Taking Care of Your Mental Health

Psoriatic arthritis places a huge amount of strain on your body. The physical toll that it takes on your body is often beyond measure. Weeks and months of endless pain are deeply taxing, leaving your body battling extreme fatigue along with the actual psoriatic arthritis.

Just a recap, if you are new here, psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory disease that can affect joints, tendons, and other parts of your body. It is a chronic condition that can get worse over time and it is really important to get diagnosed by a professional. Importantly looking for ways to deal with it and manage it along the way has been very important to me.

How can you make time for yourself?

This modern world we live in operates at a really busy pace, and keeping up with it can prove challenging before you have even added any health complications. Psoriatic arthritis comes with fatigue and pain that can be debilitating at times. The stress that this places on your mental health can vary from slight to severe. Be sure to keep this in check and manage social engagements as best you can. It is okay to say no and rest and make time for yourself. If there are loads of things that you cannot avoid be sure to make time to sit and just be. Taking even just ten minutes a day to listen to a guided meditation in the stillness, and just help still your mind

Is therapy or counseling right for you?

If you have access to some therapy or counseling, make use of it. I always thought it would not make a big difference, however, I was wrong. Therapy helped by putting things into perspective for me speaking to someone who was not at all emotionally invested in me and my life was so welcoming. There were moments of great validation and some reality checks, It forced me to look at what my part was in my story and in so also gave me some power back over my situation It is important to remember that having psoriatic arthritis does not define us, it does however impact our lives and day to day living hugely.

Are mental health walks silly?

Walking is in my opinion one of the most underrated medicines, this can be challenging when flares are really bad. For the most part, I am able to take my silly mental health walks almost daily. Even if it is only a five or ten-minute walk make a point of taking it. I call them silly walks, for the fun reference to Monty Python and because it really seems silly - like a walk is gonna fix anything. While it does not really fix anything, it has by far been one of the more helpful tools when it comes to managing my mental health and dealing with psoriatic arthritis.

How can you get better sleep?

Just like walking, I do feel that sleeping is underrated for any reasons. Achieving this with psoriatic arthritis is not always easy, believe me, I know. Investing in your sleep is always a good idea though, chat with your doctor if you need to. Also, look into sleeping aids and ways to sleep more comfortably with psoriatic arthritis, be it mattress toppers, a new pillow, or pain management under the care of your doctor. Getting more zzzz's in will count points when it comes to your mental health. It gives not only our bodies time to rest and rejuvenate, but our minds too. Over the years I have noticed that the worse my insomnia gets the worse my mental health is.

You are not alone in this journey, If you are struggling with your mental health please reach out to your local crisis centre or help line. Needing help does not mean that you are weak at all, we all need a little help sometimes.