Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 6832 msfocusmagazine.org visit with friends, I just need to use my creativity and find ways to do it differently,” may help lessen these feelings. • Focus on your strengths. Another trap we can find ourselves in is focusing on all the things we don’t do well. Try taking note of your strengths, instead. For example, you may not be great at remembering people’s names or going on lengthy holiday shopping expeditions, but you might sing Christmas carols with gusto or make terrific holiday cookies. Make a list of your strengths and ways that you can contribute, and look at it when you’re feeling discouraged. • Increaseyourawareness of the present moment. If you find yourself feeling distressed, you may bestuckworryingaboutapastnegativeexperience or what someone may think if you say or do the “wrong thing.” Mindfulness, a skill that focuses on the here-and-now, can be practiced by“anchoring” yourself to the present. Life with MS Mindfulness Exercise Take note of five things in your current environment using each of the five senses (taste, touch, hear, smell, and see). * What do you see right now? ___________________________________________________________ * What do you hear? ___________________________________________________________________ * Can you feel the clothes on your body? _________________________________________________ * What do you smell? ___________________________________________________________________ * What do you taste?_____________________________________________________________________ Practice this when you’re not distressed, so that you can eventually use the skill effectively when you are nervous or upset. MY STRENGTHS