GPS for your MS: Initiating Your Wellness Journey

"Following the diagnosis of MS and during periods of change in your MS, it is not unusual to feel your personal GPS becoming "out of whack" and not working as well as it had in the past - or not as well as you were hoping it would. This is true whether you are the person with MS or someone who cares about you. You may feel lost, without direction, and overwhelmed with multiple choices and decisions. You may feel that little is under your control. On the other hand, MS often becomes the motivation - the “kick in the butt” so to speak - that people have needed to pursue effective wellness and healthy lifestyle strategies.

When setting your health goals, it is important to not only focus on your MS-related medical care, but on your overall wellness. Wellness encompasses your overall health, emotional well-being, diet, physical activity, spirituality, and relationships. All of these components of wellness are interrelated, and often times making one small change can spark a chain reaction that will improve your overall quality of life.

We are going to explore several aspects of wellness, and provide you with information you need to set personal goals. When making these changes, we recommend that you set SMART goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based to increase your chances of success. When you initiate this wellness journey, you are displaying resiliency and the capacity to rebound from adversity - major ingredients for effective coping with MS and life in general."

Continue reading for tips on health maintenance, diet, exercise, sleep, relationships, and emotional well being.