This is a guest post written by Jackie Waters from Hyper-tidy.com. She was diagnosed with a chronic illness and wants to help others who are living with chronic pain.
Suffering from chronic pain can be physically, mentally, and emotionally debilitating. Those suffering from chronic pain may question how or why their bodies could turn on them. They feel frustrated, angry, and sometimes hopeless.
Through simple lifestyle adjustments, chronic pain can be improved.
These can make their pain more manageable and take back their lives and bodies without relying on potentially addictive medications.
Practicing Yoga and Yoga Techniques
Yoga reduces pain by gently stretching muscles, strengthening the body, improving posture, and relaxing the mind and body. In fact, yoga techniques can help minimize the brain’s acknowledgment of painful stimuli, reducing the perception of pain. The breathing techniques used in yoga reduce stress and improve willpower. Additionally, the relaxation and meditation techniques help you learn to relax the body at will and to tune into the inner source of strength and happiness. Undoubtedly, yoga and its techniques help reduce chronic pain on multiple levels.
Certain poses are especially great for chronic pain sufferers. Beginning and ending with the Savannah pose is helpful for people with chronic pain. Other positions include a supported back pose, inversion pose, figure 4 pose, and reclining bound angle pose.
Know How You Fuel Your Body
Certain chemicals, even those found naturally, in the foods you eat may trigger the release of neurotransmitters that heighten sensitivity to pain. For this reason, some experts believe certain foods should be avoided. First and foremost, eat fresh foods that are free of preservatives and additives and buy organic food when possible. While vegetables are a healthy option, avoid nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplant.
Limit sugar, caffeine, pasteurized dairy, and aspartame. “If you are overweight, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, you will also want to limit grains as much as possible as they are metabolized very similarly to sugars,” warns Mercola. Wheat and gluten grains are the biggest triggers of the grain group.
A Clean Home is a Happy Home
A study showed that women who described their homes as “cluttered” had higher levels of depression, fatigue, and cortisol (a hormone linked to stress) than women who described their homes as “restful” and “restorative.” Coming home to piles of things (dishes, clothes, etc.) or a to-do list may prevent the natural decline in cortisol that should occur during the day, which has negative effects on your health, mood, sleep, and more. A clean home can help you feel happier and more relaxed.
Cleaning can be tiresome and cumbersome, especially when you have to tackle the entire house, but if you incorporate small tasks each day to tidy up, cleaning won’t seem like such a huge chore to tackle. Start each day by making your bed as soon as you wake up. After you get out of the shower, quickly spray, wipe, and rinse it. Reuse towels two to three times to lessen your laundry load. Just be sure to hang the towels to dry. Also, you should wash one load of laundry a day so it doesn’t pile up by the end of the week, and immediately rehang items you wore or place them in a hamper to be washed.
Keep a basket in each room in your house, and once a day, walk through each room and fill up the basket with accumulated clutter. Before bed, put the items back where they belong. It’s also helpful to keep a mail sorter near your door in which to place mail as soon as you come inside. Empty the mail sorter once a week.
Ensure the bathroom countertops remain free of clutter and make a nightly ritual of putting away every product that was used to get ready in the morning. Also, allow a toilet cleaner to work its magic while you brush your teeth and wash your face. Give it a quick scrub before you head off to bed, and use a wipe to quickly clean the countertop and toilet seat. Try to avoid going to bed with a dirty kitchen. Wipe down the stove and counters each night and make sure all dishes are completed.
Chronic pain doesn’t have to control your life. Manage pain more efficiently with a few lifestyle adjustments, such as practicing yoga, being careful about what you eat, and keeping a tidy home. These simple modifications can help you get your life back and help you enjoy what each day brings.