It’s the mundane everyday tasks that can give us the most perspective.
To clear your path.
Learning to become fluent with words that accurately describe the pain and symptoms you are feeling is one of the most helpful things you can do to create a positive working relationship and understanding between yourself and your medical professionals.
What remains? Nature.
We have all been in that place where something awful happens to someone and we are petrified of saying the wrong thing or not sure how to help. This is where the book ‘There Is No Good Card For This: What to Say and Do When Life is Scary, Awful and Unfair to People You Love’ by Emily McDowell and Kelsey Crowe comes in to save us!
The greatest thing we can do.
I hope you have people and places where you don’t have to be strong too.
… Isn’t it splendid?!
There is something to be said for timing and usually we only see that something happens at the perfect time if it involves an obvious change or lesson, but even the things that we seek comfort from can come to us at the right time.
It may just help.
As soon as things get tough, you know you are going to need a few people to lean on. Who is on your team?
Guard well your spare moments…
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
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.
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!
Not the flower.
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.
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.
Following on from my meditation journey post, I thought I would share some of my favorite meditation apps, teachers and people!
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:
Why, who makes much of a miracle?
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.
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.
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.
Depends on our dispositions
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!
I wish none of this had happened.
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.
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
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:
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.
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.
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.
A ‘human’ thing.
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
