10 Ways to be Happy Despite Chronic Illness Stress creates anxiety, anxiety increases pain, pain increases stress. Stress, anxiety, and pain decrease happiness. It’s the circle we live in when we live with chronic illness, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s so easy for me to get caught in that … [Read more...]
Extra Spoons and Inspiration
These posts contain little tips and inspiration to help you gain an "extra spoon" or two. Many with invisible illness call themselves "spoonies" in reference to The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino. The idea is that we equate our energy levels to spoons, when our energy levels are low, we need spoons. These posts are meant to help you increase your energy (whether mental or physical), and therefore your spoons.
It’s time to focus on your own story
I received an email from a friend recently about how she'd run across a great success story on Facebook. A woman who had been bed-bound from Fibro had found ways to improve her health (including exercise) and was ready to run a 5k. You go girl (the only time I'm running is if something is chasing … [Read more...]
Life Gets Overwhelming Sometimes
I don't know about you but for me life gets overwhelming sometimes. There is so much you want to do and often so much you need to do that it can feel like it will never happen. At least that’s how it is for me. This summer I’ve been feeling overwhelmed a lot, between keeping up with writing, plus … [Read more...]
At the Risk of Being Vulnerable
Being vulnerable (or rather the inability to be) is probably one of my greatest weaknesses. There is a great risk in being vulnerable; one that I've taken in the past with very bad consequences so it makes me shy of taking that risk again. I'm not very open about myself, even with those I would … [Read more...]
The Keys to Recovery
Julie Holiday (aka @MECFSSelfHelpGuru ) shared a great post on Prohealth recently about the Keys to Recovery. In sharing stories of those who have recovered she's found a few simple ways these stories have overlapped. I go back and forth over whether I'm willing to say I'm "recovered" from … [Read more...]
10 beliefs to help you overcome negativity
Negativity often overwhelms me. I see it everywhere, I hear it everywhere. I try to avoid it as much as possible. I don't watch or listen to talking heads or news programs, I avoid people that are stuck in the negative rut. But, sometimes it can't be avoided. Sometimes, the place I hear the most … [Read more...]
A-Z Blogger Survey
I ran across this survey over on Chronically Kristin's blog, so I thought I'd have some fun with it and share a little bit more about myself at the same time. Plus I'm crazy busy with school this month (one of those crazy 4 week classes) so it's making it harder to keep up with my blogging schedule, … [Read more...]
Handling Negative People
Negative people are everywhere. There are those that will find the negatives in any idea, the "yeah but" people, and those who just can't seem to win for their own fear. It's that last group that gets my goat the worst. I've always been a "make it work" kind of person. If you tell me a problem I'm … [Read more...]
Choose Your Own Adventure
When we think of life with chronic illness we don't often think of having a choice. We are stuck with this illness, we didn't choose it. If we could choose, we certainly wouldn't choose to be sick, we wouldn't choose the uncertainty that comes with chronic illness. But, we do have choices and a … [Read more...]
Time to stop surviving
I died at the age of 34. I was dead for three years but no one buried me. I'm thankful for that, because at the age of 37 I came back to life. Too often we spend our lives just surviving, just waiting for tomorrow. It's time to stop surviving and start living. My friend Jessica over at … [Read more...]
