Posted by Diana Bertoldo | Posted in | Posted on 12:41 PM
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with an illness than it’s likely you’ve experienced the waves of fear that come with it. That’s only natural. How you ride out these waves of fear can make a big difference in the way you manage your illness and embrace your life. The following are 8 tips to help you courageously manage the news of your diagnosis and set a course for playing an active and empowered role in your quest for wellness.
Breathe: The fear and shock that comes with a new diagnosis can literally take your breath away. Don’t forget to breathe. In order to have a clear head and design a decisive plan for forward action you are going to need to give your mind and body the oxygen it needs to help you be proactive.
Slow Down: Everything tends to speed up in your experience when facing a diagnosis. Your mind can be spinning at lightning bolt speeds, your body feels more revved up than usual, and a sense of urgency looms in all that you do. Learning to slow down and breathe will help you deter confusion, indecision and anxiety and also give your body a more favorable environment to restore itself to wellness.
Acknowledge What’s Working: Even though you may be experiencing physical symptoms from your illness, remember to acknowledge the parts of your body that are free from symptoms. Bring your attention and appreciation to all the systems, cells and functions of the body that are performing well. The more evidence you have that your body is working hard to support you the less you will feel betrayed by your body.
Befriend Your Body: Although your initial instinct may be to flee or disconnect from your body now is the time to create a deepened connection. Listen to your body so you can better understand what it needs from you. I know this can feel hard at first—maybe it will even feel a lot like being nice to someone who has betrayed or offended you, but right now it is important that you create an allied force with your body and you.
Research with an Intention to Motivate and Inspire Yourself: Chances are that you are not the first person to have been diagnosed with this illness nor will you be the last. Others have walked this path. Create an intention to research positive stories of others who have managed their illness well. Set out to be inspired and supported and what you find in that search will most likely be a reflection of inspiration and support.
Acknowledge Your Fears: It takes a lot of energy to run away from our fears—energy you’ll want to reserve for better things. If you don’t face your fears and move through them they can compound the challenges you already experience with your illness. So be honest with yourself about your fears. Acknowledge what they are, write them down, and decide what you will need in order to positively manage your fears.
Train Yourself to Live in the Present: Commit to daily practices that bring you into the “here and now”, and take you out of the negative “What if?” thinking. “What if’s” create confusion, overwhelm, and a lack of direction. They steel your time, focus, energy, and ability to move forward proactively and decisively. The more you practice being present you’ll find that it becomes a tremendous precursor to cultivating peace of mind and action plans that work for you.
Deepen Your Mind/Body Relationship: Your illness may have you feeling powerless at times but you can play a very significant role in your health and wellness—one that makes you feel more in control than you imagined you could be. Indulge in daily activities that help you de-stress emotionally, mentally and physically. In doing so you will find that with practice you can positively influence the health and well-being of your mind and body.
Breathe: The fear and shock that comes with a new diagnosis can literally take your breath away. Don’t forget to breathe. In order to have a clear head and design a decisive plan for forward action you are going to need to give your mind and body the oxygen it needs to help you be proactive.
Slow Down: Everything tends to speed up in your experience when facing a diagnosis. Your mind can be spinning at lightning bolt speeds, your body feels more revved up than usual, and a sense of urgency looms in all that you do. Learning to slow down and breathe will help you deter confusion, indecision and anxiety and also give your body a more favorable environment to restore itself to wellness.
Acknowledge What’s Working: Even though you may be experiencing physical symptoms from your illness, remember to acknowledge the parts of your body that are free from symptoms. Bring your attention and appreciation to all the systems, cells and functions of the body that are performing well. The more evidence you have that your body is working hard to support you the less you will feel betrayed by your body.
Befriend Your Body: Although your initial instinct may be to flee or disconnect from your body now is the time to create a deepened connection. Listen to your body so you can better understand what it needs from you. I know this can feel hard at first—maybe it will even feel a lot like being nice to someone who has betrayed or offended you, but right now it is important that you create an allied force with your body and you.
Research with an Intention to Motivate and Inspire Yourself: Chances are that you are not the first person to have been diagnosed with this illness nor will you be the last. Others have walked this path. Create an intention to research positive stories of others who have managed their illness well. Set out to be inspired and supported and what you find in that search will most likely be a reflection of inspiration and support.
Acknowledge Your Fears: It takes a lot of energy to run away from our fears—energy you’ll want to reserve for better things. If you don’t face your fears and move through them they can compound the challenges you already experience with your illness. So be honest with yourself about your fears. Acknowledge what they are, write them down, and decide what you will need in order to positively manage your fears.
Train Yourself to Live in the Present: Commit to daily practices that bring you into the “here and now”, and take you out of the negative “What if?” thinking. “What if’s” create confusion, overwhelm, and a lack of direction. They steel your time, focus, energy, and ability to move forward proactively and decisively. The more you practice being present you’ll find that it becomes a tremendous precursor to cultivating peace of mind and action plans that work for you.
Deepen Your Mind/Body Relationship: Your illness may have you feeling powerless at times but you can play a very significant role in your health and wellness—one that makes you feel more in control than you imagined you could be. Indulge in daily activities that help you de-stress emotionally, mentally and physically. In doing so you will find that with practice you can positively influence the health and well-being of your mind and body.
I couldn't agree more. When I first started having migraines I was petrified. would I still be able to work? Would I know when one was coming? And I refused to get caught up in all the negative stories I heard about people who suffer from migraine disease. But slowing down, and learning to be a friend to my body was both the hardest thing I ever learned to do and the best!