Building resilience

CNZ Ambassador MORGAN MCKENZIE-MOORE shares how to STAY OPTIMISTIC in the FACE of a COELIAC DIAGNOSIS.

NY LIFE

change will come with challenges and setbacks, and a coeliac diagnosis is a massive life change. Food is a part of our daily life, and changing routines and habits takes a lot of physical and mental work. Research shows that many coeliacs develop anxiety around food and social situations, so it’s important that we learn how to build resiliency and learn to be kind to ourselves when adapting to a coeliac lifestyle.

It’s also important to follow a strict gluten free diet, as committing to living gluten free for life is an important way you can improve both your long term physical and emotional health.

Within the weeks that follow your coeliac diagnosis, it’s easy to feel like there is an overwhelming number of new challenges and changes to your lifestyle that you may not have considered at the time of diagnosis. Something I found extremely useful after reading Dr Simon Knowles, ‘Mind Over Gut’ free online services, is to write down these challenges and brainstorm ways to adapt to

FOOD IS A PART OF OUR DAILY LIFE, AND CHANGING ROUTINES AND HABITS TAKES A LOT OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WORK .

them. As a practical example, perhaps you are going out for dinner for the first time as a new coeliac, and you’ve found that there are little to no dishes, you can eat and the waitstaff have informed you that they can’t guarantee cross-contamination in their kitchen. You might feel embarrassed, upset, even 'hangry'!

Unfortunately, these situations are almost unavoidable for a new coeliac as you aren’t provided with resources and practical tips about living as a coeliac by your doctor. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t learn from these situations or ask for help. Writing down the challenge (not being able to eat out) and brainstorming solutions (calling ahead to the restaurant, looking for coeliac friendly places to eat, keeping a snack on you just in case) will better prepare you for overcoming these setbacks or

How we view adversity and stress strongly affects our ability to adapt.

THE IMPORTANCE of RESILIENCE

Resilience – or resiliency – is our ability to adapt and bounce back when things don't go as planned.

RESILIENT people don't wallow or dwell on challenges or setbacks; they acknowledge and learn from the situation, and then move forward

Even if you're not a naturally resilient person, you can learn with the right support to develop a resilient mindset and attitude that will help you to better cope with the situation. If you are struggling with diagnosis reach out to someone in the coeliac community to get help. You may also find by resetting your mindset and adapting your daily routine that you will see improvements in your thinking.

Learn to relax. When you take care of your mind and body, you are better able to cope effectively with challenges or setbacks. Start by developing a good sleep routine and try to incorporate both regular physical exercise and relaxation techniques, such as meditation or breathing into your daily life.

Practice thought awareness. Resilient people don’t let negative thinking take over. Talk to friends and family or see a health professional if you are having difficulty facing a particular challenge in your diagnosis journey and learn how to reframe disappointments or setbacks into more optimistic thinking. Its okay to ask for help.

If you or someone you care about is struggling with the diagnosis of coeliac disease and need a bit of extra help, don’t hesitate to contact a professional: • Your GP or family doctor • Free text or call ‘1737’ to talk or text with a counsellor (available 24/7) • Lifeline (0800 543 354) to speak with a counsellor (available 24/7).

CNZ is committed to developing more online resources to support early diagnosis,and help those living with coeliac disease better manage the condition. See the videos on our YouTube channel. completely avoiding them in the future.

Staying optimistic about having coeliac disease can be hard at first because what is there to be happy about removing some of your favourite foods from your diet, having to spend significantly more amount of money at the supermarket, and feeling anxious when eating out. But whenever you are feeling upset about having coeliac disease, it’s a good time to check in on how far you’ve come already. These milestones will be personal to you, but for example, something I’m always reminding myself is that my physical health has drastically improved since diagnosis, and that’s something I’m incredibly grateful for.

How we view adversity and stress strongly affects our ability to adapt, and this is one of the most significant reasons that having a resilient mindset is so important. If you are looking for more resources and strategies around managing and thriving with a chronic illness, I would highly recommend looking at Dr Simons Knowles' website mindovergut.com CL

Thank you to Associate Professor Jason Tye-Din for his expert review of mindovergut.com and Mr Stephan Möller for his assistance in writing up this article. For a full list of references please visit coeliac.org.nz

MORGAN MCKENZIE-MOORE

is a gluten free recipe developer and creator of 'How to Coeliac'. She has a passion for food, comedy, and living her best gluten free life.