Art can soothe the soul, but sometimes it taxes an already stressed body. Here’s how I keep my art/health balance intact:

1. Medicine

Obviously, the most important thing is to consult with your doctor and make sure that your treatment regimen is right for you and working the best way it can. Only you and your physician can determine what is and isn’t working, so it’s always good to check in with them when something is not longer sufficient.

 2. Meditation

A healthy mind is as important as a healthy body, and stress can negatively impact your physical health just as readily as an injury will. When the stresses of life leave me feeling drained and overwhelmed and unsure how to continue, I refocus, recenter, and breathe.

3. Heat (Or Cold!)

Depending on the type of ailment, sometimes a heating pad or an ice pack can be just the ticket. In the right conjunction, these items can dismiss persistent headaches, soothe aching joints, or relieve us of any number of distracting pains that keep us from our artwork. Dressing for the weather doesn’t hurt either, but is of course not the same.

4. Rest

This is the easiest to prescribe but the hardest to follow through on. As much as we value determination, there are many occasions when pushing through simply isn’t the right call. There will be times when you just need to take the day off from your art, because your body isn’t up to the task. That’s okay, and it’s important not to be too hard on yourself when that happens. It can be hard to let go of the idea that we’re going to finally finish that big knitting project, but if arthritis is making your hands hurt and your medication is no relief, then setting it aside and snuggling under the blankets is a perfectly acceptable, and even recommended, course of action.