Chronic Chiari, Using Beauty to Manage Pain

Chronic pain is a problem for many women.  Conditions like Fibromyalgia, Chiari, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis and more are more common for woman than man.  Then there are the host of conditions that are exclusive to women.  So we, as women, have a plethora of conditions that can leave us in pain, depressed and feeling lousy about ourselves.

So, what can a girl do to improve her attitude? The answer is simple.  Feeling beautiful always improves a girl's attitude.  Going to the spa or having a makeover is always an experience we look forward to.  I say that we can get those same results when we pamper ourselves at home.  My sister, my friends and I always look forward to our at home beauty days.  We love doing at home manicures, facials, masks, pedicures and more.  Those feel good endorphins that our bodies naturally produce help me stay positive and cope with chronic pain.  Being happy and confident keeps life with chronic illness in perspective.

Tonight for instance, I am coping with some significant sharp pains in the back of my head (Chiari) and on the right side of my chest (Diastolic Dysfunction).  Ice packs always help for acute pain. However, after the worst of it had passed I found that I felt depressed; because, on the whole, I am still just a sick girl.  So instead of feeling sorry for myself. I took off my makeup, scrubbed my face and am now wearing a clay mask.  My disposition is starting to improve and I am now enjoying blogging and relaxing while the mask dries. So instead of sitting and feeling sorry for myself, I am changing my focus to feel better about myself.  I usually even have a special product or two that I keep for days when I need an extra boost.  This post lists some of my favorite face products for days when I need to pamper myself or at home spa beauty days. 

On mornings that I don't feel well and would prefer to stay in bed, I find that I can appreciate something about putting on my makeup.  I think about wearing a great shade of lipstick or putting on a fantastic pair of false lashes.  Then I find that I can enjoy the art of beauty rather than feeling miserable about my condition.  By shifting that focus I am able to trick myself into feeling better.  On a daily basis, I use beauty products to make myself feel better about the fact that I will always cope with pain.    Typically speaking the worse I feel the more I focus on the process of using my beauty products.  It's really just a trick to make myself feel better.

For me, it's beauty products.  It might be something totally different for you.  Your goal is to find what it is that inspires you.  If something interests you and makes you happy then take time to pursue it. You  can find YouTube videos about everything, there are books you can check out from the library or scour the internet for blogs.  It doesn't have to become a career or a full time hobby; just find something that inspires you enough to take your mind off of your frustrations or symptoms.


So please tell me what's something you would like to pursue but just haven't yet?

For me, it's making YouTube beauty videos targeted to women with chronic illness. Please follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for your daily dose of positivity.