#this exercise physically hurt me

[peaches2217]

I have so many varied and fun WIPs I could work on but my brain continues to scream “BE WEIRD ABOUT CHILDBIRTH! SURELY YOU WON’T WEIRD ANYONE OUT IF YOU KEEP WRITING ABOUT CHILDBIRTH!” and I’d like it to sTOP

[medicinemane]

Should make a pain killer that actually kills (or even touches) pain

[seaside-lovers-archive]

intimidating and powerful f/os that are oh so gentle with you, my beloved.

[callixton]

the thing w working out regularly again is that my cardiac health is worst it’s been in three years. and that is bc of the health flare up i had in march bc i can literally see when it divebombed in my health app & i don’t really think exercising is going to help that like. at all. bc it’s due to my dysautonomia. idk maybe assuming that’s it’s impossible to improve my cardiac health through exercising is not a good assumption to make but it is my lived experience & it’s not why i’m working out anyway

[sleepingfancies]

It really is so bleak how many exercise regiments depend on you being 100% abled and particularly nothing wrong with your knees

[autisticlee]

having some sort of chronic pain and tiredness issue and joint problems and whatnot but not knowing exactly what the problem is is really good at leading you feeling like you're faking it or making a big deal out of nothing or making it up. especially if there's a good day where it's not as bad and you can walk straight without limping for the first time in a year. but then you can wake up the next day and can barely walk and wonder why you can't just walk normal. it's hard to not guilt trip yourself into dealing with pain by trying to ignore it and force yourself to walk "normal" all the time

[gooboogy]

I really hope someday I'm not living paycheck to paycheck. It would be so nice to have a savings. Maybe even be able to travel to somewhere cool and exotic like my backyard

[jelliegirl]

i feel sad today -_-

[captainofsalt]

Sound off! Where are my 'physical therapy fucking hurt me so i now do aqua therapy and swimming exercises exclusively' baddies at?

[linguenuvolose]

finally got the push to do something about my lower back + mid back + shoulder + neck pain/tenseness so that's something! found a chiropractor that only has times in 3 weeks but I'm like... if I've already postponed this for 3+ years I can wait a little more. Unfortunately though now I've started to think about it so I notice it's hurting lmao I usually don't but I think when I do solve this I will be like hmm I didn't realise life could be like this

[aspocko]

cw: exercise

nothing hits quite like the depression that comes when working out and making better eating choices for five weeks doesnt make any difference

[ramblingandpie]

[Image descriptions: the meme of the angry-looking claymation penguin angrily making a glittery card with a heart, and a grumpy-looking eagle stomping captioned "me going on a stupid little daily walk for my stupid physical and mental health." End descriptions.]

fucking hate it when the stuff everybody says "actually works" does actually work.

hate exercising and realizing i've let go of a lot of anxiety and anger because i've overturned my fight-or-flight response.

hate eating right and eating enough and eating 3 times a day and realizing i'm less anxious and i have more energy

hate journaling in my stupid notebook with my stupid bic ballpoint and realizing that i've actually started healing about something once i'm able to externalize it

hate forgiving myself hate complimenting myself more often hate treating myself with kindness hate taking a gratitude inventory hate having patience hate talking to myself gently

hate turning my little face up to the sun and taking deep breaths and looking at nature and grounding myself and realizing that i feel less burdened and more hopeful, more actually-here, that i am able to see the good sides of myself more clearly, that i am able to see not only how far i have to grow - but also how much growth i have already done & how much of my life i truly fill with light and laughter and love

horrible horrible horrible. hate it but i'm gonna do it tho

[demarogue]

Gettin' Through the Holidays Mental Health Tricks

If y'all are anything like me, this time of year is triggering AF. Here are some small, very easy grounding exercises that I was taught by my therapist, basically in order of how much I like them for this rage-inducing season. You make like them in a different order, depending on your rage-to-despair ratio.

Push a wall: literally go up to a wall and try to push it over. Really try. I promise you won't push it over, but give it your best shot. Try to hold it as long as you can, and then take a breather and assess whether you need to repeat. Why it works: This is a quick, physical expulsion of the fight-or-flight feeling. It's a bit like punching a wall, but without the potential to hurt yourself/look scary/damage things. You can even do it in front of people and say you're stretching, they'll never know (unless the wall actually falls down, but this will not happen, I assure you).

Shake like a dog: Animals shake to release stress, and you are also an animal. Setting aside time to just shake it out, as vigorously as you can, arms and legs, face, stick your tongue out, pretend you're shaking like a wet dog. You can dance instead, if that feels better, and you can do this to music, but basically the more unhinged you can be, the better. If you are in a place you can scream, scream too! Why it works: like the above, this is a release of pent-up stress and anxiety. Especially if your rage-to-woe ratio is high, some kind of physical exertion is often the best way to burn through the cortisol and adrenaline you're building up.

Bilateral Tapping: Cross your arms over your chest so that your fingertips are at your shoulders, and slowly tap, one hand at a time, back and forth, for about a minute. Breathe slowly. Why it works: This is weird as hell, but because this engages both sides of your brain, it helps override the activity of the amygdala, which is the part of your brain that Makes The Fear. If you're being literally triggered in a situation, i.e. you're having a trauma response, or reliving some family trauma, this is a good one.

Box Breathing: From a comfortable position (can really be seated, laying down or standing), inhale slowly for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, exhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, then repeat. You can do it for shorter counts or longer counts, but if you vary the counts make sure the exhale is longer than the inhale. You can close your eyes or leave them open. Why it works: This exercise helps you move from a sympathetic (activated) nervous system response to a parasympathetic (balanced) response. I do this one every day, and it's a good gateway to meditation. Especially helpful in anxious or tense situations, but I find if I'm very triggered I need one of the other ones first, or it can make anxiety worse. Breathwork is amazing but not usually as a first exercise if you're very activated, or have been activated a long time.

Ice: Lots of ways to do this one – hands in cold water for 30 seconds, ice pack on the back of your neck, dip your entire face into a bowl of ice water (this one's the most effective). Why it works: I kinda think this is hilarious, but this activates your mammalian dive reflex. It immediately slows your heart-rate, so if you are feeling your blood pressure and heart rate rising, this one is very good. The only reason this one's at the bottom of my list is because I hate being cold.

I wish you all a very get-through-the-holidays-without-hurting-yourself. Take time alone if you need it.

[dumkana16]

wanted to wear my mom's pregnancy sweater again but I didn't want to wear a bra bc pain and discomfort but that specific sweater looks way worse without a bra because of its like shape. so I had to change and now I'm wearing my own sweater with bears in various weird poses on it.

[knot-doing-it]

Gonna add this on the healthcare provider side. You don't need a diagnosis or disorder to tell your healthcare team what works or doesn't work for you. Tell them if adding vinegars helps with IBS -like symptoms, let your primary care physician know that you started taking those vitamins for the muscles spasms, show your optometrist the glasses that help you avoid migraines from bright lights and glare, send your physical therapist the videos of stretches and exercises that really help you. If they're sincere then their job is to help you live your best life regardless of what titles or labels are on your chart.

friendly reminder that you don't need any diagnosis or disorder to adapt your routine to accommodate you! sit down in the shower. brush your teeth and wash your face in the shower. bring a chair to the kitchen while you cook. use unscented products. your routine should be built for you.

[pxrplepolkadots]

😞