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Staying empowered can help you continue moving forward

Day-by-Day is the Myositis Way!

Moving forward

Move forward in life, MSU

Continue to move forward!

Having a positive attitude when dealing with Myositis is essential. During those dark moments when life seems to be falling apart, it is important to remember that you control your own emotions. No matter where you are in your journey with Myositis, or another chronic illness, remember you still have control over how you cope with your emotions and physical symptoms. Here are a few tools to help you stay positive.

Feeling sorry: In order to stay optimistic, you must be able to acknowledge your personal frustration and fear. Sometimes giving a name to the emotions we are feeling helps us move forward. Allowing ourselves to have a “pity party” is not a bad idea as long as we keep it short.  Allow five to ten minutes each day to scream, cry, and feel sorry for yourself, then move forward by taking proactive steps.

Journaling for gratitude: Even in the midst of misery and heartache, good things happen. Keep a journal that focuses on the brighter moments of the day. Start by writing three positive things for every negative comment. It can be as simple as a stranger smiling at you, watching your favorite TV show, or having a scoop of your favorite ice cream—all that matters is that it sparked a happy emotion.

Laughter: We have all heard that laughter is the best medicine. Well, there are many studies that prove laughter is beneficial. So, watch a funny movie, play a silly game, and always look for ways to laugh. The pain and weakness may not subside, but your attitude will shift toward the positive.

Music: The power of music is an amazing thing. Listening to a song can invoke emotions, good memories, and can also be a great distraction. Listen to songs that brighten your mood. Make a playlist of the songs that inspire and bring you hope.

Supportive People/Community: Surround yourself with friends and family who support you, or those who are willing to learn more about what life with Myositis is like. These people will help you stay accountable so that you feel motivated to keep pushing forward.

Manageable chunks of time: We have all heard the saying “one day at a time.” This is a very important saying to live by as we can never know what tomorrow will bring, especially with a disease as unpredictable as Myositis. There is no sense in worrying about tomorrow when you can learn to live for today. If you find one day at a time is too much, break it down into smaller chunks such as one hour at a time.

Help someone else: There is so much joy in helping others, no matter how small the deed.  When we help others, it not only makes us feel good, but it also puts kindness into the universe which will multiply through your initial “good deed.” An example could simply be paying for the person’s coffee in line behind you. It is a small thing, but the very act of doing so brings joy to both parties.

Find Your “New Normal”: The implications of Myositis and its often toxic treatments can be devastating. The lives we once lived sometimes seem impossible to live now. This is why it is imperative that we find “new normals.” The activities you once enjoyed might not be possible to do anymore, but that doesn’t mean life is over. Instead, find new pastimes or ways to live a life of meaning and purpose. Myositis does not need to define us or be the end of our existence. Look for ways to take back control of your life.

What does your “new normal” look like, and what can you do now that will make you happy?

Become Involved:

We are empowering and supporting the myositis community, providing patients and care partners with opportunities to get involved on many levels. Being involved is key to taking back control and living a proactive, fulfilling life once again.

Ways to become involved include connecting with others in your community, participating in a research study or clinical trial, finding activities that make you happy, working on advocacy efforts, sharing information, and making your voice heard. By being involved, you become empowered and begin to see your own strength, courage, and worth. Having a purpose once again will help you continue to move forward.

Find New Interests

Find New Interests

Find new interests, hobbies, and distractions

It can be challenging to stay positive or find meaning when dealing with Myositis. Finding an activity that brings you some satisfaction is therapeutic; it can help ease depression, lessen symptoms and lead to a happier you.

MSU encourages you to try new things. Here are just a few suggestions of ways you can stay busy (distracted) and possibly find newfound peace, clarity and purpose.

Explore your creative side!

Useful Techniques

Interactive, Fun Sites
Here are just a few free sites online that will keep you, and your mind, busy.

 Projects

  • Read a book.
  • Host a book club, either in person or online.
  • Adult coloring books are fun and a great distraction.
  • Try some of the therapeutic ideas listed under the motivational resources tab.
  • Write your Myositis story and share it with us.
  • Try Gardening: Whether in the dirt outside or in a container indoors, connect with nature.
  • Study a specific topic like history, math, or English. Something to challenge you, but make it something that truly interests you.
  • Take free online classes. Here are a few resources:
  • Play around on Pinterest to find new, fun, and rewarding projects to try.
  • Volunteer with MSU or another nonprofit organization.

