11 Things Those With Chronic Illness Need to Do
1 . Say No– “Just Say No”, it’s more than a slogan. Unfortunately, it’s an ability that many of us simply don’t seem to have. One issue that many of us with Fibro have is that we’ve said yes to everything our whole life. We are all a bunch of Ado Annie’s who”Cain’t Say No”. It’s ok to say “No”, you don’t have to be everything to everyone.
2 . Prioritize Your Own Needs – You are important and you need to treat yourself that way. Even if you have to schedule time for yourself in your calendar, do it. Do whatever you have to do to find a way to include time for yourself in every day; even if it’s just taking fifteen minutes to meditate.
3 . Spend Time with the Right People – Who are the people who make you happy? The people who give you energy, not the ones who take it away. These are the people who you need to spend time with and that you should be spending time with. Find a way to make that happen.
4 . Accept Yourself As You Are – Your life has changed, it’s time to accept it. Once you’ve taken time to grieve what you’ve lost, it’s time to focus on what you still have and move forward in your new life.
5 . Release the Past – Holding on to the guilt and fear of the past is one of the worst things we can do. So, is getting stuck in the loop of regretting the life you used to have. Get counseling if you need to, but find a way to release the past and move forward.
6 . Live in the Moment – Each moment has something valuable, focus on the beauty in it. When you are limited it is all the more important to take some time, each day, to think about what is still there, and enjoy the little things.
7 . Be Honest – With yourself and with others. Don’t say you feel great or ok when you don’t. No one can help you if they don’t know you need help, and they’ll never know if you always tell them you are good.
8 . Focus on What You Want – We move in the direction of our eyes. If we are looking toward what we actually want in life, we are more likely to get it. Focus on the positive and think happy thoughts, if nothing else it will reduce stress.
9 . Control the Things You Can, Let Go of the Rest – You can’t control everything, so only worry about the things you can control. Whether it’s your diet, taking time to rest, spending time with family, focus on the things you can do to make yourself feel better. If you can’t control it, let it go.
10. Ask for Help – Rarely do people help others without being asked first. Don’t let your pride get in the way of getting the help you need. Whether it’s a friend to watch your children for a day, a ride to the doctor because you just can’t drive that day, or just a hug from a friend, don’t be afraid to ask.
In addition to asking for help, you also need to learn to accept help when it is offered. For some reason Help for ourselves is the one time we are more than willing and able to say “No”, and the one time we need to learn to say “Yes”.
11. Be Grateful – Above all else, be grateful. Be grateful for the small things, and the big things. Be grateful for the life you had and the life you will still have. Be grateful for the time you had with things you may have lost, and be grateful for the things that can never be taken away.
Hmm… It seems like many a few of these can be summed up with that last one. Be grateful for the little things and the big things, even for the pain because without it would not appreciate the wonderful days when we feel great.
Be grateful for all things big and small, even the pain. It gives us more appreciation of the good days. Share on XDo you have any suggestions for things that we should remember to do? Which one of these do you have the hardest time doing? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
I hope you found this post inspirational and helpful. Here are a few other posts that you might enjoy.
- 16 Things We Need to STOP Doing
- 8 Things the Chronically Ill Need to Know
- 10 Ways to Distract Yourself from Pain
- 6 Things We Wish Healthy People Could Understand
- 10 Things You Should Never Say to Someone with Fibromyalgia
Doreen Bell says
I’m living with pain from fibromyalgia, ulcerative colitis, osteoarthritis. I also have memory and cognitive issues from Covid.
I work full time in a multi faceted and detailed position. I only have 8 months to go until I can retire. I hope I can make it.
I’m so happy to have found this page. It’s going to help me reach my goal of retirement and beyond!
Thank you for the self care information.
Laura says
I have chronic pain because of arthritis and dystonia-think of constant charley horses in all areas of body and that’s kind of what dystonia is. Two words are my new mantra: Moderation and management. I used to wait until the pain was relatively bad before taking Tylenol. Now I take it on a schedule so it’s in me before pain gets to bad.
Thanks for your list. Very helpful.
Donna Estridge says
Hi Julie! I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, TMJ, diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. I use to have migraine headaches. They started out of the blue, and after a few months, they abruptly vanished. I am glad that I experienced them for that short time.because I can totally empathize with anyone whose head hurts so badly that you have to go to bed, any light at all feels like an ice pick in your eyes so you.cover your face with a pillow and any sound seems to be amplified to the point that you feel your head could explode! I am 63 years old, and I have never been told that I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but I am chronically fatigued. As I get older, the fibromyalgia seems to keep finding additional areas to affect, but as soon as I feel it, I take a tiny gelatin capsule of CBD oil, and the pain is gone within 20 minutes or so. I also give a tiny couple of drops of the canine version to my beloved long-haired Jack Russell, Charlie for his hip pain, and within just a few minutes he goes from hobbling around to running around and throwing his toys in the air. Neither my CBD oil nor Charlie’s has THC, so there is no high affect, and it is legal in all 50 states. Thanks for your blog! It is great to read what other sufferers have to say!
