Last Tuesday Tea Time http://YouTube.com/@CatchYourBreath60 we discussed that it is OK not to be OK. Having a chronic illness such as COPD and Arthritis are inflammatory diseases. This means that your body retaliates by swelling and this swelling can effect every part of you from breathing to digestion.
Self-Care
It is important that we practice self-care on a regular basis. This concept is lost on many of us as we strive to ignore the very things our body needs from us. It is fine to say that COPD doesn’t have me, but really it does. Ignoring what we need only works to make our symptoms worse.
Exercise
We need to move daily and often. It doesn’t have to hurt, and it can be incorporated into almost everything we do. Sitting exercises work for me and I do most of my exercise while watching TV.
Diet
Developing a diet the is full of veggies and cuts back on meat is beneficial for us as our disease promotes bloat. It is so uncomfortable and takes hour to dissipate. Making half of your plate veggies and 1/4 of your plate meat really helps. Also, cutting meals in half and eating more frequently prevents you from being bloated. Keep track of the foods that leave you feeling bloated so you can ignore them in the future.
Positive Thinking
Work at practicing gratitude on a daily basis. It isn’t a prefect life, but it is our life. Keeping a gratitude journal helps us realize just how lucky we are. It can be as simple are being grateful that you woke up this morning or for having a grandchild. Writing your gratitude in a journal gives you pose to look back on the very tough days.
It’s OK
And, you do not need to apologize to anyone for how you feel at this moment. It is OK not to be OK and it is not anyone else’s business.