What Lupus Has Taught Me

At times it feels like I can't speak about anything but the pains of lupus. I get stuck in the pattern of focusing on the hurt lupus can bring. Oftentimes, I can't even see past the pain. Am I the only one that feels this way? Do you feel like sometimes lupus is just so overwhelming that you can't even fathom anything it has taught you?

My change of focus around lupus

As I have grown in my lupus journey, I have had to change my focus. I am unsure when that epiphany hit me. But, when it did, it dramatically changed my wellness path beyond lupus' grips. In order to stay on that path, it helped to list the things that lupus taught me.

6 Lessons lupus has taught me

1. Resiliency

Lupus has taught me the importance of resiliency. Not that I didn't know resilience before lupus. It really magnified how important it was for me to learn to get up after lupus tried to knock me down.

2. Patience

Whenever I deal with a lupus flare, I am taught patience. Being patient with my body, mind, and soul as I battle lupus becomes a coping mechanism. It assists me in realizing lupus is not my fault.

3. Listening skills

As a result of building patience, I have learned crucial listening skills. Learning to listen to your body can be difficult. Although difficult, it is absolutely necessary. There is no way I would be able to overcome or fend off lupus flares without listening to my body. For this reason, I have used meditation to tune in to my body. The cues my body can give are important to keep me safe.

4. Healthy eating habits

I often heard that you are what you eat. This is especially true for me as I walk on this lupus journey. After keeping a food journal, I learned quickly how what I eat affects my body. I noticed my mind, body, and spirit felt better when I ate healthier food. It gave me such a boost to know I had some control over some of the flares that lupus was putting me through.

5. Tracking symptoms

As a result of keeping a food journal, I learned to track my symptoms. Using a great app online, I was able to list my symptoms daily. This kept me grounded in knowing my body. By staying mindful of what was going on in my body, I trained my mind to see lupus a little differently.

6. Ask for help

Finally, lupus taught me not to be afraid to ask for help. Sometimes I would get in my head. Pride would keep me from asking for help. I only learned because I just could not physically do things. This made me rely on others to help me with simple tasks.

Adapting to change from lupus

Lupus is a tricky little disease. It will have you believe that all is hopeless. I do believe if anyone works hard at changing the focus, lupus can be more manageable. Now, don't get me wrong, there will be flares that you just won't be able to fend off. There will be times that all of what you learn will fly right out the window. What's important to understand is that you are always a work in progress in your lupus journey. As you learn, you adapt, and as you adapt, you change. Don't be afraid to take some control over how you live with lupus by doing things that help you more than they hurt.

What have you learned from your lupus journey this year? Let me know in the comments.