“Holistic – characterised by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of a disease.”
Psoriasis is not a skin condition. Though many people think this, it is actually a complex chronic autoimmune condition. Our genes or factors within our environment can cause psoriasis. This means psoriasis can affect many parts of your life – not only the visual aspect that appears on the skin.
The best way to help you psoriasis is to work with your doctor to find the most effective treatment for you. But, finding your triggers, ways to de-stress or knowing how to stay motivated can help. Your holistic plan can help to deal with these things and help your psoriasis. Holistic plans are a great way to ensure you are looking after yourself. Despite what your psoriasis is up too. Looking after yourself is so important. Self-care is the buzz word on everyone’s lips right now. Everyone talks about the art of self-care without realising that’s what a holistic plan is. It’s one you do daily and not for the likes on instagram.
Below, I outline simple ways you can make sure you have a holistic plan that works for you. Remember, like psoriasis, holistic plans are individual to you. What works for others, might not work for you and vice versa. These points are what I found works for me and that I implemented into my daily routine.
Diet
We all know that eating healthy is good for us. It’s something that I try to do, but sometimes I slip – hey, I’m only human. I find that my diet has a significant impact on my skin. If I eat rubbish or don’t drink water my skin hates me. It becomes dry, irritated, and I get some super sore acne spots bubbling under the surface.
I always felt slight helpless with my skin. I have acne and psoriasis and despite lots of prescription medication to help both with no luck. I started to wonder if my diet could be having an impact and decided to go to a nutritionist for some advice.
After some testing and keeping a food diary, we discovered I was dairy intolerant. Since I have removed dairy from my diet, I have found that my skin has improved. My skin is not as dry, and my acne flare-ups are less frequent. I still have a psoriasis but it’s no where near as bad. From time to time, I will still get a slight flare of acne, but the spots are nowhere near as intense or sore as they used to be.
If you think food may be a trigger and are considering cutting out foods ALWAYS see specialist first. It is unhealthy to cut out food groups without professional consultation. So, ensure you see a specialist, or you could end up causing more damage to your body than doing good!
Environment
The environment around you can affect your skin. You might discover that your skin can become distressed during certain times of the year. It might be cold, damp winters that make irritation worse and plenty of sunlight gives you relief. Or, you might be like me and find that sunlight and heat make your psoriasis worse as well as the cold.
Whatever causes the irritation or relief, protecting your skin is so important. Ensure you wrap up when going out into the cold and have lots of suncream on when enjoying the sunshine. Sunburn and psoriasis are not friends, trust me.
Stress
Stress can be a significant factor in many people’s lives and a key trigger for psoriasis. Finding ways to deal with stress and how to handle stressful situations can help in so many ways. This is why it’s such an important part in your holistic plan.
I’ve found exercise, and in particular yoga, as well as meditation to be great in helping me to destress. I (try to) do yoga at least twice a week to help reduce stress. It’s helped me in so many ways other than de-stressing. I love yoga and believe it’s so important to find an exercise or way to de-stress that you love! If you don’t love it, you’ll not enjoy it, find it a chore and cause yourself even more stress.
What will you be doing to improve or create your holistic plan?
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