May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Month and to shine a light on this important illness, I’m collaborating with others who have Fibromyalgia by writing a short post on my Top Three Tips on living with Fibromyalgia. Next month I’ll write a separate post and include the link to the collaborative post for your to read, it will be valuable reading.

Sleep Routine/Self-Care

I include self-care in my sleep routine. I do other specific self-care tricks as I can but my nighttime routine is solid.

I am very disciplined about laying down at the same time every night. It’s not going to bed, it’s self-care time and time to unwind so when it’s time to go to sleep my mind is empty and ready. During this time, an hour to an hour and a half before bedtime I start to decompress. There is no sound, no phone, no media, no gadget, nothing to distract me at all. Our mind needs quiet time and most of us stay on our computers, phones, reading, doing something stimulating right at the time the body needs to wind down. Sometimes I run the aromatherapy diffuser but can find it distracting some nights.

I slather myself down with my CBD and Aromatherapy lotion making sure to pay attention to all the areas where there’s pain. I let the smell of the lotion fill my nostrils as I lay there and de-junk my brain for the day.

At bedtime, I take my final meds and my mind is ready for sleep.

Nature

A great tip for the nature lover. I have multiple wind chimes around the house to remind me of nature even when I can’t go outside. There’s nothing like the sound of an unexpected chime to force me to take a minute and look out the window and soak in what nature has to offer from the kitchen window or back door. I also have several bird feeders and birdbaths to enjoy.

Time-Saving

Meal Delivery 3 days a week, we just have to prepare the meals. It makes life so much easier, the time saved planning and grocery shopping is worth the extra cost. On Sundays, we cook a meal, and on the other days, I eat yogurt and fruit.

Melinda