Living stress free… is that even possible?

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Stress is not a good combination with multiple sclerosis. I hear all the time how stress needs to be limited to keep from triggering an exacerbation, but how do you do that in a world full of “I want it now” people and “it can’t wait” situations?

There are hundreds of lists on the internet explaining what you can do to avoid stress, but listing things out and doing them are two different things. Then if you add MS into the mix of things, it seems an impossibility.

Maybe your day starts something like this…

You wake up in the morning to a busy day planned. You didn’t hear the alarm clock earlier so you are already being rushed to get your day started. It’s early, you’re exhausted and your body isn’t cooperating. You take a shower, and even though you did every cool down technique you know, your body is simply too weak to keep going at the fast pace you have set for yourself.

You take a moment to rest then push on to get dressed so you can get out the door to make up for missed time. All the while, playing through your head is a rundown of everything you must do today. You have lists created, app alarms set on your phone to remind you of your time constraints and post-it notes scattered everywhere.

You do your best to hold back your frustrations but before you have even left the house to begin the day, you are feeling overwhelmed and defeated.  Somehow MS just doesn’t fit into a busy day and somehow you always seem to forget that tiny little fact.

The unexpected happens much more often now that MS is a part of your world. You get tired faster, weak muscles limit your functionality, your vision messes with your ability to complete even the simplest of tasks, dizziness and vertigo trip you up, and your thinking gets all muddled in the process. It’s hard planning for the MS unexpected. I always say a life with Multiple Sclerosis is like a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re gonna get. (Thanks Forest Gump for the inspiration.)

I have discovered that stress makes you extremely tired and can cause MS to worsen, but it’s stressful to avoid stress so you end up stressed out anyway. It’s really not easy trying to avoid stress. Ugh…just thinking about it is stressing me out.

So how do you fit a life with MS into a stress free list found on the internet? Well, for me that’s an impossibility. It seems MS doesn’t like lists or plans. It kind of has a mind of its own and doesn’t seem to want me to know ahead of time what it has in store for me throughout the day.

When life become overwhelming, and many times even before it gets to that point, I find that I need to take a moment to step back from all my commitments, work, and obligations. I need to take a moment to pause and re-examine everything. Literally.

Is there anything I could change or remove from my day that would help ease the load? Do I really need to vacuum the house today, tomorrow or even next week? If I wait and take a shower before I go to bed rather than when I get up in the morning, will it help? Can I recruit someone to pick up a few things from the store for me so I don’t have to go? Will the world fall apart if the laundry isn’t finished?

You are more important than the chaos that surrounds you and way more important than the stress that it can cause. Work on changing your workload bit by bit, little by little, moment by moment. You won’t be able to quit everything (which I happen to think would be nice to do at times) and you won’t be able to stop the world from spinning out of control, but you can make a positive change in your own life.

Take time to slowly work your way out of those over-commitments by finding others willing to step in and help. You may need to juggle schedules around and say no to people you normally wouldn’t say no to, but in order to simplify your life and relieve the pressures weighting you down, you have to do it. It’s not an option.

Do what you can today and leave the rest for another day. Take one step closer to living stress free, and before you know it you will be enjoying your life….even with multiple sclerosis.

 

The Wobbly Bunch

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Well… hello again!

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After regularly blogging about my multiple sclerosis life since diagnosis in 2013, I stepped away for more than 8 months. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t sure when—or even if—I would return to blogging. Life has a funny way of filling up our calendars, shifting our priorities, and convincing us that we’ll “get back to it next week.”

As it turns out, next week took a little longer than expected. But here we are!

Coming back feels a bit like opening a favorite book you’ve been meaning to finish. Everything feels familiar, yet somehow brand new. There’s excitement, a touch of nervousness, and a whole lot of ideas waiting to spill onto the page.

During my time away, life didn’t stop. I learned new things, picked up different perspectives, celebrated wins, stumbled through challenges, and collected stories worth sharing. Sometimes stepping away gives us exactly what we need: fresh experiences that make us better storytellers.

So why return now?

Because I missed it.

This time around you can expect a little bit of everything — stories from everyday life, lessons learned, things that inspire me, practical tips, occasional adventures, and probably a few unexpected rabbit holes. If something catches my attention or sparks my curiosity, chances are it’ll find its way into a blog post.

Think of this as a fresh chapter rather than a restart. The past posts helped me get here, and the next ones will continue the journey.

This site is entirely human-created and it always will be. If you’re sick and tired of reading AI junk – I know that I am! – I urge you to support a human writer and fellow MSer who maintains a blog like this by visiting frequently, sharing links to posts, adding your comments at the end of the posts you have something to say about, and, when deserved, sending a donation to help me cover the costs. This is currently an ad-free, subscription-free blog and I’d like to keep it that way. But your participation is what motivates me to keep writing.

Let’s make this chapter a fun one. I already have some great content for next week’s blog. Every Thursday… be ready for a great new read.

And if you haven’t seen the great new, I have just published a book. Check it out on Amazon- “The Wobbly Bunch: Funny Takes on Living with Multiple Sclerosis”. I’m sure you will enjoy it. There’s nothing better than laughing, especially when you most need it.

The Wobbly Bunch

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The Wobbly Bunch: Funny Takes on Living with Multiple Sclerosis

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My new book is finally here. You don’t want to miss getting a copy for yourself. It’s filled with illustrations about life with multiple sclerosis.

Are you looking for a laugh? Make humor a main ingredient in your MS life. Whether you are looking for a smile, a sarcastic meme, or just a good laugh, The Wobbly Bunch has it all. Sometimes you just gotta laugh to keep from crying.

You can get a copy from Amazon. A paperback, hardcover, or e-book for a Kindle or any other type of tablet.

The Wobbly Bunch is a small illustrated humor book filled with short one-liners about the unpredictable, frustrating, and surprisingly funny side of living with MS. Each page features one joke and a simple cartoon of the characters who personify those symptoms: Roly Poly, Zippy, Twitchy, Sleepy, and Dizzy.

This is not a medical guide and it is not meant to replace professional advice. It is a light, honest look at fatigue, brain fog, balance problems, pain, and all the other uninvited guests that come with multiple sclerosis.

It is for anyone living with MS, anyone who loves someone with MS, and anyone who could use a smile on a hard day. The pages are easy to flip through, one little laugh at a time.

Take your time. Savor the moment. And enjoy.

Get the Book