Don’t skimp on sleep. Sleep is not a luxury—it’s essential to your physical and mental well-being. When you sleep, your body is hard at work regenerating and repairing itself. But sleep can be hard to come by when you have RA.
To get you into a healthy sleep rhythm, establish a sleep schedule: Every day, go to bed and wake up at the same time. Aim to sleep 8 hours every night. If you have trouble winding down, take a warm bath, do some deep breathing, or meditate to signal your body to calm down.
You can also talk to your doctor about other ways to help you sleep: You may need a sleeping medication to help you fall asleep and stay asleep.
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet. Basing your diet on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, is important, but is it enough? In addition to eating these healthy foods, try adding foods that contain omega-3s, such as salmon and olive oil. These foods have an anti-inflammatory effect-eating them can lower overall inflammation levels in your body.
Learn how to manage your stress. Stress can exacerbate RA symptoms, so that’s why you need to find ways that work to manage it. There are numerous stress management techniques. Some common ones are deep breathing and meditation.
Dedicate some time every day to do something you really enjoy: It could be painting or writing in a journal. Just do whatever it takes to relieve your stress in a healthy way.