Handling Bad Days with Psoriasis

Everyone has days when they don’t feel like doing much. When the call of lounging around and staying in-doors is more appealing than anything else. It’s perfectly understandable. But, psoriasis presents its own challenges when it comes to having an ‘off day’.

Having one bad day is okay, but if it’s persistent, it may be a sign of a more pressing mental health condition and you should seek medical advice.

So, when you’re feeling down and having a bad day, how can you make yourself feel better?

Accept how you’re feeling on your bad days

For one, the itchiness of the condition can make you feel down in the dumps. The look of the lesions on your skin can make you feel unattractive and unwanted. Finally, the pain from the condition when it bleeds or when it rubs on your clothing can make you feel depressed.

Once you recognize and accept your feelings, the rest can come to a lot easier. We all have down days and times when we feeling like doing very little, and with a chronic condition, that’s likely to be the case more often than not.

Air your frustrations with your psoriasis community

A problem shared is a problem halved. If your psoriasis is making you feel down, have a chat with someone close to you or somebody you trust to listen to you. Sometimes just airing frustrations can help – and living with psoriasis can be a constant frustration!

Cope through relaxation

When you wind down from work or if it’s the weekend, consider doing something relaxing. Watch TV, go for a walk or settle down in bed. All these things can help to take your mind off how you’re feeling so it can pass you by without any difficulty.

A nice bath is something that can be extremely relaxing. Just feeling the water on your body and in-between your toes can take your mind off things (equally though this method could remind you of your psoriasis so it may not be for everyone).

Visit a new place

There’s nothing like getting out and about and exploring somewhere new – and I mean completely new. If you’re feeling down consider going on a trip to somewhere you’ve never visited before. It doesn’t have to be far away, but it should be somewhere you haven’t been previously. Visiting somewhere completely new can take your mind off things and help engage you in a new setting with new activities and sights to see. When I’ve had a down day and it’s been the weekend, I sometimes book train tickets to go into the national park near me, and that can be of great help.

Treat your psoriasis self

Life is too short not to have many happy moments and doing the things you want to do. Treating yourself, buying that item of clothing you’ve seen online, or going to see friends at a local café – are all things which can help steer the mind from one topic to another. It’s important to stay motivated and joyful and treating yourself can provide strides towards doing that.

The bad day is just a day

No matter how you decide to spend your off day, just remember that everybody (even those without psoriasis) have these days. It’s perfectly normal. Try and spend it in a way that will make you feel happier or will help you relax until it passes. Remember that living with a chronic illness is hard and many people don’t or can’t understand how you’re feeling. But, that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want to listen or try to understand.

Be open, be happy and continue being you. This day will pass and tomorrow will lead on to brighter and better days.