Keep Calm and Carry On
This post on the topic of stress management, is the sixth and last in my series on the Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.
The American College of Lifestyle Medicine has a great overview on these six ways to take control of your health in a handy online booklet you can download.*
A Comprehensive Approach to Stress Management
A comprehensive approach to managing stress actually relies on the foundation of the other pillars of lifestyle medicine.
So, taking a deeper dive into stress management is a good way to sum up our discussion of these important principles of lifestyle medicine.
Recognizing the importance of these six pillars helps us take responsibility for our own health journey.
It helps us realize that while some aspects of dealing with chronic illness are out of our control, there are many things we can do to improve the quality of our well-being that are under our control.
Keep Calm and Carry On
When I was thinking about writing this newsletter on effective ways to manage stress the expression “Keep Calm and Carry On” popped into my head.
I was curious about the origin of this phrase and I found it has a complicated story.
It was first used on a British inspirational, some sources say propaganda, poster in 1939 at the beginning of World War II.
The slogan was intended to strengthen the morale of the population in the event of a large-scale attack and/or occupation of Great Britain.
The expression has enjoyed resurgences of popularity at various times over the years and in a variety of contexts.
A quick google search reveals that the phrase has exploded as a meme, for example, ‘keep calm and drink tea’, or ‘keep calm and hug a tree’, or ‘keep calm and hug a Texan!’ And there are dozens of articles for sale on Amazon and Etsy utilizing the theme.
I think ‘Keep Calm and Carry On’ can be a good affirmation for dealing with the ups and downs of fibromyalgia.
Nowadays, the phrase is generally taken to mean to persist and persevere in the face of obstacles and challenges. And of course, we have a lot of obstacles and challenges in managing our fibromyalgia.
You can use the template to create your own personalized affirmations and reminders to incorporate the six pillars of lifestyle medicine into your daily routines such as: ‘Keep Calm and Eat More Plants’ “or ‘Keep Calm and Move My Body’ or ’Keep Calm and Sleep Well’ or ‘Keep Calm and Love People’ and ‘Keep Calm and Avoid Risky Substances.’
Practical Strategies for Managing Stress
In order to stay calm in the face of difficulties in managing our chronic illness we need to have a deep understanding of what helps our body achieve a relaxation response and enter a state of calm.
Greater awareness leads to better strategies for coping with stress and enhances our ability to keep calm and carry on with our lives as we actively manage our fibromyalgia.
It’s so helpful to take the time to figure out what actually helps our body, soul and spirit relax and feel calmer and more hopeful.
For some of my clients it’s a dedicated practice of meditation, even if they start with only a few minutes a day, for others prayer is an important tool.
Some of my clients find that gentle movement helps their body reset and experience a state of calm.
Others focus on creating a quiet nighttime routine of gentle stretching or meditation or prayer practice to ease their body into restorative sleep.
Eating a healthy, plant-based diet to support their body with the nutritional resources it requires for optimal functioning is a major stress management tool for some of the women I work with.
And avoiding risky substances is so important for all of us to allow our body to heal.
For myself, spending time with family and friends, nurturing that vital social connection, helps me feel loved and allows my body to relax.
Making it a priority to identify ways to help our body achieve that relaxation response, that inner and outer sigh of letting go of tension, of really resting even if it is just for a few moments, is so valuable for coping with stress.
What are the strategies you use to manage stress and help your body relax? Can you make a list?
Here is my list of some of my favorite strategies for creating a lifestyle that supports my ability to truly relax:
1. Rocking on the porch swing of my backdoor patio, or sitting outside in the morning sun.
2. Setting aside the time for a ‘pajama day,’ wearing soft, loose comfy pajamas signals my body that now it is the time to rest, to relax.
3. Having a day without an agenda, where I’m able to get things done at a leisurely pace, helps me manage other more stressful days.
4. Frequently evaluating my calendar and making sure I’m not overscheduled and that I am setting aside time for self-care.
5. Building in adequate preparation time for activities and sufficient recovery time as well, allowing for lots of margin in my daily, weekly, and monthly schedule.
6. Conducting ongoing informal evaluations of events, what worked well, what I can do better next time. Considering what I can change, adjust, postpone or cancel so my life has a rhythm and pacing that supports my overall well-being.
7. Adjusting expectations and identifying my priorities with greater clarity, letting go of what doesn’t serve me so I can focus on the things that bring me joy and health.
I imagine that some of the items on my list are the same as yours and some are different.
Choose one new strategy to try and then pay attention to the results. What worked? What didn’t work? What did you learn? What can you adjust? What do you want to try next?
Managing stress involves a lot of trial and error, creative problem solving and focused awareness as we figure out what our precious fibromyalgia body needs to function optimally.
Dr. Margaret Miller, a lifestyle medicine practitioner, points out that:
“Self-awareness is key to helping individuals manage their own health.
It can help us align our behaviors with our personal goals.
Being kind to yourself, recognizing your stressors, and understanding what prevents you from living a healthier lifestyle will help you adopt healthier practices.
Lifestyle medicine providers can help you on your journey to self-awareness and identify the lifestyle changes most likely to benefit you.
Most importantly, those changes will be sustainable for the long-term to help you achieve a lifestyle that feels best for you, both in body and mind.” **
Our health care practitioners can help us understand What we need to do.
We determine our motivation and Why we want to take control of our health.
And health coaches help us figure out How to implement our goals and plans.
I hope you have enjoyed this series on the Six Pillars of Lifestyle Medicine but if you are feeling a little overwhelmed just pick one pillar to work on and identify one small step you can take to improve your health in that area.
Feeling better with fibromyalgia is about consistently taking a number of small steps forward to improve your health.
The essential thing is to find the combination of strategies that works for you. Then, make a regular dedicated practice of incorporating those strategies into your life.
Don’t know where to start? Struggling with being consistent in implementing your goals for healthier living? No worries. This is where I can help. I’ve got you!
I work with all my clients on managing stress and identifying the components that will help them create a healthy lifestyle.
It’s easy to schedule a time to talk with me to see if we would be a good fit to work together HERE.
References:
*https://lifestylemedicine.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Pillar-Booklet.pdf
**https://www.lifespan.org/lifespan-living/how-lifestyle-medicine-can-help-improve-your-health#:~:text=Lifestyle%20medicine%20providers%20can%20help%20you%20on%20your%20journey%20to,both%20in%20body%20and%20mind.
