Emotional health plays such an important role in your wellness journey. The mind and body are connected which means that your emotional wellness can have a direct effect on your physical well-being. Individuals looking from the outside in are unable to see certain MS symptoms that can influence your emotional health. However, depression and anxiety are very real emotional symptoms that often accompany MS. Unfortunately, because others cannot physically see depression and anxiety, these undercover menaces often go unacknowledged, untreated, and underestimated. Thankfully, there are ways to self-cultivate emotional wellness despite the hold that MS is trying to have on you.

Here are a few ways to cultivate emotional wellness while living with MS:

• Acknowledge the positive things in life.
• Have faith and believe that you are stronger than depression and anxiety.
• Let your doctor know how you’re feeling.
• Eliminate stress and stressful situations as much as possible.
• Share your emotional experiences with a mental health professional.
• Connect with others by joining a local MS support group.
• Interact with others through an online MS community network.

These are simple ways to ensure that your wellness journey is a successful one filled with hope and peace. If you are having emotional challenges, please friend, reach out to someone. Some individuals find that they feel so much better once they put words to the emotions they are feeling. Other individuals find they feel so much better after talking to their doctor or a mental health professional. Dear friend, never be ashamed to tell someone how you feel because your wellness is so very important. You’ll be surprised by how many people are feeling the exact same way and are simply waiting for a brave someone like you to share your experience.

The Mind, Body, and MS Connection

To continue the conversation about wellness during MS Awareness Month, MSAA invites you to participate in the following activities:

• Read the transcript from our Ask the Expert program with Annette Okai, MD on “Wellness and Healthy Living with MS” on My MSAA Community
• Register for the live webinar “The Importance of Wellness Care in MS” coming up on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 from 7:00 – 8:00 PM Eastern.
• Listen to the latest episode of the the MSAA Podcast “A Little is a Lot When Exercising with MS” with guest Brian Hutchinson, PT.