Alter Your Stress Perception
Stress is a very individual thing—so individual that you could say it’s all in your perception. In fact, Dr. Bruce Rabin says exactly that.
"It’s very personal," says Rabin, medical director of the Healthy Lifestyles Program for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "What’s going to upset me, isn’t going to upset you. What we focus on is your perception."
That’s good news for people with fibromyalgia, who deal with the stress of a chronic illness in addition to the everyday stress of home and work. You can reduce your stress by changing the way you perceive it. Following are a few suggestions to help you modify your stress perception.
- Take a one-minute vacation. Bob Nadler and Dr. Herman Todory, co-authors of Public Enemy Number One: Stress, developed the "60-second vacation," which Nadler describes as "the most basic form of meditation."
Sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, and imagine the most idyllic location you can think of. See it, smell it, hear the sounds of it—become part of it. Then take a deep breath, hold it, and purse your lips as you slowly release it. Repeat, then repeat again—but the third time, hold your breath as long as you can and release it as slowly as you can. When you open your eyes, you’ll be filled with a sense of calm.
"If you do this one minute every hour, over the course of the day your demeanor and your mood will change radically," says Nadler. "It’s cumulative."
- Prioritize. Fibromyalgia is most likely not the only stressor in your life, and it may be easy to eliminate some of the others. Consumer wellness expert Terra Wellington suggests dividing a piece of paper into two sides; on the left side, write down the most important activities and commitments that fill your time. On the right side, write down all the other commitments you’re trying to fulfill. Then you can prioritize, eliminating those not-so-necessary commitments in favor of focusing on high-priority activities—slimming down your schedule and thus reducing your stress.
- Go for a walk. When you walk, Rabin explains, "there’s activation of the exact same areas of the brain that are activated by psychologic stress; the more times you activate them by movement, the harder it becomes for a psychologic stress to activate." If walking is difficult for you, take it slowly. The important thing, Rabin says, is to make it a habit—even if you’re only walking a short distance each day. "Over time, your base line levels of stress hormones will come down, and it will take a stronger stressor to activate them."
- Catch some rays. "A lot of people that feel depressed, exhausted, low energy, will stay inside," says Wellington. They may even draw the drapes to shut out the world, exacerbating the problem—when what they really need to do is get outside. As Wellington explains, when bright light (like sunlight) hits the retina of the eye, it causes the release of serotonin in the brain. This hormone regulates sleep patterns and mood—both of which can be issues for people with fibromyalgia. If you’re unable to get outside, Wellington suggests buying "daylight lights" such as GE Reveal or Philips Natural, which give off brighter, whiter light. (Don’t forget to apply sunblock before heading outside.)
- Write. Write down your feelings, your deepest anxieties and darkest fears—and then tear up the paper on which you wrote them. "We have had such success with it," says Nadler. "The thoughts just sink into the background—the things that bother you. I think for people with fibromyalgia this can be a wonderful thing."
- Create a home sanctuary. Simple home decorating techniques will breathe a sense of welcome into your home—and can also cut down on your housework. That’s because the first step, according to Wellington, is clearing away clutter. (Try this: take three boxes or bags. One is for trash; one is for items you definitely want to keep; and one is for items that you can’t make up your mind about. After you’ve replaced all your "keep" items and disposed of all your trash, store that last box or bag in the closet or garage. If, after two weeks, you find you haven’t missed any of those items, dispose of them.)
Wellington notes that solid colors and monochromatic color schemes are soothing to the eye, as are arrangements of three or five items, displayed from tall to small. You can also bring color and vibrancy into your home by displaying your fresh produce in the kitchen, rather than hiding it away in cupboard, and by arranging fresh flowers.
- Build a support system. This can be an especial challenge for people with fibromyalgia, whose family and friends may tire of hearing about their symptoms, and whose own physicians may not even "believe in" the syndrome. Nadler suggests connecting with a group of people who also have fibromyalgia. Together you can bond, build a support system, share helpful hints, and provide each other with role models for successfully managing fibromyalgia symptoms and stress.
- Find what works for you. Additional techniques—meditation, guided imagery, prayer—can also help people to reduce stress. "The important point is to engage in behaviors and use techniques that will decrease the concentration of stress hormones in your blood," says Rabin. "Whatever is going to help you relax is going to relax your stress—and is going to have definite benefits for you."
For more tips on stress reduction, go to http://healthylifestyle.upmc.com/ and click on "Stress Coping." Once there, you can even take a quiz to find out how high your stress level is—click on "Discover Your Stress Level."