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There is no hiding that having an autoimmune disease adds a layer of complexity when it comes to managing mental health. To make matters worse, one of the first things we warriors are told to do to try and mitigate symptoms is "manage stress". If you ever find yourself shaking your fists and wondering how you are supposed to manage stress in order to help the thing causing your stress, then you are not alone. I wish I could give you a sure fire way to eliminate all stress, but unfortunately that is not realistic. However, I am happy to give some tips that have helped me along the way:

1. Make time for yourself! Being an athlete comes with a very busy schedule. If you don't block off time in that schedule to take care of you, it will very quickly become hard to keep up. For me, I allowed myself 30 minutes first thing in the morning, and 30 minutes last thing before going to bed. Even if it meant waking up earlier, it made all the difference in the world for me to have that time for myself before starting my day, and winding down for a few minutes at night before going to bed. Whatever works for you, remember to prioritize taking care of the body and mind that do so much for you! 

2. Find an outlet that is unrelated to your sport. Whether its meditating, journaling, going for a walk, or putting on your favorite movie- it is so important to have ways to decompress and relax that do not revolve around your identity as an athlete. Having an autoimmune disease can make your physical state unpredictable, so it has really helped me to have ways to manage my stress that are not connected to extreme physical exertion. 

3. If your mind is struggling, don't neglect your body. Your eating habits, sleep patterns, and hydration directly impact your mental health. While struggling mentally can make it harder to take care of yourself physically, challenge yourself to do the best you can, because it will only help you get back to feeling like yourself faster. 

4. Don't underestimate the power of community! Even if it's just sitting in the same room as someone- utilize your circle of support, whatever that looks like for you! And remember that you always have community at The Autoimmune Athlete who can relate to what you're experiencing. You are not alone! 

With social media operating the way it does today, it can be challenging to know how to best fuel your body. The biggest piece of advice I have in this realm is that no two bodies are the same, and each person is going to have different requirements for what does or does not make them feel good. Finding what works for you may take some trial and error, and that's ok. For some people, dairy is triggering. For others, gluten is. For some, there is no food group or ingredient that causes them to feel any different! Do your best to stay patient and be willing to try different things. On the whole, I would recommend sticking to whole foods as much as possible, as highly processed or artificial foods are scientifically proven to increase inflammation. And lastly, do not underestimate the power of hydration! All in all, food is meant to make us feel good, not add stress to our plates. Listen to your body and any signs it's giving you, and don't be afraid to make tweaks as you go if you think there is something that is not working well for your body. 

Preseason is known for being a physically and mentally grueling time in the life of a college athlete. When navigating autoimmune disease, it's important to take a few extra steps in order to have the safest and most successful preseason possible. 

1. Come prepared. This means planning ahead of time to have with you whatever you need to be as successful as possible. Refill meds, stock up on pain management modalities, and talk to your trainer/staff ahead of time about any pre/post training needs. 

2. Know your limits. Preseason is meant to be physically taxing, and there will be plenty of moments you will need to push yourself through. The key is knowing the difference between pushing through a tough workout and pushing through your own body's resistance, risking starting or advancing a flare. 

3. Control the controllables. Put your body in the best position possible to feel good. This means prioritizing sleep, nutrition, hydration, etc. Don't overlook the "small things" as they can ultimately make a big difference in inflammation management. 

4.Trust your care team. Once you have done your part in preparing for preseason, trust the people who are helping you be able to play your sport. They will not put you in a dangerous situation or let you fall should things get tricky. As best you can, let loose and enjoy each moment. 

Good luck and have fun! 

There are a couple extra things to think about on game day as an athlete with an autoimmune disease. Proper preparation is very important for success. This starts with taking care of your body before any other game day preparations begin. Making sure you get enough sleep, are well hydrated and have properly fueled your body are the first steps to feeling good on game day while having an autoimmune disease. From here, it becomes about managing symptoms as best you can so that you can focus on your competition. Using a heating pad or a red light therapy band before warmups begin can help loosen up any problem areas and get your body ready to compete. Right before and during competition, biofreeze or tiger balm can help with any particularly achy or painful areas. After competition ends, it is important to properly recover with ice, compression, and lots of water and rest. 

If you think you might have an autoimmune disease, the first step is to talk to your doctor about getting an ANA test, which is a blood test that detects any antinuclear antibodies present within your blood. Antinuclear antibodies often attack healthy tissues in your body, which is the foundation of autoimmune disease. Having a positive ANA result does not automatically mean you have an autoimmune disease, but if you have symptoms that are in line with one or more autoimmune diseases, this test would be the first indicator. There are many different autoimmune diseases, but common general symptoms include joint and muscle pain, fatigue, recurring fever, digestive issues, headaches, joint swelling, skin rashes, and others. Overall, if you think there is a chance you are suffering from an autoimmune disease, it is important to communicate with your doctor and express any concerns you may have. 

Sometimes when your body is in a flare it can feel like the world is against you and that you are losing the battle. Flares are frustrating, and even when it feels like we are doing everything right, they can still happen. The most important step you can take is to keep some sort of journal or log to track your flares and any extenuating circumstances surrounding them. This includes things like weather, how much you slept, what you ate, stress levels, and other things of that nature. While this may feel like a monotonous task, it can help you to pinpoint any common trend in a controllable factor in your life that is causing havoc within your body. 

The most beneficial thing you can do for doctor's appointments is to keep notes about any changes that have occurred during the time between appointments. Designate a notebook or even a note page on your phone to keep track of anything that you want to discuss with your doctor so that you do not have to try and recollect everything that has happened on the spot. Additionally, bring that notebook with you to your appointments so that you can write down any important information given to you and not have to worry about remembering details later. If you have any visible symptoms, i.e. swelling, discoloration, etc., take photos to show your doctor so they have a visual of what you are explaining. Lastly, consider bringing a family member, friend, coach, or someone you trust with you to your appointment, especially if it is early on in your diagnosis. It can be helpful to have a second pair of ears to ask questions, process information, or just be there as a support system. 

If you know of an athlete that has an autoimmune disease, know that it can be very isolating. The best thing you can do for them is ask them questions. It can be very difficult for athletes with an autoimmune disease to verbalize what they are going through out of fear of being misunderstood, treated differently, or from an overall feeling of being overwhelmed. By asking questions about what they go through and how you can help them, you are giving them control in how best to fit their needs, as everybody's preferences are a little different. Even if they decline your help, researching their illness or checking in on them from time to time can make all the difference in their mental and emotional health. Having an open line of communication, however different that may look from person to person, is very helpful when it comes to the care and management of an autoimmune disease for your child, athlete, or teammate.