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You Cannot Separate Your Brain From Your Body

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1671726148340{border-radius: 15px !important;}”]What affects your body also impacts your brain and vice versa. Physical wellness and mental wellness go hand-in-hand. Did you know that research shows that mental health practices such as mindfulness can lower inflammation? This is just one of the many discoveries researchers are making as they look at how our brains and bodies work together to promote health and wellness. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_row_inner content_placement=”middle” gap=”30″ css=”.vc_custom_1670519737461{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #773268 !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc4xh1RsjEE” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1670451823240{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1676580572668{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 20px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;}”]

Mental Health & Mindfulness Resources

Click on the links below to access the resources.

Self-directed and self-paced Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey Guidebook.
Helpful videos for each chapter in the guidebook.
Videos on Mental Health and Vasculitis
Guided Meditation
Setting Boundaries
Window of Tolerance

These resources were developed by VOV ambassadors, who, like you, navigate their lives while living with vasculitis.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row disable_element=”yes”][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#4f256e”][vc_column_text]

Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey Interactive Course

Application Deadline September 8, 2023

Stacey Ivits, a social worker living with vasculitis and the author of the guidebook Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey, is offering a six-week virtual, live learning opportunity to explore the lessons in her guidebook together.

Navigating the mental, physical, and emotional aspects of a new vasculitis diagnosis can be overwhelming. By taking this free course, you’ll explore tools you can implement to help you as you navigate life with a chronic illness. In exchange, you’ll help us hone this program for future participants. Your feedback means future newly diagnosed people will have the support and resources they need at a time when it can feel like they’re lost in a haze of new information and a new way of living.

*Note: Stacey will be seeking to train future facilitators for this program. Taking this course makes you eligible (if interested) for consideration as a Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey course facilitator.

The purpose of this course is to:

Give participants opportunities to ask clarifying questions about the information and activities presented in the guidebook as they work through the guidebook.
Help Stacey and the Vasculitis Foundation refine the content of the Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey guidebook.
- As participants complete sections of the guidebook they will be asked to provide feedback as to the usefulness of the guidebook content in helping someone to successfully navigate a vasculitis diagnosis.
- Course participants will be asked to give input on additional content that might be helpful for someone who has recently received a diagnosis of vasculitis.

Details:

Meetings will be held on Tuesdays at 12:30 pm CDT (10:30 am PDT, 11:30 am MDT, 1:30 pm EDT).
The course will run October 10-November 14
Participants will be asked to complete a phone or Zoom interview with Stacey prior to September 22.
Participants will complete a pre-course learning agreement and a post-course feedback survey.
Personal health information will not be collected or shared during this course.

Eligibility:

Be able to attend the weekly live Zoom meeting throughout the 6-week course.
Participants must be able to speak, read, and write in English.
Have a diagnosis of vasculitis.
Be 18 years of age or older.

To Apply:

Please complete and submit the following questionnaire:

Navigating Your Vasculitis Journey Hopes and Goals Questionnaire

Participant Selection Will Be Based On:

Completion and submission of questionnaire.
Availability and commitment to attend the course dates.
Then by lottery for available spaces.

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You can download and print just the forms you need to complete the activities in the guidebook by selecting FORMS below.

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Navigating Your Journey Guidebook

“As a patient with vasculitis I know that there can be an overwhelming number of things to do, information to learn, and appointments to keep to manage health and wellness effectively. As I’ve been living with vasculitis for the past 20 years, I have often wished for a guidebook to help me make my way through all of it. So here I bring together many strategies to help you get organized and plan the next steps in your health journey. This guidebook may not make everything better and it won’t change your diagnosis. However, my hope is that it helps you to find your own way to embrace life, with vasculitis along for the ride.” – Stacey Ivits

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Working Through the Guidebook

[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner css=”.vc_custom_1670459977578{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/bc4xh1RsjEE” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1670526123452{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/dx7twul06uE” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1670526171452{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/JKSYeUg2CRo” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1670526236829{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/YWRRV6qlljE” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1670526266490{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/cmSuB00SnNQ” align=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1670526286083{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;}”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#4f256e”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1676580476542{background-color: #dbd0e2 !important;}” el_id=”Settingboundaries”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1676482392043{background-color: rgba(225,224,226,0.31) !important;*background-color: rgb(225,224,226) !important;}”][vc_column_text]

Setting Boundaries

Knowing how to set boundaries is an important skill for everyone, but it is especially important when you are living with a weakened immune system.

