b'The purpose of having this team is to always be able to meet your critical needs and put your health rst. When you are visiting your healthcare team, do you feel that you are being heard? Are you able to voice your opinions about your treatment decisions? Since the pandemic, just visiting your healthcare team has become a new challengefrom learning how to navigate telehealth to changes in procedures for office visits. In these times, being prepared before seeing your healthcare team can help you understand your treatment plan better. This could look like doing research on the newlyavailabletreatmentsforMSorfindinghowtofinanciallyaffordan in-person trip to your healthcare visit.One of the best ways to stay up-to-date with the latest information on MS is to be a part of the MS community. One of the positives in todays changing world is the ease of access to information and personal connection on the Internet. There are manycommunitieshostingeventsremotely.Fundraisersarenowbeingdone throughout the country without anyone having to be concerned about traveling or exposing themselves to other travelers. There are many new resources available through educational programs, social media support groups, or even podcasts. The hardest part of involving yourself in the MS community is picking from the abundance of resources to nd those that best suit your needs. So, how can you learn to stay grounded and appreciate where you are now, while still being prepared for the future? In this National MS Education and Awareness Month toolkit, we will be discussing ways to assist in keeping you grounded but also nding new ways to prepare you for the upcoming future of MS. Sincerely,The MS Focus Team Your Personal Tools In periods of rapid change, such as the last three years have brought to many of us, it can be helpful to pause and take stock of how we are coping. According to Pearl Werfel, Ph.D., there are three main coping strategies people employ: AvoidantTaking your mind off of the stressor/problem. Works best short-term, not effective long-term. InstrumentalGetting creative; nding a solution, a work around, or adjustment; breaking it into smaller, manageable chunks. PsychologicalRecognizing that you are struggling and may be feeling emotions, and both supporting yourself and getting support from others.Imagine, for example, you are experiencing a new symptom. An avoidant approach might be deciding to go read a book or not thinking about it for a day or two and see if the symptom diminishes. An instrumental approach might be to contact your neurologist or use some symptom management tools you might have learned. Psychological coping could mean realizing the added stress, worry, or fear that this new symptom might be bringing up for you and reaching out to a loved one, a support group, or a psychotherapist. 2'