It’s not always easy to look and feel your best when you have RA. Here’s help for those moments when fighting the disease is getting you down:
Half the battle in feeling confident? Overcoming the negative scripts in your head, says stress-management expert Edwige Gilbert, author of The Fresh Start Promise. She has her clients repeat the mantra “I can, I do, I will” while breathing deeply as a daily affirmation. Not only is this an instant esteem builder, studies also show that repeating positive phrases can be a stress-reliever to boot!
A shortcut to feeling great: focusing on your triumphs. Gilbert’s advice: Anytime you complete a task successfully—no matter how small, even if it’s just catching up on your laundry—take a moment to acknowledge your accomplishment and reinforce your self-assurance.
Sitting up straight isn’t just good for your posture—it also helps you feel more confident in your own positive traits, according to a study done at Ohio State University in Columbus. Researchers discovered that when participants listed the good things about themselves while either slouching or sitting upright, the straight sitters had more confidence in the truthfulness of their self-assessment. Translation: You’ll be more likely to believe in yourself if you sit up straight and push out your chest than if you slump, probably because a straight-up stance exudes confidence, says study author Richard Petty, PhD.