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
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
Once we have taken care of the immediate issues, diving into medical investigations can make it hard to work out if you are making progress.
I’ll never know, and neither will you, of the life you don’t choose. We’ll only know that whatever that sister life was, it was important and beautiful and not ours. It was the ghost ship that didn’t carry us. There’s nothing to do but salute it from the shore. – Cheryl Strayed, Tiny Beautiful Things
Some days you just need something to do that is quiet and not too taxing on your energy levels.
Look for the ones who lean into your story. The ones who don’t shrink back from your pain. The ones who hear what you are not saying. These, are your people. Love them fiercely. -Liezel Graham
Finally getting out of your house only to suffer from motion sickness? Here are my tried and true tips to manage it.
If you see something beautiful in someone, speak it! – Ruthie Lindsey
The pharmacist is probably going to be a frequent person you’ll see when managing a medical condition, so it is reassuring to get to know them and their services.
Dedicated to Australia’s Golden Girl of love & light.
How do we navigate it?
How do we understand it?
How do we explain it?
How do we accept it?
“Rise and shine. I’ve always held such fondness for that sweet old phrase. As though we are all little Suns. As though we are all someone’s day.” – Beau Taplin // R i s e A n d S h i n e
With a little experimenting, rituals and preparation, you can master quality rest time.
At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can. – Frida Kahlo
The perfect book to be reading at the end of a long winter that is about to bloom into spring.
Storms make trees take deeper roots. – Dolly Parton
We all just want to be seen and heard for how we really are.
People who need help sometimes look a lot like people who don’t need help. – Glennon Doyle
Clothes help us to transition into different states of being and doing, and can transform your mindset and mood in an instant.
This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt,…
Don’t wait and miss the opportunity for a quality rest break.
Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place. ― Kurt Vonnegut
One of the most transformative things that I have implemented in my medical journey was to start a daily diary.
And once the storm is over, you won’t remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won’t even be sure, whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won’t be the same person who walked in. That’s what this storm’s…
