Fibro life can be a pain sometimes… OK, by definition it’s a pain all the time (or at least most of the time). But, most of the time I can deal with it – at least these days. But, some days are harder than others and I need something to help me deal with the added pain and fatigue of a fibro flare.
- Work is probably my favorite way to cope with fibromyalgia. Work distracts me from the pain and gives me a focus beyond myself. And since I’m able to do it from home I can be comfortable and not wear myself out.Writing helps me not only distract myself but often it helps me untangle my thoughts about things. It helps me work through my struggles in a way that hopefully can help others.Someone asked me once how I can write about pain without being in more pain. It’s a perfect question and it’s the reason why I rarely really write about pain, at least not about my own. I choose not to focus on my pain. Of course, sometimes it gives me no choice. Some days I can’t focus well enough to write. My attention span just isn’t there. On those days I can sometimes manage to do routine tasks that I classify as “monkey work” (things that don’t require a lot of thought).
There are days where I just have to set it all aside and find something that takes zero brain. There are also days when I wake up and I know that the Fibro Fog and fatigue is upon me and I’m not going to get anything done. These are the times and the days when I need another plan.
- Television – We gave up cable a couple of years ago and haven’t regretted it at all thanks to Hulu, Netflix & Amazon Prime. The type of TV I watch depends greatly on how I feel. The worse I feel the more likely I am to watch really bad reality TV (HGTV competitions, Master Chef, Bridezillas). Sometimes I just can’t take the yelling and screaming that goes on on those shows (calm down Gordon!) in which case I’ll search out a new show to get comfy with, or rewatch an old favorite. On bad painsomnia nights I’ve watched entire seasons of shows. Needing a distraction from colonoscopy prep is what got me hooked on both The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad.
Sometimes the pain is there but the fog isn’t. I just don’t feel like working but I need a good solid distraction and TV alone isn’t going the job.
- Games -When pain is there but I’m not too foggy I enjoy playing video games. If I can really focus I might play some online poker. If not, I’ll stick to a video game like Zelda BOTW
or Diablo 3
(having a Switch has been great for when I’m not feeling awesome – and even when I am).
When painsomnia strikes and keeps me awake but I don’t have any desire to keep my eyes open and watch a TV show, there’s still one more options left.
- Audiobooks & Podcasts – It’s the middle of the night and I can’t sleep. But, I also can’t keep my eyes open. I need to distract my mind from focusing on the pain and the fact that I can’t sleep… so I pull out the other kind of book. I either turn on an audiobook or I put on a podcast or sometimes even a documentary on Netflix. Often the narrator on those true crime shows will put me to sleep.
Often it’s anxiety that keeps me from sleeping, or from focusing. I can sometimes use any of the above to distract myself from the source of my anxiety, but often it’s best if I just face it. For that I use..
- Meditation – Meditation helps me to figure out what I’m anxious about and often to even solve the problem. Even if it doesn’t help me solve it, meditation can be a great way to fall asleep. There are many great meditations on the Insight Timer app, including body scans and others to help you relax into a deep sleep.
So, that’s how I distract myself and cope with the pain and fog of fibro flares. What about you? What’s your favorite way to cope with fibro flares / spoonie life?
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