Stress and eczema

We often feel stressed when we are faced with things we think we can’t manage. The first step is to spot what is making you stressed. This may be an issue that comes up from time to time, like going to a doctor or nurse appointment. Or it may be an ongoing stressful situation, like taking exams.

Once you know which situations make you stressed, you can look at ways to make these easier.

Try to notice when you start to feel stressed. The sooner you notice, the quicker you can do something about it.

It may help to write down when you feel stressed. Was it at a certain time of day? What was the situation? How did you feel? What did you do to cope? How did it work out?

Thinking about this can help get a fresh perspective on your situation. It can also help you spot when and where you get stressed or worried.

It is often tempting to hide away from people, places, and tasks that make life difficult.

Removing yourself from the situation may make you feel better for a short time – but the sources of stress will never go away unless you confront them.

For example, if your stress is because you are finding it difficult to get control of your eczema, try tackling the stress by going to see the doctor, nurse or pharmacist to discuss your treatments.

Taking control of a situation can help you feel less stressed. It can be good for your general wellbeing too.

Planning your time can make you feel more in control and better able to handle difficult situations.

• Spot your best time of day. Do the important tasks that need the most energy and focus at that time. For example, you might be a morning person or an evening person.
• Make a list of the things you have to do. This might include putting on creams. Put the most important things at the top, and the least important at the bottom. Try to do the most important and urgent things first.

Set goals that are small and can easily be met. When you are stressed, it’s easy to set yourself big goals that are difficult to achieve. It can make you feel more stressed if you don’t meet your goals. Small and easy goals can make you feel more in control.

Taking steps to look after your body can help you look after your mind.

• Get plenty of sleep. Things can feel worse when we are tired. The smallest of tasks can feel too much. Getting more sleep can help you deal with difficult situations.
• Get active. Being active is good for your body and mind. Even a 10 minute walk can make you feel much calmer.
• Eat healthy. What you eat and when you eat can make a big difference to how you feel. It’s tempting to skip meals or eat the wrong kind of foods when you are stressed. But this can make you feel even more tired, down, and easily annoyed.

• Forgive yourself when you feel you have made a mistake or don’t meet your goals. Nobody is perfect and putting extra pressure on yourself doesn’t help.
• Accept the things you can’t change. There are lots of things that we can take control of. But there are also some things that are outside of your control. Understanding this will help you focus your time and energy in ways that are more useful.
• Reward yourself for the things you do well. Even the small things, like washing your hands with moisturising creams, instead of soap. Treat yourself to a good book or play your favourite computer game. Or simply tell yourself ‘well done’.

Talk to your family and friends – often just telling the people who are closest to you how you are feeling can make a big difference.

Your doctor or nurse can also help point you to resources and support that you might find helpful, such as talking therapies.

In the ‘other resources’ section, you can find out more about helplines and support groups for families of people with eczema. You can get to this section from the ‘more about treatments’ menu above. Taking steps to look after your body can help you look after your mind.

Learning to relax is a great way to calm your worries and help our body and mind recover from everyday rush and stress.

Relaxation can help you:

• feel less tired
• sleep better
• stop scratching by distracting yourself
• feel more confident
• feel better able to deal with difficult situations

Some people can relax by listening to music, reading a book, having a long soak in the bath, or going for a walk in the park. But, it’s not so easy for others.

Learning to relax takes practice, as with any new skill. The next page will give you some relaxation techniques you can practice at home.

We know it can be hard to find the time to practice relaxation. So you’ll also find some tips for quick relaxation below that you can use wherever you are.