How do you deal with the news of having to use a catheter? Does it feel overwhelming? It’s not unusual to experience a wave of fear, frustration, anger or sadness. Take heart in knowing that this is normal – but don’t let worrying get the best of you. While no one can avoid the negative feelings completely, a simple change in the way you think and feel about catheterization, may lead to huge emotional benefits.
The power of positivity
Adjusting to life with catheterization can be challenging and the changes you are experiencing are not just physical, but emotional as well. Maintaining a positive attitude is probably the last thing on your mind. After all, how are you supposed to focus on positivity when so many things seem to be going wrong?
But shifting to a positive and developing a more positive attitude might help you improve your overall mental health. Seeing the bright side of a situation will help you cope with any potential setbacks, rather than succumbing to feelings of sadness, worry and anxiety.
Tips and strategies
Here are a few simple yet powerful ideas on how you can get started.
- Take back control of your attitude: Even if you can’t change the circumstances of your life, you can change your attitude. Every time a negative thought crawls into your mind, replace it with a positive thought.: Wwhat are you grateful for? What are some of the good things in your life?
- Allow yourself mental breaks: Try not to put pressure on yourself to feel a certain way or expect to feel like yourself again in a particular time frame. Whenever you feel stressed about your new situation, allow yourself to take a step back.
- Celebrate small victories: The more you focus on your “wins,” the better you’ll feel. It’s easy to get frustrated and focus on what you can’t do when dealing with a chronic illness. Instead of ruminating on these things, try flipping the script and think about all the things you’ve already done. There’s no victory that’s too small to celebrate.
- Do something nice for yourself every day: Make sure you’re taking time for self-care every day. It can be as simple as spending five minutes sitting outside in the sunshine, writing in your journal, or reading a book. The most important thing is that you’re doing something that makes you feel good.
You are (or will become) what you think you are. Practice makes perfect. It’s not as hard as it may seem and if you still feel overwhelmed, just try one tip at a time. If you are persistent and keep on working on yourself, your mind will eventually reject its negative thoughts and welcome the positive ones.
