What to Do During a Flare-Up: Mind-Body Coping Tools That Work

Katie Potratz
Jun 16
4 min read

Living with a chronic illness means becoming intimately familiar with the ups and downs of your body—and flare-ups are often the hardest part. One moment you’re feeling relatively okay, and the next, you're hit with crushing fatigue, pain, inflammation, brain fog, or digestive issues that stop everything in its tracks.

These flare-ups can feel unpredictable and frustrating—but there are ways to support yourself through them, especially when you learn to work with your mind and nervous system.

In this post, we’ll explore mind-body coping tools that offer real autoimmune flare-up relief and help you feel more in control, even on the hardest days.

What’s Really Happening During a Flare-Up?

Whether you're dealing with autoimmune disease, fibromyalgia, or another chronic condition, a flare-up usually involves a spike in inflammation, stress, and nervous system activation.

Your body may feel like it’s under attack—from the inside. Pain increases. Fatigue becomes overwhelming. Your brain might go foggy or anxious.

Why?

Because the nervous system is often in “fight or flight” mode during a flare-up, and when that stress state is prolonged, it contributes to more pain, tension, and immune activation.

The key? Gently shifting your body back into a state of safety.

Nervous System Soothers: Chronic Pain Flare Tools That Work

When you’re in the thick of a flare, your first goal is to calm your nervous system and reduce the internal alarm signals. Here are a few mind-body tools you can turn to that are gentle, effective, and backed by science:

1. Grounding Techniques

Try the 5-4-3-2-1 method: Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. This simple tool pulls your mind out of fear and brings you into the present moment.

Use cold or warm sensations—like holding an ice cube or using a heating pad—to bring awareness back to the body in a soothing way.

2. Breathwork for Stress Relief

Your breath is one of the fastest ways to shift your physiology.

Try 4-7-8 breathing (inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8) or box breathing (inhale-hold-exhale-hold for 4 counts each).Even a few minutes can lower cortisol, slow your heart rate, and ease discomfort.

3. Self-Hypnosis or Guided Hypnotherapy

When you're dealing with a chronic illness, stress can often make symptoms worse. Hypnotherapy and self-hypnosis are powerful mind-body techniques that helps you access deep relaxation and send calming messages to your body.

Visualize your immune system working in harmony. Imagine your body moving toward balance. Guided sessions can reduce pain, ease anxiety, and create a sense of inner safety—key for autoimmune flare-up relief.

4. Gentle Somatic Movement or Tapping

If you’re able to move, try slow stretches, swaying, or even lying down and gently tapping the body. Techniques like EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) can also help release emotional tension and shift the nervous system into a state of ease.

5. Soothing Self-Talk and Reassurance

Your inner voice matters. In the middle of a flare-up, try repeating phrases like:

“This is temporary.”
“My body is communicating, not broken.”
“I have tools to support myself.”

These comfort statements help reduce fear and rewire your subconscious patterns around pain and illness.

What to Avoid During a Flare

Knowing what not to do can be just as important. During a flare, try to avoid:

Overexertion or trying to “push through it.” Rest is essential.
Spiraling into fear or self-blame. Flares aren’t your fault—they’re part of the process.
Skipping meals, hydration, or sleep. These basics make a huge difference.
Comparing today’s symptoms to the past. Healing isn’t linear, and progress can still be happening even when you’re uncomfortable.

Create Your Flare-Up Rescue Plan

The best time to prepare for a flare-up is before it hits. Here’s how to build your own flare-up toolkit so you feel more supported next time symptoms strike:

A calming playlist or pre-recorded hypnotherapy session
A go-to breathwork technique
Comfort items (weighted blanket, heating pad, herbal tea)
A journal and soothing prompts
A list of affirmations and reminders like “I can trust the timing of my healing”

Want help creating yours? Download my Self-Hypnosis Method to get started

The Mindset Shift That Makes the Biggest Difference

Here’s something I tell my clients all the time: A flare-up doesn’t mean you’re going backward.

It means your body is asking for attention, rest, and regulation. With the right tools, you can respond with compassion rather than panic—and that alone changes the healing trajectory.

Final Thoughts: You Have More Power Than You Think

Flares are hard—but you are not powerless. With these chronic pain flare tools and nervous system strategies, you can soften the intensity, speed up recovery, and regain a sense of safety in your body.

And if you're ready for more support, hypnotherapy and Pain Reprocessing Therapy can help you retrain your brain’s response to stress and symptoms, so flares happen less often—and feel less overwhelming when they do.

Want to explore this deeper? Let’s connect for a free consult and create a mind-body plan that works for you.