We wrote a blog article that may also help with some ideas. Visit Understandingmyositis.org/20-activities-for-myositis-patients/

TIP: Shop using GoodShop and choose Myositis Support and Understanding as your charity to help earn money for MSU while shopping for your needs and wants.

Motivational Resources

Motivate Yourself

Motivate yourself through some proven techniques

Aside from a standard written journal, which we highly recommend, there are many other ways you can “journal” and projects that you can do to help yourself.

Altered Books

Altered Books are books that have been given a new life in the form of art. Whether they are old dilapidated books or new ones, their covers and pages can be altered in many ways. You can visit a local thrift store and purchase an old book for really cheap!

You can paint, cut, fold, burn, sew, collage, tear, drill, glue, or adorn them in any way your imagination sees fit.

There are many websites available that you can use to learn the process and to see examples. Anything goes with these books. Make it fun by creating a theme!

Learn more about Altered Books:

http://mixedmedia.club/a-crash-course-on-altered-books/

 

Art Therapy

Art therapy is a creative method of expression used as a therapeutic technique.

An art therapist works with a client—using many kinds of materials—to initiate a creative process that elicits feelings and realizations. The therapist helps the client process those feelings, draw conclusions, develop appropriate actions and more.

For more information

American Art Therapy Association

Foundation for Art & Healing

Courageous heARTS

Meditation

Meditation, relaxation and other stress-reduction techniques may help you cope with all types of symptoms. 
Here are a few links to explore:

Music Therapy

Music Therapy is using music to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of an individual. Treatment includes creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music.

For More Information

American Music Therapy Association

Photo Journaling

Photo journaling is simple. Just take a photo, or use old ones, and in a separate book or even photo album, place the image and then write a short blurb to go with it. This is just as theraputic as writing in a standard journal.

Spirit/Journal Box

Spiritual and inspiring crafts can invoke a peaceful more in-tuned relationship with the Universe. This can also be referred to as a “God Box” if that is the term you prefer.

  • Sit down with pen and paper in a quiet, relaxing place and make a list of everything you want in your life, big and small. These items might include money, a cruise, a house, a new coat, a loving relationship, or the motivation to stick to an exercise regimen.
  • Collect a stack of magazines. Flip through the magazines, page-by-page, tearing out any word or image that appeals to you and represents what you want, whether it’s a dollar sign, a picture of a polar bear in Alaska, or the word “peace.”
  • Cover your shoe box in craft paper or construction paper in the color of your choice. Use your glue stick or tape to secure the edges.
  • Use your scissors to carefully cut a 2- to 3-inch slit in the middle of the shoebox lid, wide enough for you to put folded slips of paper through it.
  • Go through your stack of magazine clippings and cut out the images and words. Use your glue stick to cover the shoebox with these images and words in whatever design that pleases you. Don’t cover up the slit in the top. Arrange your clippings around it.
  • Close your box and grab your list of wants you made in Step One. Fold the list and slip into the top of the box. This is your first Spirit/Journal Box request of the universe.
  • Keep your Spirit/Journal Box in a personal place where you can see it every day. Every time you want something, write it down on a small slip of paper, fold it up, and put it in your Spirit/Journal Box. Then forget about it, confident that the universe will listen and respond.

Tips:

  • The universe operates according to the Law of Attraction, meaning whatever you think about is what you are going to get. Keep that in mind when making requests of the universe. For example, instead of writing “I want to get out of debt,” write “I want to be financially free.” If you’re always concentrating on your debt, that’s what you’re going to attract.
  • If you have more magazine clippings than you have room for on your box, hang them on a bulletin board, make a collage, or use them to decorate the inside of your box.
  • There’s a slit in your box for a reason. You could lift the lid to put your requests or prayers inside, but then you’d see the other pieces of paper. The idea with a God Box is to ask the universe for what you want, then forget about it. There’s no need to be reminded of old requests every time you have a new one.
  • Only when your Spirit/Journal Box is full should you open it and look through the requests you’ve made of the universe. Hopefully, you’ll be surprised at just how many of your wishes came true.
  • Once your Spirit/Journal Box is full, it’s time to make a new one. You can start from scratch or you can redesign the one you already have, repeating Steps One through Seven above. It just depends on how much space you have in your home to store all your Spirit/Journal Boxes through the years.
  • When you come across slips of paper with requests that have yet to come true, you may want to add them to your new Spirit/Journal Box, provided it’s something you still want.
Vision or Dream Board

What is a Vision Board and its purpose?

