9 Self-Care Tips for Living With Cerebral Palsy
I’ve always been huge on self-care as a young woman with cerebral palsy. Here are my nine favorite self-care tips.
1. Listening to music. Listening to country music helps me escape my stresses and the reality of my condition, especially right after a doctor’s appointment where I didn’t receive the best news.
2. Working out. Working out in my pool is my favorite go-to when it comes to my self-care because it allows me to relax my muscles and my mind.
3. Reading a book. Nicholas Sparks is my favorite author. Reading his books gives me a chance to relax my mind and have peace within my body.
4. Drinking Coca-Cola. Now this may sound like a strange self-care strategy, but due to my cerebral palsy, I tend to have really bad spastic attacks and stiffness on the left side of my body. When I drink Coke, it helps reduce the pain and stiffness.
5. Taking a nice bubble bath. Taking a bubble bath is one of my favorite things to do, especially when I have just come home from hours of physical therapy and doctor appointments. Taking a nice bubble bath is the best way for me to relax the stiffness on the left side of my body.
6. Watching a movie of my choice. I love to watch the 1980s movie “Urban Cowboy” when I need to relax my body and clear my mind.
7. Pursuing a hobby of your choice. I love going to volunteer at the fire department as a hobby. Volunteering allows me to take a step back and relax with my firefighter buddies and give back the community.
8. Writing thoughts down in a journal. Writing helps me process my emotions when it comes to my bad days with cerebral palsy and dealing with the reality of being an adult with cerebral palsy.
9. Squeeze a stress ball. Life with cerebral palsy can be stressful at times, so I like to carry a stress ball to relieve anxiety. After a long day of doctors’ appointments and having to make decisions regarding your health, squeezing a stress ball can be a great way to handle your emotions and have a clear mindset.
Life with cerebral palsy can be stressful for sure, but I hope these nine tips can help you find the perfect self-care strategies for you.
Getty image by Stacey Newman.