Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
4-6% of Americans are living with fibromyalgia, which is characterized by widespread body pain or aching muscles (myalgia) and multiple points on the body that are tender to the touch, called tender points. During a flare, you may experience pain throughout the body, brain fog, sleep issues, increased sensitivity to stimuli, intestinal issues, and emotional issues like depression or anxiety. Your doctor may advise you to start a treatment plan to manage your symptoms, but you can combat fibromyalgia with self-care, too.
Battle Flare ups at Home
Fibromyalgia can flare up for a variety of reasons, like stress, overexertion or issues with other health conditions. When a flare up strikes, show yourself some grace and empathy, as you would a close friend or child. Don’t be hard on yourself! Coping with a chronic illness is stressful. You need to go easy on yourself, even if plans have changed or chores get pushed to the wayside. You can combat flares with self-care, so you can start to feel like yourself again.
Self-care is doing things that help you improve both your physical and mental health. During a fibromyalgia flare-up, you might not have much energy, but self-care can start simply. You can work up to more involved forms of self-care as you start to feel better.
Fueling Self-Care
Start by making sure you are well hydrated and that you are eating foods that are nourishing and satisfying. You can use food to help your body recuperate from the flare up by focusing on anti-inflammatory choices like:
- Whole grains such as wheat, rice, barley, oats, and quinoa
- Vegetables including leafy greens, celery, cabbage, carrots, onions and sweet potatoes
- Healthy oils like olive oil, avocado oil or flaxseed oil
- Lean proteins like salmon or chicken breast
Jot it down
If your fibromyalgia flares up, you might feel brain fog, too. Flares can make it tough to concentrate or remember things. You can combat brain fog by keeping a notepad handy to manage your tasks, including your meal plan and self-care routine. Take the burden of remembering those things off your plate by writing it down!
Journaling is an effective tool in your toolkit, letting you reflect on your day and how you feel. Daily journaling can help you spot patterns in your behavior and symptoms, so you can adjust your habits and reduce the risk of another flare up.
Take a deep breath
For many, feeling fatigued is the worst part of fibromyalgia. A great self-care activity when you are low on energy is practicing mindfulness or deep breathing. You can do this anywhere, anytime by focusing on your breath or being mindful in the moment. This helps you regulate your nervous system and reduce pain by moving your focus away from the pain. Meditation or deep breathing is especially helpful if you are feeling the emotional effects of fibromyalgia like anxiety or depression.
Get Plenty of Rest
Sleep might be difficult if you are in pain, but sleep is a restorative time for your body. When you aren’t feeling well, prioritize getting plenty of rest so that your body can recuperate. Be sure to stick to your sleep schedule and limit your screen time leading up to sleep.
Movement is Key
While you are experiencing a flare up, you might feel like exercise is a huge task. Pain can really impede your mobility, and it can also be demotivating. Remember, gentle stretching or going for a short walk will decrease your symptoms. By working your muscles you can improve your circulation, energy levels and sleep. Talk with your doctor about how you can slowly start up a new exercise plan, such as gentle yoga, stretching or tai chi.
Take Flare Ups One Day at a Time
Fibromyalgia flares are tough, but working through them and overcoming them makes you tougher! Be sure to stick to your treatments and combat fibromyalgia with self-care each day. Looking for more advice? Join the PatientsLikeMe community to connect with your peers and share your self-care essentials with the community today!