MY LIFE: Things I do to manage everyday pain

Image courtesy of Creative Commons, used with permission from lisa-skorpion

Chronic illness warriors face pain all day, every day. Because of this, we need to have a lot of tools at our disposal. Here are a few I keep on the front burner:

1. These aren’t physical items, but they do serve as wonderful distractions. I have subscriptions to Hulu, Amazon TV, Netflix, Pandora, and a couple of other entertainment venues.
2. Leggings and t-shirts – long-sleeved and short, depending on the weather. They’re almost the only things I ever wear. The leggings I prefer are LuLaRoe, but they do get quite warm in the summer, which is when I switch to capri leggings and pants. I find shorts uncomfortable, personally.
3. Find somewhere or someone to vent. We all need it, and there must be a safe place to do it.
4. I have bath products. Lots and lots of bath products. That’s because I like baths. They make me feel better. My favorites are baking soda and epsom salts like Dr. Teals. There are other formulations than yours.
5. The ability to say no without letting it overwhelm you with guilt. It’s a valuable skill and one that will keep you sane.
6. Coloring books. I have nearly 20. I also have colored pencils (in a variety of colors and types, like my favorites – metallics!), gel pens, and markers. When I need a quiet distraction, I color. Sometimes they come out well, sometimes they don’t. And it doesn’t matter which happens.
7. Me and my massage therapist have been together for seven years. I see her more often than I see most of my friends and even some of my family. I try my absolute best to keep appointments, because she helps me so much. She’s a huge part of my pain management plan.

What things do you rely on for everyday pain management? Tell me in the comments!