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If you’re living with a relapsing form of multiple sclerosis (MS), you’re probably accustomed to anticipating, managing, and trying to prevent flares. This may take trial and error, since what works for one person may not apply to another. MyMSTeam member Jenny Gattone talked to us about how she practices self-care to manage her flares.

Jenny is a screenwriter with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). She lives in the Los Angeles area with her Maine coon cat, Curry.

Tracking Her Triggers

After receiving her MS diagnosis, Jenny began to track what triggered her flares so she could determine how to remedy them in the future. “If I was too hot, too cold, too hungry, too thirsty, I would flare up. But if I fixed it, I was OK,” she said.

It’s common for MS symptoms to worsen if it’s hot or humid — and even if it’s too cold. Maintaining an optimal body temperature helps some people with the condition prevent these types of flares.

“I joked with my roommates, my friends, and my coworkers that MS had turned me into Goldilocks,” Jenny said. “I had to be perfectly fine in order to not flare up.”

She developed what she calls her “Goldilocks checklist” to navigate her triggers and manage them. This requires her to listen to her body and respond swiftly if she notices one of her triggers present.

“If I’m too hot, then I put on warmer clothing. If I’m too cold, I either take clothing off, put on cooler clothing, or put the air conditioner on. If I’m hungry, I eat, and if I’m thirsty, I drink water. If I’m too tired, I lie down. … It’s a self-care system to try and keep me feeling OK.”

Adding and Removing Triggers

Jenny’s lifestyle adjustments not only include adding routines to her life that will cut down on relapses — they also include removing triggers from her life as well.

For instance, she’s careful not to overexert herself when she’s exercising, because if she does, she‘ll experience cognitive symptoms that require her to head home from work so she can rest. Leaving work means she misses out on income, so she aims to combat this by anticipating her energy levels and avoiding overexertion.

“My words of encouragement for people living with MS is to come up with your own version of the Goldilocks checklist,” she said. “Find your own way of saying, ‘OK, I feel a little off. How do we fix it?’”

Find Your Team

On MyMSTeam, the social network for people with multiple sclerosis and their loved ones, more than 210,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share their stories with others who understand life with MS.

How do you practice self-care? What would be on your self-care checklist? Share your story and tips in the comments below or by posting on MyMSTeam.

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When Jenny began navigating the diagnosis process, she started keeping a diary of her symptoms to show to the specialists she saw.

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In addition to taking her medications regularly, Jenny began exercising by walking and doing high-intensity interval training. “I like to hit MS from as many sides as possible.”

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