#5 - Communicate
Communicating Your Needs
Living with arthritis can have a profound effect on daily life. Activities and habits that once were easy and even taken for granted can become much more difficult. In this regard, arthritis not only affects you, the person who has the condition, but also the people around you including:
- family
- friends
- co-workers
Loved ones and others must learn to adjust and adapt to the changes too, but you must learn to communicate your needs to others. You should:
- communicate and share feelings.
- express any need for assistance.
- convey the need for patience, understanding, and support.
- 12 Tips to Help Family and Friends Understand Arthritis
- POLL: How Understanding Is the Person Closest to You?
#6 - Meditate
Relaxation Techniques
Meditation is a relaxation procedure which is useful is releasing tension and stress. Pain and fatigue associated with arthritis can be very stressful. Learning to relax and meditate can ease muscle tension and help fight fatigue.
Clearing The Mind
Arthritis not only takes a physical toll, but also a mental toll. The mind often becomes cluttered with facing challenges. Your thoughts may center atound:
- coping with arthritis
- dealing with difficulties
- adjusting to life with a chronic condition
Although these are necessary thoughts, it is also beneficial to sometimes focus on other things in an attempt to clear the mind. Time spent meditating can give both the body and mind needed relief.
#7 - Eliminate
Managing Stress
Stress is an inescapable reality of life. Everyone experiences stress, whether it be positive or negative stress. The stress response is both physical and emotional, literally putting a strain on your mind and body. Most, if not all, people with arthritis feel that stress affects their condition in a negative way. They experience more tension, pain and fatigue due to prolonged stress. Learning to manage stress, if not eliminate it, is essential.
#8 - Concentrate
Quality Of Life
Concentrating on how to maintain the highest quality of life in spite of the arthritis is imperative. Simply put, arthritis changes your life. You can choose to dwell on negative aspects. But rather than focusing on what you may have lost because of arthritis, you can choose to concentrate on positive aspects, focusing on what you still do have and still can do.
Living with arthritis becomes much more bearable by:
- concentrating on positive thinking
- maintaining an active lifestyle
- setting realistic goals
The Bottom Line
These 8 actions will help you take control of your arthritis -- both the physical and mental aspects of living with chronic pain.
