Spending time taking care of yourself is not selfish. It’s critical to good health.
Living with chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) can be stressful.
You may feel anxious when engaging in certain activities with a risk of bleeding or bruising, such as going on a bike or doing simple kitchen tasks. And in more severe ITP, you may experience bruising even from everyday activities.
Depending on the severity level, having ITP means you may benefit from rethinking how you care for yourself in many ways, from how you exercise and cook to how you prioritise sleep, how you prepare for and treat minor injuries, to what over-the-counter medications you take.
At the same time, it’s essential to find a way to participate in activities you enjoy while limiting your risk of injury.
What does Self Care mean to you, and how do you practice it?
Following self-care strategies can help you balance staying safe and living your life to its fullest. There are small activities we can make time for every day to help us maintain our well-being.
Practicing stress management techniques such as yoga, meditation-guided imagery, and other mind-body practices may significantly benefit people with ITP. Take some time for yourself and do something that makes you feel good.
YOGA
Yoga is a great way to unlock your core strength and ground yourself. This practice can help you improve your posture, increase your flexibility, and develop a deeper connection with your body.
It can also help you cultivate mindfulness, reduce stress, and calm your mind. By strengthening and stretching your muscles, yoga helps you improve your balance and conditioning, which can help you move through life with greater ease and confidence.
There are many sites online where you can check it out for yourself. Here’s one that’s a ‘go-with-the-flow relaxing and unwinding yoga’ class that we think might be a great starting point – https://youtu.be/AFZ8cRuPpak
Yoga is a great way to nurture your body, mind, and spirit. A great way to give back to yourself.
MEDITATION-GUIDED IMAGERY
It’s a relatively simple concept. Essentially, you visualize a calming scene. Imagine that you’re in a place where you feel relaxed.
For example, perhaps you’re sitting on a calm, quiet beach. Picture waves lapping along the shoreline. Hear the gentle sound they make and smell the salty air. How does the breeze feel against your skin? What does the soft sand feel like between your toes?
That’s guided imagery at work, and brief, regular breaks like this may make you feel more at ease.
Potential health benefits to starting a guided imagery practice
Improve Your Mood
Connecting with nature is an often-recommended antidote for anxiety, as it’s known for calming the nervous system.
Support You in Stressful Times
We all have seasons of life that are particularly stressful, especially when living with a chronic disease.
Once you learn the steps of guided imagery, you can tap into the particular place you visit in guided imagery meditation to potentially infuse daily stressors with a sense of calm and focus.
Help You Relax Before Medical Procedures
Whether getting blood drawn or receiving treatment, guided imagery can take you out of your circumstances and help you feel good. It can even be used medically to distract from discomfort at the moment, like changing the dressing for a wound or getting an IV.
For more information and support in the area of Mental Health, head to:
For more information and support in the area of Mental Health, head to: