on these lately cold mornings. But when

I leave the gym and take a shower I feel so much more energized and

happy. It has become a healthy addiction for me. I only hope I can

keep it up! "

Get a Hobby

Studies have shown that different kinds of handwork—such as knitting

and sewing—provides a " relaxation effect " that can sooth your

stressed mind. Other hobbies you enjoy, such as painting, gardening,

writing, or scrapbooking may provide a distraction from the issues

that are bothering you, staving off stress. Margaret Knox,

who lives in North Yorkshire in England, makes cards and knits

scarves—activities she enjoys, which result in products she can sell

for funds to donate to her support group.

Eliminate the Stress Source

Many of the tips above focus on managing stress, which is an

important skill to develop. But big, constant stressors might be

better dealt with if they were eradicated. Angie of

Burlington, Iowa, only realized how intensely stress impacted her

fibromyalgia symptoms after her divorce became final and she moved

to a new community. " I was amazed, and still am, that within a few

weeks of the finalization of my divorce and arriving in my new life,

I literally felt like a whole new woman, " she says. " It was amazing

how much better my pain levels were, how much clearer I could think,

how much better my balance was, and I didn't feel like dying

anymore! "

" The first thing I had to do was to distant myself from people that

stressed me out (you could call them `high-maintanance'), " says

Dionne White. " Then I would have to learn to say `no.' I had to stop

committing to things that I could not do. Believe me, it keeps

stress at bay. You don't end up disappointing someone else or even

yourself. "

" One of the hardest yet most important things I needed (and finally

did learn) to help manage my stress levels was to give myself

unconditional permission to step back, or even withdraw both

emotionally and physically from stressful situations, " says one

patient in Bend, Ore. " I give myself to permission to remove myself

from a `toxic' situation for whatever time I may need to get back in

the saddle again. "

Laugh it Up

" Laughter is a great stress relief, " says Dionne White, who often

watches funny movies to reduce her stress. " You feel better when you

laugh and I'm convinced it fights depression. "

" Anytime I start to feel stressed I either pop in a funny movie

(Blazing Saddles works every time) or I call a friend or one of my

sisters. We always end up laughing, and I always feel better! " says

Mittel.

Consider Alternatives

Blake loves to cook big holiday meals—but she knows the toll

that takes on her, so she has re-consideredher methods. She buys

frozen mashed potatoes and mashed sweet potatoes. Her daughters bake

the holiday pies, and her grocery store cooks the turkey. " It's a

hard change to make, " she admits, " but time with my family is far

more important to me than the food preparation. I am thankful I

have learned this lesson before I spent one more year suffering

through it. "