'Mind Yourself' During Mental Health Awareness Month Everyday Health MenuNewslettersSearch Multiple Sclerosis
' Mind Yourself' During Mental Health Awareness Month
Multiple sclerosis, not to mention the COVID-19 pandemic, makes it imperative that we attend to our emotional well-being. By Trevis GleasonFor Life With Multiple SclerosisReviewed: May 15, 2020Everyday Health BlogsFact-CheckedFinding ways to care of yourself is necessary to get through these dark times.iStock (2)Though family lore had it that my great-grandmother was a flapper in the 1920s, the woman I grew up knowing was a stern little woman who had no time for our foolery. Think Grandma Walton but from the north. Sure, we loved her, but I think I feared her even more. She was known to wag her finger and tell us, “Mind yourself,” if we weren’t following her interpretation of the social norms for children. Thus, when I first heard the phrase used as a pleasant way of saying goodbye here in Ireland, I thought that perhaps I’d somehow offended. I know better now. “Mind yourself” is, I suppose, akin to the “take care” or “be good” that you might hear in America. It’s familiar, it’s convivial, it is personal and well-meaning. It also implies care and concern for the person being wished well on their way. We Have More Than Enough Reasons to Take Care
It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and as I’ve, frankly, been having a bit of an issue during this pandemic lockdown, “mind yourself” seems fitting advice to take onboard myself. As if the emotional ups and downs of multiple sclerosis (MS) weren’t enough (and, oh, they’re well beyond enough!), we’re all trying to cope with the added stresses of the current crisis. With fears and anxiety layered with political stresses and a nonstop news cycle, it can be a crushing weight of despair on top of our delicately balanced sanity. I’ve had to limit my information intake as if I’m on a COVID-19 news diet — shying away from an all-too-easy overindulgence. I completely avoid any news or social media after 7 p.m., because I’ve had trouble sleeping (and have intense dreams) if I’m riled by reports before bed. On top of everything else, my jurisdiction has required those most vulnerable to COVID-19 complications (people over 70 or with underlying health conditions) to “cocoon” without leaving home for the past eight weeks. I have only just recently been allowed to leave the confines of my own garden. That’s helped a lot! RELATED: Share Your Tips for Staying Emotionally Healthy on Tippi Minding Our Mental Well-Being Is an Ongoing Task
But well beyond “in these times,” coping with MS and our mental well-being can be a constant endeavor. It can seem we’ve just completed one lap around the stages of grieving when the next ability is taken by the disease. We feel pressure (from within or without) to engage and perform beyond what we can. We struggle with finances, relationship, family, and the healthcare system. It took me a good few years to understand that I was having difficulties coping with MS. Once I did, I got professional help in the person of a rehabilitation therapist (psychological, not physical), and that has made all the difference. Not that I don’t have those difficulties any longer. It’s more that I feel more prepared with tools to deal with the dark days when they come calling … and they do still call. Like a piece of intricate machinery, however, I do require the occasional tune-up. It’s all part of how I’ve incorporated “mind yourself” into my daily life with multiple sclerosis. And of late, it seems that my “self” has needed a bit more minding. Wishing you and your family the best of health. Cheers, Trevis My book, Chef Interrupted, is available on Amazon. Follow me on the Life With MS Facebook page and on Twitter, and read more on Life With Multiple Sclerosis. Important: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not Everyday Health.See More NEWSLETTERS Sign up for our Multiple Sclerosis Newsletter
SubscribeBy subscribing you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The Latest in Multiple Sclerosis
How to Craft a Life s Mission Statement
By Trevis GleasonOctober 21, 2022 Dysarthria When MS Makes It Hard to Speak
By Mona SenOctober 20, 2022 Is That Really How I Walk
By Trevis GleasonOctober 18, 2022 How Do You Know When to Throw in the Towel
By Trevis GleasonOctober 14, 2022 Living With MS What to Know About Neuropathic Pain and How to Manage It
Neuropathic pain is not your average pain. Here’s what to know about this unique type of MS pain and how to find relief.By Kerry WeissOctober 12, 2022 UTIs and MS The Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment
If you have multiple sclerosis, you may be prone to frequent urinary tract infections. Besides being painful, UTIs can make MS worse, so it’s important...By Kerry WeissOctober 12, 2022 Why Is Orange the Color of MS
By Trevis GleasonOctober 11, 2022 13 Celebrities Who Have Multiple Sclerosis
Look among the millions of people with multiple sclerosis and you'll find famous faces, too. Learn how some of these celebrities are dealing with MS and...By Regina Boyle WheelerOctober 11, 2022 We All Have Something to Teach Our MS Doctors
By Trevis GleasonOctober 7, 2022 EBV An MS Box I Can Finally Tick
By Trevis GleasonOctober 4, 2022 More In Life With Multiple Sclerosis How to Craft a Life s Mission Statement
Is That Really How I Walk
How Do You Know When to Throw in the Towel