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.
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.
The ability to challenge and reframe your thoughts may help alleviate tension and anxiety by allowing you to perceive a situation more favorably.
RELATED: 5 Ways To De-Stress Daily
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
