One thing I am constantly being asked is ‘what do I do all day if I am not working?’. Here is a little insight into my daily life and health management.
This is the time to be slow
So you might not be much of a talker or know much about the medical world, but you want to help someone close to you? Here are a few practical ways to help someone with a chronic condition!
Maybe it’s not about having a beautiful day, but about finding beautiful moments. Maybe a whole day is just too much to ask. I could choose to believe that in every day, in all things, no matter how dark and ugly, there are shards of beauty if I look for them. – Anna White
We are all aware of the mental health campaigns urging us to check in with each other, to start the conversation about someone’s mental health… but do you know how to support and guide them to resources if they say “No, I’m not ok”?. What are the next steps to take? Do you feel confident to have that discussion? Read more about my experience completing the Mental Health First Aid course.
“Do not be afraid of your difficulties. Do not wish you could be in other circumstances than you are. For when you have made the best of an adversity, it becomes the stepping stone to a splendid opportunity.” – H. P. Blavatsky
When chronic conditions start to infiltrate every part of your life, you can feel like you are losing control or have others make all the choices for you. This series is about regaining a bit of control in areas that are manageable and make a huge difference – starting with the online world! Read about how I changed my online experience from taking me for a ride to taking the wheel!
When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower. – Alexander Den Heijer
Let me introduce you to the beautiful human that is Charlie Mackesy and his incredibly empathetic book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox & The Horse. If there was ever a time when we needed Charlie Mackesy’s drawings, it would be over the last year.
“For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out and everything changes. To someone who doesn’t understand growth, it would look like complete destruction.” ― Cynthia Occelli
Most of the time we don’t even realise that we are holding our breath when we are in pain. So when we are in the moment of pain and waiting for it to pass or ease, here are some neat little breathing meditation practices to try to relax our bodies.
Cherish sunsets, wild creatures and wild places. Have a love affair with the wonder and beauty of the earth. – Stewart Udall
Following on from my meditation journey post, I thought I would share some of my favorite meditation apps, teachers and people!
How to stop time: kiss. How to travel in time: read. How to escape time: music. How to feel time: write. How to release time: breathe. ― Matt Haig, Reasons to Stay Alive
My journey with meditation had a lot of false starts and it was definitely a skill that once I started with the right intentions and reasons, I haven’t stopped and it has become the most valuable practice in my life. Read more about my meditation journey here:
MiraclesWhy, who makes much of a miracle?As to me I know of nothing else but miracles,Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,Or stand under trees in the woods,Or talk by…
We all need our little anchors to keep up grounded and uplifted when the seas and skies are stormy.
“For last year’s words belong to last year’s language. And next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning.” – T. S. Eliot
I started the year with ideas and dreams for a project – but the year had other plans for me and my project.
May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you’re wonderful, and don’t forget to make some art — write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next…
It’s pretty hard to look back on a disappointing year, when nothing went your way and felt like a struggle to get through. From my experience from many tough years, here are a few things to keep in mind when reviewing the year.
The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances. – Martha Washington
2020 has been a strange year and a lot of us have struggled with the notion that our perception of time has changed. This is a very similar experience to when you have a chronic medical condition. Read more here!
“Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me, I wish none of this had happened. Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.” – J. R….
Buying presents for people with chronic conditions can sometimes be a little tricky. Here are some suggestions that are fail-safe to bring your loved ones some joy and comfort this festive season!
“Wherever you are, at any moment, try and find something beautiful. A face, a line out of a poem, the clouds out of a window, some graffiti, a wind farm. Beauty cleans the mind.” – Matt Haig, Reasons To Stay Alive
Matt Haig is a brilliant writer and human being who is constantly investigating and questioning the effect of modern life on our mental health. He is a huge advocate for mental health wellness, and has shared his experiences through his multiple fiction works and his non-fiction books.
When I Am Among the Trees When I am among the trees, especially the willows and the honey locust, equally the beech, the oaks and the pines, they give off such hints of gladness. I would almost say that they save me, and daily. I am so distant from the hope of myself, in which…
Today’s post is all about inspiration for places to explore which let us go at our own pace and don’t drain our energy.
This is the power of gathering: it inspires us, delightfully, to be more hopeful, more joyful, more thoughtful: in a word, more alive. – Alice Waters
Anyone with a chronic condition can tell you that going to celebrations or large events can be quite challenging and exhausting. With some careful planning and sensible self care, we can make the event much more enjoyable and last longer than Cinderella before the carriage turns into a pumpkin!
Look on each day that comes as a challenge, as a test of courage. The pain will come in waves, some days worse than others, for no apparent reason. Accept the pain. Little by little, you will find new strength, new vision, born of the very pain and loneliness which seem, at first, impossible to…
So often we can fall into the trap of assuming that someone is naturally gifted with skills, habits and traits. But what if they weren’t born like that and worked hard to be that person?
Hope is like the sun. If you only believe it when you see it you’ll never make it through the night. – Princess Leia, Star Wars
I have learnt that time and expectations are two very dangerous things to try to predict and manage. Now we are all learning that with COVID-19 too.
The beautiful thing about reading old books, is realising all your struggles, aren’t a ‘you’ thing but a ‘human’ thing. – Atticus Poetry
When life gets too much we can retreat into familiar places and stories that give us comfort, and which feel better than the place that we are currently living in. Escaping into a book is the perfect balm for a tired soul in need of rest from yourself, your life and the world.
“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” ― James Baldwin
I’ve had a lot of medical appointments over the years and I have learnt a few tips from my experiences and from the medical practitioners and their staff.
You can not prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair. – Chinese Proverb
Being in pain or managing a chronic condition while also having an external crisis play out in front of you, can really add to the stress and therefore the symptoms that you manage. From my own experiences, here are my suggestions for managing both a chronic condition and an external crisis.
The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word ‘crisis’. One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger – but recognise the opportunity. – John F. Kennedy
We never know when something could go wrong or we need additional help, and the best way to manage this is to be prepared and have a plan. Here are my tips to cover all bases!
In order to love who you are, you cannot hate the experiences that shaped you. – Andrea Dykstra
I would love to introduce you to The Poetry Pharmacy. If you are a poetry beginner, or a literary lover, I am certain that you will find joy and comfort within these pages.
The secret is to never lose sight of the simple, everyday miracles in life;good food, literature, laughter, music, compelling conversation, nature, and art. Look for them in every day,and even when it feelslike your whole world is unravelling,you will never be too farfrom a needle and thread. – Beau Taplin • N e e d…
Nurturing ourselves with familiar and enriching activities that restore our energy is what keeps us afloat when everything around us is uncertain, rough and stormy.
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives mean the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand. The friend who can be silent with us…
Knowing who and when to share your story with takes skill and awareness, and can be incredibly supportive and rewarding.
Walking. I am listening to a deeper way. Suddenly all my ancestors are behind me. Be still, they say. Watch and listen. You are the result of the love of thousands. ― Linda Hogan
