All is takes is one minute.
One minute between the ecstatic rush of getting an awesome opportunity at work — to the devastating collapse of remembering your chronic pain, and realizing you likely won’t be able to make the most of it.
Today folks, I need to vent.
I’m a bit obsessed with Masoor Dal right now — it’s a go-to recipe for my husband and I, and we often eat this meal once per week.
Masoor Dal, made here with Split Brown Lentils, is a staple of vegetarian and Indian cuisine. It can be made ahead, and it tastes excellent reheated. I discovered this Indian dish when attempting to pursue an anti-inflammatory diet, and it’s become one of our favorite options. We serve it with warm naan. To make things easy, we buy Stonefire Original Naan from the grocery, then simply pop it in the oven.
Side note: If you’re new to naan, get ready for your obsession to begin. This stuff is the bread of my dreams.
When you’re deep in the depths of depression and experiencing life-impacting side effects (including anxiety and exhaustion) — it can be nearly impossible to complete the work that’s required of you. I’ve been in this situation more times than I can count.
As an individual who suffers from chronic pain, I’ve worked while depressed for years — and it can be completely, utterly miserable. My depression closely follows my chronic pain fluctuations. The more pain I’m in, the easier it is for me to sink into negative thought patterns. When I feel my worst, I want nothing more than to collapse on the couch with my pup, close the blinds, turn off my cell phone, and disappear for a while. Yet most of the time, that’s impossible, due to work, family commitments, and my never-ending to-do list.
Over the years, I’ve found ways to make working while depressed more manageable, and it has been an absolute blessing. I’ve learned to embrace my emotional and physical flaws rather than hide from them, and I work hard to focus on self-care so that when depression hits — I’m ready for it.
The list below contains my go-to solutions for working while depressed. It’s terrifying to open myself up like this, but I’m sharing these tips in the hope that an idea below will help you manage your depression in a healthy way. We’re all human, we all face immense challenges, and we’re all in this together. In the comments, I’d love to hear about your self-care routines, too.
You know as well as I do that the poor food choices we make aren’t doing us favors in regard to pain!
Those of us with physical or mental pain can crave comforting macaroni and cheese or crunchy nachos topped with ground beef, sour cream and salsa. Personally, I get massive cravings for plain buttered pasta — you know, the kind a kid would eat.
That being said, I’m trying to push past the cravings and take more control of my pain by reducing inflammation in my body. Here’s what I intend to eat to get started.
According to Scientific American, “Cocoa is good for your heart because of fermentation by gut bacteria, creating anti-inflammatory compounds that improve blood vessel function.”
Black beans are bursting with antioxidants that fight inflammation and are a rich source of fiber. Here are some healthy recipes containing black beans.
Fatty fish, like wild salmon, have anti-inflammatory properties and are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, an alternative supplement to help treat arthritis.
Pineapples contain bromelain, a protein-digesting enzyme and natural anti-inflammatory.
Blueberries are high in carotenoids, an organic pigment found in fruit that reduce inflammation.
If you’re interested in learning more about inflammation and how it affects your pain, or learning more about anti-inflammatory diets, I found this Live Science article helpful.