Lifestyle Tips for Managing Fibromyalgia Symptoms

Fibromyalgia is commonly characterized by frequent, persistent episodes of physical as well as mental pain throughout the body. As a debilitating disease where symptoms often flare up, it can extremely alter a person's daily routine. It is common for those who suffer from fibromyalgia to require external aids to perform some of the most basic of tasks like cleaning, preparing meals, and even walking. Here are a few tips to help manage these difficult symptoms:

• Find distractions: Fibromyalgia affects our fragile state of mind, causing mental fatigue and anguish. The best remedy is to shift one’s thoughts away from the disease. Find something to distract the person, especially during any rough symptomatic episodes. It is recommended that such people keep their favorite books on hand or watch a favorite TV series or a good movie to help distract them. This will keep them busy throughout the symptomatic episode. Turn off the lights and listen to some soft music if the person is experiencing eye pain.
• Get in touch with your inner self: There are several meditation techniques people can follow that are familiar to those who practice yoga. These will divert their mind away from their symptoms and instead refocus on more positive aspects of life. In doing this, those suffering from fibromyalgia may find solace from their pain.
• Learn proper stress management: Some suffering from fibromyalgia may choose to take a medical leave, whereas others continue to go to work even though their symptoms flare up. In such cases, proper stress management is paramount in order to live well with the disease. The factors that contribute towards the symptoms of fibromyalgia are sleep and stress, so stress management is very important with this disease. If your work is not understanding and supportive, look for other career options that may be more suitable. For example, a person may look for jobs where they can set their own schedule and distribute the workload according to their convenience. This includes freelancing and other remote jobs. The main purpose is to prevent the symptoms from becoming worse as well as avoid triggers.
• Depend on others: This condition is often tough to deal with, and the pain a person experiences can be so severe that they need help to perform even basic tasks. To take care of physical activities, then, the person may have to rely on others and learn how to communicate their feelings properly. Many people are aware of this condition and so are willing to listen to the individual’s problems. Finding emotional support during rough patches can greatly benefit fibromyalgia patients.
• Have a good night’s rest: When a person fails to get adequate sleep, the symptoms tend to become exacerbated. The main characteristic of fibromyalgia is fatigue and an inability for the individual to feel rested even after plentiful sleep. However, this trigger can be avoided by sleeping properly as well as improving one’s lifestyle in other areas.

These tips are easy to put into practice and will not require any sacrifice. However, there are many other ways to cope with the disease. By following these examples, people suffering from fibromyalgia will know how to live with the disease.