So, after much time and effort A Sheffield Fibromite finally has a new home. I’ve moved the site from Weebly to WordPress, rebranded the website, Facebook and Twitter and spent a lot of time working on the design and content. Here are all the links you will need to keep up to date with the blog: Website: asheffieldfibromite.co.uk Facebook: www.facebook.com/asheffieldfibromite Twitter: www.twitter.com/asheffieldfibro If you would like to receive blog posts straight to your inbox you can sign up for my mailing list here: http://asheffieldfibromite.co.uk/subscribe/ If you live in the Sheffield area and have Fibromyalgia, I have set up a private group. Please feel free to join here: www.facebook.com/groups/sheffieldfibromites/
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Throughout the summer, Sheffield has been home to a massive herd of elephants. The herd have been raising money for Sheffield Children's Hospital. It can be easy to forget to stop sometimes; when I am up against a deadline at work, when I am trying to juggle my family and my chronic pain, when a hundred and one thoughts are racing through my head and my anxiety kicks in. A more mindful approach by paying more attention to the present moment, acknowledging my own thoughts and feelings and recognising the world around me, improves my mental well being and makes me more positive and productive. We've been going to Bloodstock for a good few years now, an annual pilgrimage that we look forward to every year. In 2014 though, I struggled. Having been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia at the end of 2013, I wasn't sure exactly what impact it would have on my BOA experience or what I would need to do to compensate for my reduced energy and ongoing pain, while also trying to enjoy the festival. After experiencing the festival without making any provisions or allowances, I knew that in 2015 some things needed to change if I was to continue attending. If you know someone with Fibromyalgia, you may be wondering what on earth you can do to help and support them. Friendships are incredibly important and being able to maintain those relationships can make a massive difference to someone with Fibromyalgia. Unfortunately for me and many people with Fibromyalgia, friendships have slowly but surely reduced in size over the years. The constant refusal of invites, short notice let downs, forgetting of birthdays or lack of enthusiasm when out and about can put even the best friendships under pressure. Often I just cannot find the energy to make the effort to get out of the house, there is a fear of feeling ill, being in pain, not getting to the toilet in time and many other reasons to not go out that play around in my head. Eventually I convince myself everyone would be better off if I stayed at home. With the advent of Facebook and other social media sites, seeing your friends out and about living their life and having fun, while you remain in the safety of your own home leaves even the strongest person feeling alone, isolated and ultimately, unloved. If you want to give your friend with Fibromyalgia the support, compassion and friendship they so desperately need, here are 5 ways, I know they will appreciate. I have been searching for a warm bedtime drink that I could have before heading up to bed. As an avid tea drinker the obvious option was calming , caffeine free tea, but I longed for that warm, milky drink of my childhood - Ovaltine. The Hormone Diva recently came to my aid with a recipe for Golden Milk. A warm, milky mix of turmeric, cinnamon and ginger. I have been feeling increasingly frustrated of late. Frustrated by my limitations. I mean I am trying to keep active, I am trying to go to the gym regularly, I am trying to walk regularly and I am trying to do as much as I can physically, and yet it never seems to get easier. It hurts as much as it ever did and I never seem to be making progress. Cake is film set in LA following Clare Bennett (played by Jennifer Aniston) and her road through grief and chronic pain. The film was released in 2014, but I didn't come across its existence until earlier this year when it was released on DVD. Claire suffers with chronic pain. I don't want to give any more detail about the story or how it progresses in this post because as the film develops, clues as to how she came to be in chronic pain, what happened to her family and her journey to redemption are played out in a way that makes the film incredibly powerful and spoilers would indeed spoil that experience. 12th May is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day. It is also the birthdate of Florence Nightingale; a notable figure who it is believed suffered from this condition. There is no part of my life, upon which I can look back without pain Florence Nightingale
I recently came across the Blurt Foundation; an organisation that aims to increase the awareness and understanding of depression. They offer a number of resources and services, but the one that stood out for me was the Buddybox. Subscription boxes have gained popularity over the last few years, but they tend to focus on the beauty products which is something that doesn't really interest me. The Buddybox is designed for people who need to practice self-care, packed full of thoughtful, mood-lifting treats to make you feel good: helping you de-stress, find calm, feel pampered, relax, get creative, or simply have fun. It sounded like something I needed in my life.
At £21.50 a box thought it might be a little steep for my budget, however I decided to order a one-off box and see if what came was worth the investment. Today my May Buddybox arrived. |
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