Julie says
Hi Donna. As you’ve read my blog a bit I’m sure you’ve seen that I’m just as big a fan of CBD oil. It has changed my life where sleep is concerned (which has affected everything else – reducing fatigue and pain). I still have bad days, no doubt – usually following doing way too much, and even occasional bad nights. But, overall so much better. Keep doing what works! What brand of oils are you using?
Claire says
I LOVE your blog 🙂 It is informative, inspirational and raising awareness of invisible illnesses. I only started blogging in April to try and stay positive about living life with Fibromyalgia.
http://clairescomfycorner.com/
Keep smiling 🙂
Claire
x
Julie says
Thanks. It can be hard to stay positive at times, but we can do it!
Veronique says
Hi Julie,
This is the pin that lead me to your blog. Saying No has been a huge lesson for me (and an ongoing one). I’ve gradually learned that one has to be able to say No before we can begin to say Yes. At least, it creates the space for me to keep going inside to learn what it is that I truly want for me, and not to please others or help others feel good or not ruffle someone else’s feathers and the list goes on… Here’s to the ongoing practice of trusting ourselves and letting No have an important place in our lives.
Julie says
Absolutely! I come from a long line of YES-Women, who feel the need to say yes to anything they are asked, at their own expense, putting everyone else first. I’m all for helping others, but we have to help ourselves in order to have anything to give. Of course, part of that is learning to say No to ourselves, as well.
I’m glad you found your way here, I look forward to getting to know you better.
Debb says
HI, Julie, I have been diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, degenerative disc disease, osteoarthritis, Chrohn’s & herniated discs at L4/L5 & L5/S1. I read the entire about people questioning the use of spoon theory. I wanted to tell you that after 10 years of fighting, I had finally found a way to get friends & especially family to understand, to ‘get it’, at least to some extent. But, it was a beginning, & finally people would stop & think before expecting me to do, or go to, everything they wanted me to! It was & is a great place to start the conversation. It is a simple, visual way to give people who don’t understand a glimpse into a day in the life of someone with an invisible disease/illness/condition. I spent many years sucking it up & doing things that I knew at the time were going to hurt me in the long run, just so I wouldn’t rock the boat or let anyone down, etc., etc. Now, I have others…Spoonies….who I can talk to, listen to, feel comfortable with, etc! I hate being sick but i am proud to be a spoonies!
Julie says
Hi Debb,
The Spoon Theory was that for me, as well. When I first heard it I totally identified with the limited spoons and how each thing I did used one (or more) up. It also helped me share that with my family and friends. I appreciate your comments. I’m not responsible for The Spoon Theory (I wish I could say I was), but I’ll continue to help spread the word.
Tracy Lee Karner says
I love this list. I’m going to link to it in an upcoming blog post of mine —
I’m so glad I found you. It’s hard to find positive helpful blogs about living with chronic illness. So many of them are whiny and self-pitying, which is understandable, but not helpful.
I’d love for you to do a guest post on my blog. Would you please email me so we can discuss it? (our diagnoses are similar; I’m sure my tmj came from orthodontic work).
tracyleekarner (at) gmail (dot) com
Julie says
Thanks Tracy, I’m glad you enjoyed it. Feel free to link to it from your blog.
Rosilene Coelho says
JULIE RYAN, Sou brasileira, tenho FM e USO o GOOGLE tradutor, POIs Meu Inglês E RUIM =)
Criei hum circulo Chamado “fibrofriends” Para podermos ajudar nn, TEMOS necessidade de Menssagens de Otimismo, DICAS e Estratégias de Como driblar como Dores, a Depressão fadiga ea … CADA UM TEM UMA Técnica Diferente Opaco PODE ajudar … Hoje li SUA postagem e Quero transforma-la los hum Quadro parágrafo Localidade: Não esquecer =) adicionei-a AO fibrofriends MEUS =) obrigada e parabéns Pelo esforço Opaco certamente Ajuda a muitos =)
JulieRyan says
I used google translate to translate your message. It’s great to know that I’m reaching and touching so many people, even beyond those who speak my language. Thank you so much.