**Check out A Guide to Setting Boundaries if You’re a People Pleaser from our friends at the Global Healthy Living Foundation.**

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#4f256e”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1676580459664{background-color: #e8e8e8 !important;}” el_id=”Windowoftolerance”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1796477″ img_size=”large” title=”Window of Tolerance Graphic from mi-psych.com.au”][vc_column_text]The Window of Tolerance theory is based on the work of clinical psychiatrist, Dan Siegel. Interested in learning more?

Online Resources:

Emotion Regulation 101: Your Window of Tolerance

Mindfulness and the Window of Tolerance

Book: Widen the Window: Training your Brain and Body to Thrive During Stress and Recover from Trauma by Elizabeth Stanley

Podcast: Widening the Window of Tolerance

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Why is this bothering me?

Understanding Your Window of Tolerance

All of us have a window of tolerance – the zone where we can deal with the stresses of life without becoming upset or checking out. Just like windows come in different sizes, the size of our individual windows of tolerance vary. Some people naturally have a larger window of tolerance than others, and outside factors can also influence our window of tolerance. Things like being hungry or in pain may shrink your window of tolerance; while being on vacation or listening to relaxing music may expand your window of tolerance. Here are some quick tips that might help you get yourself “back in the zone” when you have been pushed outside your window of tolerance.

If you are experiencing hyperarousal (anger/panic) try:

Deep Breathing
Soothing Music
Exercise
Warm Shower
Weighted Blanket

If you are experiencing hypoarousal (depressed/withdrawn) try:

Mindfulness
Dancing
Upbeat Music
Creating-music, art, cooking, building
Laughter-watch funny videos or your favorite comedy

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”Mentalhealthvideos”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/U8TUdm0qdxU”][vc_column_text]We all know how vasculitis can affect us physically, but we’re not always prepared how it may affect us emotionally. In this segment, Dana DeMoulin, LCSM, Sara Baird Amodio, MSW, EdD, and webinar host, Kathy Olevsky, talk about how a diagnosis can impact our emotional well-being.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/wW58WgIckNE”][vc_column_text]

Vasculitis can be a life-changing event because of what it takes away from the patient. There can be a loss of physical or athletic ability, one’s sense of identity, or being more vulnerable to a global health crisis such as COVID-19. In this webinar, Kathy Olevsky and Sara Amodio talk about facing these issues, but also finding solutions or strategies to overcome these challenges.

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/IyxB_oevQE4″][vc_column_text]In this final part of the webinar series about emotional health and vasculitis the discussion turns to another source of possible stress–telling your story and how that can impact your emotions. Also, how caregivers are susceptible to stress as they care for a loved one with vasculitis. Finally, some common-sense strategies are offered to deal with the mental and emotional challenges[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row el_id=”Meditation”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/y5SgtJIa9cY”][vc_column_text]In this webinar, psychotherapist, Lynn Valencic, shares some powerful coping strategies to maintain one’s response to stress.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y6lPcWjkY6o”][vc_column_text]Lynn Valencic, a psychotherapist, takes us on a short, guided body scan meditation exercise to reduce the impact of stress on our mind and body.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/gXXgQHnbJiI?si=_zylNiBPnZx7o_Z3″][vc_column_text] Join Molly, a certified somatic educator, in a session designed to support feeling better in the bodies we have right now![/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Slide Presentation” color=”VOVPurple” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fvasc.avallohosting.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F09%2FSomaYoga-with-Molly-McManus-Vasculitis-Foundation-Webinar-9.18.23.pdf”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_separator color=”custom” accent_color=”#4f256e”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1670461608922{margin-top: 35px !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”1795447″ img_size=”large”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1671817356697{border-radius: 15px !important;}”]

“We are stronger

in the places

we have been broken.”

— Ernest Hemingway

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Thank you to our Victory Over Vasculitis sponsor

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We’d love to hear your story. Share your Victory Over Vasculitis.

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These resources are for you. Let us know what other mental health and mindfulness information you’d like to see.

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