I don’t have a problem with this, usually. But I thought maybe some of my friends with FM could stand to hear it, too. And yes, I do occasionally need the reminder 🙂
Stockpile fun distractions. We all need to keep lists handy of the things that make us happy. One of the cruelties of having fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is that when we need distractions most, we are least equipped to seek them out. For this reason, it is important to compile a list of your favorite activities when you are feeling optimistic to be used when you most need them. People with fibromyalgia often describe how even their worst pain can be put on a back burner, so to speak, when they become engrossed in an activity. This is not only a psychological but a physiological response: our brains can only process so much input at once. When we are engrossed in a beautiful movie, talking to a good friend on the phone, or listening to our favorite music while lying on a heating pad or in the bathtub, we can trick our pain receptors into leaving us alone! Meanwhile, improvements in spirit have an added impact on our entire well-being. Laughter is good medicine; while dwelling on our troubles tends to compound them.
(Source: “Maintaining a Positive Attitude with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Ten Strategies” by Deborah A. Barrett, Ph.D.)
