Comfort Through Hepatitis C and Liver Disease

When dealing with hepatitis C and liver disease, there are many ways that we can receive comfort and joy. Your life is more than hepatitis C and liver disease.

Focusing on what is good in your life despite hepatitis C and liver disease helps reduce stress and anxiety while also bringing you comfort and joy. What gives you joy, comfort, and peace? Some things may include faith, family, friends, pets, hobbies, exercise (like walking, yoga, etc.), travel, and helping others.

Benefits from comfort and joy

The benefits you can receive from comfort and joy go beyond pleasure. They can bring physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits as well. These benefits may include:

• Physical benefits: Can help lower blood pressure and help with better sleep. It can stimulate brain chemicals which helps boost the immune system.
• Emotional and mental benefits: Helps reduce stress and anxiety.
• Spiritual benefits: Helps reduce fear. Instills Hope. It can help increase faith and courage. It can increase spiritual strength and perseverance.

Benefits of gratitude and thankfulness

There are tremendous benefits in focusing on what we are grateful and thankful for. Gratitude and thankfulness help us shift our focus from what is negative or bad to what is good and helpful in our lives.

Great joy and peace are gained by practicing daily thankfulness. Highlighting all the small and big things we have that are good in our lives, helps us realize we have a lot more going for us than not.

Ways to practice gratitude

Some ways to practice gratitude include:

• Journaling: Write down 10 things you are thankful for each day
• Expressing daily gratitude to others by telling them something you’re thankful for in them or a small note of thanks or a thoughtful gift
• Keeping a gratitude jar or box: Write a daily gratitude note and place it in a jar or box

Avoid what is harmful

As beneficial as concentrating on the sources of comfort and joy, avoid what is harmful to your body and liver. Your doctor may recommend avoiding:

• Alcohol of any type
• Harmful drugs
• Exposure to toxic chemicals, pollutants
• Smoking, even second-hand smoke
• Processed and unhealthy foods
• Overindulgence in food, spending, or activities that are out of a healthy balance or healthy boundaries for your life
• High stress, anxiety, and fear
• Dwelling on negative, depressing thoughts

Focusing on what brings comfort and joy is a daily healthy step with great benefits. Your life is more than hepatitis C and liver disease. Focus on daily joy, my friend. You’re worth it!