“Stress can interfere with the normal workings of so many bodily processes like breathing, digesting, sleeping, immune system regulation, and more. It can impair cognitive functions such as decision making, problem solving, and attention.” — ELISSA BERLINGER, LCSW
It is completely understandable and normal to feel stress when you are living with a chronic illness. There are many things that feel out of your control, and there are many unanswered questions. And on top of that, your provider is telling you that stress can make your MS symptoms feel worse. Recognizing the absurdity of all of that can help you deal with it. With that being said, there are some ways that you can manage or reduce your stress, which may help you to feel a little better and will certainly go a long way toward improving your brain health.
There is no one method for managing stress that will work for everyone. However, there are a lot of options to explore and experiment with to see what helps you. Getting really granular about what is causing your stress is a good place to start. Whether your stress has to do with managing relationships in your life, juggling doctor visits and work, the uncertainties around living with MS, financial security, or any number of other concerns will influence the types of stress management techniques that work for you. Experiment with whatever stress management strategy sounds interesting to you without committing until you’ve found something that works. For instance, instead of deciding that you’re going to meditate daily for 20 minutes, start with meditating for 3 minutes every day for a week and then evaluating. If something isn’t working, feel free to let it go and experiment with something else. Start with the technique that appeals to you most, and seems the most manageable.
Mindfulness can help you find a few minutes of calm in an otherwise hectic day. One technique is to take 5 minutes while doing a task to tap into your 5 senses. This will get you out of your head and into the present moment. Consider doing the dishes: when you turn on the water, listen to the way the sound of the water changes as you move your hands to interrupt the flow, feel the warmth of the water and how it slides over your hands, when you pick up a mug note the smoothness of the ceramic. When you add soap, take a deep breath to inhale the scent, watch as the bubbles form and notice the color or design on the dish. Consider how the taste in your mouth changes slightly when you inhale the scent of the soap, or try to remember the taste of a meal clearly from memory. This exercise gives your brain a small break and gives your nervous system a chance to reset.
There is a lot of science behind practicing gratitude. According to The Neuroscience of Gratitude and Effects on the Brain from PositivePsychology.com, “People who express and feel gratitude have a higher volume of gray matter in the right inferior temporal gyrus.” There are also many other benefits ranging from decreased stress, improved sleep, and potentially even a reduction in pain. Although it may feel difficult at first, you can train your brain to look for things to be grateful for. Try keeping a gratitude journal where you write down 1-3 things daily that you’re grateful for. These can be big things, like a good support network, or little things like the feeling of sunshine on your face. The more that you look for things to appreciate, the more you will find.
Keep a “worry journal.” If you’re stressed about a lot of different things, it might help to write everything down in a worry journal. This can get it out of your head and it can make it easier to sort through the things that you are able to do something about. Seeing the list may help you to realize which things are outside of your control. When you write down a worry that is within your control, write down one tiny action step that you can do next to it.