Creating a vision board can be that visual reminder to help you hold onto hope, find comfort and stay proactive. Flip through magazines tearing out pictures, symbols and words that represent you – who you are, what you want to become and how you choose to live your life, or how you want to change your life. Place the images on some type of board or paper in various patterns using rubber cement, glue or double-stick tape. Now whenever feeling lost or alone, all you have to do is look at your vision board: there you will find inspiration, empowerment and guidance.

Learn more about organizing and creating a Vision board. 

A vision board is a tool used to help clarify, concentrate, and maintain focus on a specific life goal. Literally, a vision board is any sort of board on which you display images that represent whatever you want to be, do, or have in your life.

What’s the point of making a vision board? Simply put, we humans tend to be a very busy species that are constantly bombarded by distractions. Creating and using vision boards serves several purposes, some of which include helping you to:

  • Identify your vision and give it clarity.
  • Reinforce your daily affirmations.
  • Keep your attention on your intentions.

Once you dream it, the next step is to believe it. In addition to images, vision boards can include words, phrases or sentences that affirm your intentions.

Somehow, we must silence the mind-chatter that plagues us all every minute of every waking hour. You know that little voice in your head that never shuts up? The one that supports and promotes all your limiting beliefs by repeating an endless litany of every shortcoming you could possibly have (and some you couldn’t possibly have), and every reason why you can’t, or shouldn’t, or won’t ever be, do, or have what you really want. Affirmations are that little voice’s worst enemy.

Affirmations express who you really are, release you from those limiting beliefs, and allow you to know that the possibilities really are UNlimited.

Another key purpose that vision boards serve is to help you stay focused. It isn’t difficult to start each day with a positive attitude – until you get out of bed.

How quickly that fresh “new me” attitude can sink back into oblivion beneath the tasks and challenges of everyday life. How can you possibly remain focused on any goal while people and circumstances constantly pull you in dozens of directions at once? By using a vision board, of course!

No matter what happens during your day, your vision board is a constant reminder of where you intend to be. Appealing to you on both conscious and subconscious levels, a vision board can work wonders toward keeping your mind focused on your goal, your attention on your intentions, and your life headed in the direction you choose.

Creating a Vision Board

Think about what you want in life. For most of us, it will involves better health for sure, but also many other things. Based upon the discoveries you’ve made, it’s now time for you to decide what you want the focus of your vision board to be. Don’t feel as though you must limit yourself to creating just one vision board to reflect all of your dreams. You can make as many separate vision boards as you want, each with a different focus.

  • You can decide to make a vision board which focuses on a very specific goal that you have. For example, if want to be able to afford your dream vacation within the next year, you can design a Jamaica-themed dream board.
  • You can also make dream boards which have a more general theme. Perhaps after reflecting about the type of person you want to be remembered as, you determined that you want to work on becoming a kinder, more generous person. Your dream board can be devoted to this theme. An example of something to include can be pictures of inspiring role models.

 

Inspirational Resources

Be Inspired, MSU

Continue to inspire yourself

There are many different ways you can learn to inspire yourself. In this section, we have provided a list of some inspirational quotes and articles. Do you have a quote, article, or your own story you wish to share? We would love to read it and share it on our website! Share it here. 

Inspirational Quotes

“If Myositis prevents us from seeking our dreams and goals, it wins.  We must follow our true passion and not let Myositis steal anything from us  that we can prevent, like our happiness. We are in control of our lives and able to reach for the stars.  We just have to adapt to get there.” – Jerry Williams

“Disabled people are the strongest people out there. This is because we have to struggle everyday to do the things that everyone else takes for granted. It makes us driven, exceptional and unbreakable.”  Unknown

“There are many what-if’s in our lives with Myositis and chronic illness and they pile up making our fear seemingly too much to handle. At times, it is just the idea that something “may” not work out.

