Practical Guide about PAD

↪ Canadian Foundation for Vascular Health 12 5.2. Lifestyle habits and “negative” emotions Another challenge of adapting to PADmay bemanaging stress/anxiety and other “negative” emotions. It is not possible to make these emotions go away completely and, even if they are considered negative, they are normal and helpful. However, there aremany strategies for better managing them and limiting their negative impacts on quality of life. Healthy lifestylehabits, suchas regular physical activity, sleeping well and good hydration are associated with better health, but they are also beneficial for psychological well-being. Not only do they help towards better physical health, but also better psychological well-being, especially by providing better resistance to negative emotions. For example, not eating as well can make us feel more irritable and less cheerful. Lack of sleep can cause anxiety and a more depressed mood. Aside from changes in lifestyle habits, several strategies can be helpful for better managing these emotions and improving quality of life. For example, getting involved in many areas of our lives (e.g., family, recreation, friends, etc.) can improve our ability to face difficulties. If a problem or difficult situation arises in one of these areas, it is easier to keep a sense of proportion and recharge if we are also involved in other areas. Studies actually show that happier people give priority to areas other than work, such as family. Talking with family/friends, spending time with them and socializing in general is associated with better mental and physical health. Many other strategies can be applied to help better manage PAD, such as problem-solving, some relaxation techniques or changing thoughts which can be harmful to our well- being. They are not covered here, but can be found in other readings (there are a few suggestions at the end of this guide). In short, living with PAD is a major challenge, but also an opportunity to make changes which will improve well-being and quality of life. ↳ Figures 6 : Good lifestyle habits with PAD: physical exercise, sleep and hydration