It’s very important for you to strengthen
your Mind & Spirit during ANY time of adversity. Why? What
if I were to tell you that by strengthening your mind and spirit,
you WOULD feel better physically. There is an amazing connection
between our Mind, Spirit and Body. Don’t underestimate
the power you have within you to improve how your BODY feels
and functions. Here are a few tips:
If you are newly diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis,
allow yourself time to absorb the news and feel all the emotions
attached to being diagnosed with a chronic, unpredictable neurological
disease.
Share what you are thinking and feeling
with your loved ones. An initial look of shock or feeling
like you have just hit the brick wall is common. Yes, in
the beginning you may be scared, angry, frustrated, and unsure
of what to do next. But it DOES NOT have to be that way forever.
From a book called “How to Survive the Loss of a Love” ,
the authors discuss the three stages of recovering from a loss
(“loss” can take on many forms .. in this case,
we will refer to the loss of health)
The stages are:
- shock /denial /numbness
- fear/anger/depression
- understanding /acceptance / moving on. .
The authors state that each of these stages of recovery are “necessary,
natural and a part of the healing process”. Whether you
have been newly diagnosed with MS or were diagnosed a while ago, realize
that you will move through these three stages at your own pace.
Allow yourself to feel. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself
well.
What you focus on can manifest itself into reality!
If you are continually focusing on the negative of this diagnosis
and the thought of "what may be" somewhere down the
road... it just may happen. Stay in the present moment and
create a mental environment for yourself that will support
you in your overall health and well-being.
Oh,
and by the way, why not let your mind
take the positive road of “what may be”?
What is it about us humans that make
us naturally drawn to the negative sides of things instead
of the positive? Are we driven by pain instead of pleasure?
We talk about what we don’t have, how much we wish
we did not have to do something, we are always imagining
the bad things that could happen to us and loved ones in
the future… there is another side to all of this…flip
it around!
- Make a list of all the things you are grateful for that
you DO HAVE in your life.
- If there is something you don’t
want to do, write down WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO DO instead.
- If
you find yourself cooking up the worst-case scenarios about
the future, why not instead, write your vision of what
you would like to see happen in the future… down to
every last detail!
A wonderful, joyous
life is there for the taking… see
it, reach out, grab it and live it!
Surround yourself with people
who support you, love you,
and are positive influences on
your overall mental state of mind.
There are going to be some
people who say to you "Oh, I am Sooooooo sorry" and
they continually look at you with a sad puppy dog look every
time they see you. This is about them and their fears! You
can make a choice on how you deal with the people who send
out negative and "down" vibes your way. You can
educate them on what you need from them... teach them how
you would like to be treated and what type of support you
really need. Hey, they may listen... and if not... think
about altering your "people" environment. It can
do wonders for your overall health!
As for the people that treat you differently or look at
you a certain way because you have Multiple Sclerosis, their
reaction is also all about them. The more important thing
to do is ask yourself the question: “Do I think of
myself as different because of this disease?” It only
matters what you are thinking about you. If you answered “yes” to
this question, think about all the things that are the same
about you… those characteristics that have been a
part of you, your whole life.
Do something that is EMPOWERING
to you… something that
makes you feel real good on
the inside and in control of you.
Your self-image, confidence and overall attitude and well-being
will sky-rocket if you incorporate some daily or weekly habits
that make you feel good about yourself. For instance, do
some form of exercise, eat healthy foods, come up with a
mantra or a theme song that motivates and inspires you (that's
your theme on how you are going to make it through this life
challenge), write a song, tap into your creative talents,
...write some positive affirmations on your health and read
them every day.
Maria Lesetz’s favorite affirmation
around her health:
I AM A LEAN, MEAN, HEALIN' MACHINE!
What gift can you give yourself each day
that would put a great big smile on your face?
Eliminate STRESS!
Stress has been shown to be
detrimental to people with MS, by enhancing the symptoms
of the disease. Make sure that you have rituals and activities
that keep you centered and at peace:
Meditation, Yoga, Exercise, Reading a great book, Writing
in a personal journal, Only hanging out with people that
make you FEEL GOOD, Trusting and Surrendering to a Higher
Power, A Hobby that puts a smile on your face, A New Career
that feels like a Hobby, Listening to your favorite Music
Whatever works for you…There are many ways to design
your life so that stress is no longer hindering your quality
of life.
Now you may be saying to yourself “how can I ELIMINATE
stress – it’s a part of life!” The secret
lies in how we manage the stress that shows up in our lives.
Yes, it is true that in certain circumstances a bit of an
adrenaline rush can help us to perform optimally. But if
there are things in your life that are draining your energies
and make you feel like crap (to put it bluntly), these are
the things that are going to weaken your spirit and ultimately
have a negative impact on how your body feels.
