So, here I am today playing games in my head about going to work today. The last two months were not too bad but today my feet and hands are so swollen but I already have 2 hour vacation so it would be a short day. I am talking myself into dealing with a painful day and started wondering what others do when they feel this way. I could really use a good saying to repeat over and over, or maybe a song or poem that would make my mind feel like I could concour the world.
What do you guys do when you feel like this? Share your mental motivation!
"I can do this, I can do this, I can do this" like a chant with extra emphasis on the 'can' with each repetition. Hope you get through your day Rachael.
I tend to break the challenge down into bits: just get through the next hour, survive until lunch, let myself off the hook when I’ve done X, etc. Somehow that does the trick for me. Sometimes. LOL
I don't do anything different or play mental games with myself. I never have. I just do what I need or want to do to the best of my ability. Whether my endeavors were survival (I used to jump out of airplanes in a jungle) academic, athletic. or whatever. There is always something in the way. PsA isn't any different. You take your meds because that is the only hope you have of controlling the progression of the disease. You push your self physically because that is the only hope you have of not regressing, and you live as healthy a lifestyle as you can muster as you only have one body and it needs to be in as good of shape as possible (that includes installing new parts as necessary)
Life is a series of changes, only you can make something of it. Sometimes changes are forced, sometimes not. Seenie has the right approach. Small enough pieces to accomplish a goal.
Positive thinking IMO is for weaklings. The most apparent example of THAT is a las Vegas Casino. Plenty of positive thinking lots of folks just CERTAIN to next roll of the slot reels will make them rich. And casino owners lined up to take their money, taking advantage of their weakness.
Sadly we have the same thing with PsA. A magic diet, a super supplement blah blah matched with positive thinking and it will all go away........ Folks lined up to take our money. The reality is we take meds we don't want to, we experience pain, we do things when we don't want to. I have accomplished a lot in my life, and trust me its only because I did things when I didn't want to or didn't feel like it.
Tntlamb, it’s good to have you back!
Thanks to all of you for such quick responses! Jules, as much as I appreciate that I have honestly worn that one out already. Seenie great point when I focus on what needs to be done and not what might add to that plan unexpectedly (I know you get my job) that helps the most. Tntlamb, you always surprise me with a completely different outlook than I consider. It’s always full straight forward sensible approach I truly appreciate. I feel like I accomplished much as well and refuse to quit but some days are harder than others I tend to forget that and feel weak inside like I let myself down. Thanks for the redirection and the humor you share, hopefully no typos in this! Ha-ha!
I tend to agree with Lamb (good to see you back!) I worked a full-time, high stress job and did full-time law school an hour away at the same time. I realized then that I could do a lot more than I thought any day, but especially on days when getting through meant putting one foot in front of the other.
Now I'm a public defender working in criminal appeals. Trials in Kentucky are not transcribed; they're recorded. I'm my own transcriptionist, so I spend a lot of time watching what we call court tv. If I'm not doing that, I'm writing some sort of pleading. In other words, I spend a LOT of time at the keyboard, staring at a computer screen.
My bad pain days are usually caused by my arms and shoulders. Banging on the computer aggravates that to no end. Bad pain days are days when I tell myself it's okay to take a break however often I need and realize that although I hoped I could finish that trial today, it won't happen. I go into one foot in front of the other mode and hope the next day will be better.
If it's really bad, I quit banging on the keyboard and read cases (I ALWAYS have cases to read or some sort of research where I don't need to type much to do). I usually end up listening to Led Zeppelin and Pete Fountain on those days. Losing myself in music helps me not focus on how badly I feel.
You're not letting yourself down--you're realizing that today all the things you know you can do just aren't possible and you're okay with that.
Rachael, I know you have a physical job and I often wonder how you can keep up the pace. You're younger than me and some of the others for sure that responded here, so I'm thinking your youth is still on your side. But, still, I can't imagine at this point being able to handle the achiness that results from steady physical labor. Saturdays are killers for me because that's when I clean up my messy house, do all the laundry, possibly mow the lawn--by the end of the day I'm worn out and in quite a bit of pain. But, like everyone said, you just endure it and keep plugging away.
One thing you could remind yourself of--and I usually forget to do that, so I have to remember to follow my own advice more often--is that you might feel like total **insert bad word** today, but tomorrow it might be so much better! Sometimes I'm amazed at how much better I feel after a good night's rest with some ice packs and a heating pad for company!
I have a tendency to worry a lot when I don't feel well....worry the Enbrel isn't going to keep working and worry about what the future holds--on so many fronts, not just my PsA. But everything always seems to work out fine!
Sorry I don't have a motivational phrase for you, but to me you seem like a really positive, fun person who gets a lot of joy from your kids, the outdoors, and the simple things in life! Just keep up the great attitude and you'll get through those painful days! I hope your feet and hands are feeling better now! :-)
Well, best choice I made in a long time was to take my short day off and take it easy. Thanks again for the good advice. I feel great today and loved my extra time with my family.