Living with MS is not easy. This disease causes more depression than Cancer. Your body is hurting itself. It doesn’t make sense.

MS can rob you of your mobility, dexterity and strength. Everyday tasks take longer, and become more difficult to do.

I recently dropped a bread tie on my kitchen floor. When I went to pick it up, my fingers started shaking. I could not form a pinch motion. Meanwhile, because I was bent over, my knees wanted to buckle and go inwards. It took me what seemed like an absurd amount of time before I was finally able to pick it up off the floor.

Sometimes you just need to take a breath.

Getting dressed can become difficult. I used to be able to stand and put on my pants. Now with my balance out the window, I’m forced to sit. Getting my legs into the holes of my pants is a whole other challenge. Sometimes my legs don’t do what I want them to. I tell them to move and they ignore me. What an able bodied person does without thinking, can take us way longer. It can get so frustrating.

The normal, everyday things that most people don’t even give a second thought, can become exhausting and daunting when your mobility, dexterity and strength are taken away.

Sometimes you just need to take a breath. Literally.

Close your eyes and breathe. Inhale deeply. Hold for a few seconds. Exhale slowly. Do this over and over until you feel your frustration start to diminish. You’re resetting your mindset. Calming your chi.

If you struggle with the everyday, like many of us do living with this disease, be kind to yourself. Remember, sometimes you just need to take a breath.