It’s hard not to let the issues of the world to consume you. It’s especially hard when you are fighting for your life as you defeat lupus daily. Fear of the unknown can really create a lot of anxiety and stress and this can cause massive lupus flares.

However there are things you can do to alleviate your anxiety, your fears and stress around what’s going on around you. And, it’s not just about quelling the fear in the moment, but learning coping skills that can last you a lifetime.

So, today’s Midweek Refuel focuses on garnering HOPE, H.ealing O.ver P.ain E.veryday in a time when anxiety and stress can try to overtake you. We know that anxiety, fear and stress is normal and it’s okay to feel these emotions. But, it’s sometimes hard to detach from those emotions especially as you battle lupus daily.

In the next few moments I want to provide some tips that may be able to help you through some difficult emotions and maybe a few stressful days. Some things you may already be doing others you may want to try. I just want you to know you can remain hopeful even during times of immense stress and anxiety.

1. Reconnect With Nature: All you have to do here is walk out your front door. Whether it’s just a few deep breaths as you stand outside your front door, or a short time as you sit on a patch of grass, or simply taking a walk through your neighborhood… Reconnecting with nature gives you the opportunity to enjoy simply being alive. We can’t all stand on the moon and exclaim how beautiful our earth is, but we can all take one minute to surround ourself with the power of nature. It has a way of creating a perspective in life that is real, that is powerful and strong.

2. Focus On Spirit: The surest way to alleviate stress and suffering is to find meaning in it. Whether it’s through mediation, personal prayer, asking friends and family to pray for you, cultivating your own sense of spirit surrounding and supporting you, these are all such important ways to alleviate stress, anxiety and fear and encourage hope. Finding a deeper, spiritual meaning in what you are going through is important in instilling hope and faith to see those difficult moments through.

3. Play Music: If you are feeling stressed or depressed, especially since you aren’t able to leave your current surroundings, put on some music and allow it to sweep through your soul and lift your spirits higher. Music is an amazing healer and can meet you where you are.

4. Reach Out To Your Support System: There IS a support system around you, even if you don’t think you have a friend in the world. If you are having a stressful crisis, ask for help. There are butterfly angels that are out there waiting to embrace and help you. They need to support you and they need your support as well. There is power in knowing you are not alone.

5. Move And Get Moving: There is something about a fresh start during times of stress that is symbolic. It can help you move towards healing and help usher in new, positive and hopeful energy instead of feeling stuck battling lupus. You may not be able to physically move out if the space you are in but, you can go through your entire home with the idea of bringing in fresh energy. You can freshen up the plants in each room, rearrange whatever furniture you can, add a mirror or two and burn candles in the evenings to help create a new flow of refreshing light through old, dark and depressing spaces. Doing this in turn gets you moving which will help create endorphins that can bring you hope and happiness.

6. Focus On The Possibility

When the going gets tough, skepticism and cynicism can take center stage and can literally take over your life. The naysayers within you will scream things like “it can’t be done,” “we’ll never make it,” “it’s impossible,” etc. You have to be willing to think out of the lupus box and shut the naysayer in you down. Focus on what really matters and why it matters. We feel hope when we connect with that part of ourselves that wants to make the possibility a true reality.

7. Give Yourself Some Compassion: “You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” ~Buddha~ Self-criticism is a common problem, especially as you fight lupus for your life. It not one to be overlooked and the way you talk to yourself plays a vital role in well-being and healing in your lupus fight. It’s important to overcome your inner critic by strengthening your self-compassion and fostering a sense of acceptance beyond the anger and sadness we can have as we battle lupus.

Bringing a genuine sense of hope and optimism in your life can truly make a difference in your stress and anxiety. It can help you heal beyond the grips of lupus. Realizing that you have choices, power, and the the strength to continue fighting, goes a long way towards re-claiming a sense of hope.

Reclaiming your Healing Over Pain Everyday is a most important part in your lupus fight. It will lead you to have a more fulfilling life beyond the grips of lupus. It’s time for you to get back a sense of hope that will last a lifetime. It’s up to you, it’s your choice and you have the power to make it so.

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