Today is Day 36 of the Art Apple A Day Retrospective – for information on the project click here.

Day Thirty Six – November 5, 2010

Looking back 10 years ago today…

It seems there is a big parallel to this image and post – at least there was yesterday. Yesterday was difficult. I spent the day trying to control the anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach and the tightness in my heart. It was a combination of the discord and chaos going on in the country but mostly it was waiting for answers to tests for someone I love. I have learned to recognize when the stress of the outside world gets intense. In the past I allowed these outside factors to wind me up and take over in an unconscious manner. I knew I was upset but I figured I was powerless to control the way I dealt with it. Now I have learned how to minimize the impact so that I hopefully don’t flare. Stress and flares have a clear direct correlation so for self protection I now recognize and adjust to hopefully combat the onset of disease activity. It’s very difficult but I know I’m not as able to help my loved ones or anyone else including myself if I’m in a bad flare.

The biggest key to this is recognizing that I am in control because having a disease like A.S. makes us feel powerless in so many ways. A shift in thinking to take our power back from it is key. My next step is to do deep breathing and focusing on the positives and things to be grateful for. Gratitude lifts us up – always! Then I distract my mind (remember this story about my step-daughter) it keeps me from spinning in feelings of being out of control. Those feelings and thoughts send me straight into a bad place mentally and physically. We have a choice to fight back against the stress and anxiety. I hope you have coping skills that help you push back against the stress and anxiety. It obviously doesn’t always work (and there are times we have to fall apart) but when we embrace the little black storm cloud instead of sitting down under it and falling apart – that is a powerful thing to do for ourselves and those around us.

To see my original Day 36 post ~ Little Black Rain Cloud ~ from 10 years ago click here or on the image above.

And the story will continue tomorrow…