Do not let this fear cripple you! Use it to motivate yourself to push farther, fight harder and to never give up hope. When motivated, it has been shown medical treatments may work better as well. So, do not let fear paralyze you; let it motivate you!” – Jerry Williams

“Some say motivation doesn’t last, neither does bathing; its recommended daily! Keep motivated daily and reap the rewards!” – Unknown

“Motivate today towards progress, not perfection! When we keep our goals attainable, they are easier to reach.” – Unknown

Inspirational Articles

https://understandingmyositis.org/writing-for-happiness/

https://understandingmyositis.org/healthy-attitude/

https://understandingmyositis.org/20-activities-for-myositis-patients/

https://understandingmyositis.org/motivate-towards-progress/

https://understandingmyositis.org/dont-let-fear-paralyze/

https://understandingmyositis.org/disabled-motivate/

Get Support

Get Support

You are NOT alone! Support options are available!

You don’t have to be alone in your struggle with Myositis. MSU started with support and support continues to be one of the most effective programs we operate.

We have several support options available. Learn more below.

Myositis Support Community

Join us on the Myositis Support Community, a partnership with Inspire.

Support is available 24/7, anonymously, and you choose what information you share.

Patients and Care Partners, get the support you deserve.

Join Today
MSU Video Support Sessions

Join us for live video support sessions on Zoom. Online support is great; video support is excellent! Make richer connections, friendships, and actually meet others living with myositis who are going through similar challenges.

You can find all upcoming Video Support sessions by viewing our Events page.

Finding Humor

Find Humor

Find humor online and in your daily life

We all need an escape from the day-to-day stresses of life, especially life with chronic illness that often includes financial stress as well as other life stressors.

In Crisis?

Are you in crisis? call 911

Are YOU In Crisis?

If you are in crisis or considering harming yourself, MSU asks you to take one of the following steps immediately. Explain how you’re feeling. Remember part of being strong is acknowledging when to ask for help. For more, check out our Mental Health Resources page.

You Are Not Alone.

  • Call, Text, or Chat 988 – Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Available 24 hours.
    • 988 has been designated as the new three-digit dialing code that will route callers to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (now known as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) and is now active across the United States.When people call, text, or chat 988, they will be connected to trained counselors that are part of the existing Lifeline network. These trained counselors will listen, understand how their problems are affecting them, provide support, and connect them to resources if necessary.The previous Lifeline phone number (1-800-273-8255) will always remain available to people in emotional distress or suicidal crisis.
  • If you are in immediate danger, call 911 (in the U.S.)
  • Call a suicide/prevention crisis hotline – (800-784-2433 or 800-273-8255)
  • Assistance if you are deaf or hearing impaired? (800-799-4TTY)
  • Para obtener asistencia en español, llame al (888-628-9454)
  • Call your mental health counselor
  • Call your medical doctor
  • Go to a hospital emergency room

For Veterans

  • The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates a national suicide prevention hotline and a live online chat option to ensure veterans with emotional crises have round-the-clock access to trained professionals.
  • 800-273-8255. Press “1” to reach the VA hotline.
  • Veterans Crisis Line – Live Chat
  • Check out our Veterans Resources page for more

 Needing to Talk with Someone

If you are feeling sad or overwhelmed, it might help to talk to someone. A family member, friend, therapist, spiritual sponsor or fellow Myositis friend are all here to listen. Remember that you are not alone.

To find a social worker, psychologist, or counselor, please check the following resources:

Feeling Suicidal?

If you are suicidal, please contact your emergency services number (in the U.S. it’s 911) or visit your local emergency room. At the very least, call a friend and let them take you.

If you are not in an immediate crisis, please contact one of the organizations below. These groups are dedicated to helping people get through crises.

(MSU provides these resources for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with any organizations listed.)

Get Support!

Myositis patients and caregivers can connect with others who understand what they are going through by joining our support community via the Inspire iOS app or by visiting our Myositis Support Community.

© 2024 Myositis Support and Understanding Association (MSU). All rights reserved. | View our Privacy Policy, Terms, and Non-Discrimination policy. MSU is a charitable organization with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. Federal ID #47-4570748.

Get Support!

Myositis patients and caregivers can connect with others who understand what they are going through by joining our support community via the Inspire iOS app or by visiting our Myositis Support Community.

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