(Photo via Pixabay by RenateGranade0; Written by Jackie Waters)
Living with chronic pain can be a nightmare for many Americans, as it can bring about feelings of hopelessness and anger that aren’t easily dissolved. For some, failing treatment options can lead to substance abuse and addiction, while others find themselves falling into a deep depression. It’s important to find healthy ways to cope with your chronic pain, as well as easy ways to work your lifestyle around it.
When the pain gets to be too much, it can be difficult to run a home, especially if you have children who depend on you for many of their daily needs. However, there are ways you can make things easier on yourself, including getting organized, getting in some daily exercise, and taking care of your body as much as possible.
Here are some of the best ways to overhaul your lifestyle and manage your pain at the same time.
Get healthy
You may think it seems pointless to focus on your health when you’re already in pain, but it’s imperative that you take a good look at your diet, your exercise routine, and your vices and make changes to all three if necessary. Eating dark, leafy greens and cutting out red meat is a good start where your diet is concerned, and exercise should be done daily as long as your doctor is okay with it. Talk to him about any new regimen you begin.
As far as those vices? Smoking and drinking excessively can only exacerbate chronic pain symptoms, so cut them out of your life. If you feel you need help doing so, consult a therapist or counselor who can assist you in quitting. Not only will it help you feel better, it will save you money at the same time, so win/win.
Get some housekeeping help
Running a house can be a near-impossible task when you’re hurting, so consider hiring a housekeeper to assist you in daily chores. Take care of the lighter ones, and delegate heavier work–vacuuming, cleaning the kitchen, dusting in hard-to-reach place–to a housekeeping service. It’s these little things that can help you get through the day with manageable pain.
Consider therapy
Living with constant pain can take a toll on your mental health, as well. Consider seeking a therapist who can help you get through the hard days, especially if you are feeling symptoms of depression such as isolating yourself from others, sleeping too much or too little, eating too much or too little, or violent outbursts.
It can also be helpful to try some therapy of your own at home, which can include light yoga or meditation. These two are often used in conjunction with one another and can help the user learn how to focus and be more mindful–thinking about the present rather than the past or future–which can in turn help with those low feelings.
Get organized
If you have a family, you already know how hard it is to take care of everyone’s needs when you have so many of your own to worry about. It’s important to get organized, which can help you feel in control and help your family take care of themselves from time to time. This can include making out a chore list for each member of the family to follow, creating an area by the front door for the kids to keep their shoes and backpacks, and planning meals for the entire week so you don’t have to spend time figuring out what to cook after a long day. In some cases, you can even cook a few meals on Sunday night and freeze them for the week.
It’s also important to organize your medical info and medications. Keep anything related to your illness in one place, especially paperwork or notes on what you want to ask your doctor at the next visit. You might want to keep a datebook especially for doctor’s appointments.
Managing chronic pain is never easy, but with a little planning and some changes, you can learn the best ways to cope and keep your life from becoming hectic and stressful.
Author: Jackie Waters