Money and mental health
Most of us know that money and mental health go hand in hand, but being forced to live on benefits is not seen with such compassion. People assume that benefits are easy to get and once you have them, that’s it you are set up and able to chill. But those of us who are disabled and have chronic illnesses know that is not true, so let’s get into it. How money affects my mental health My life changed drastically a few years ago when we had to move in with my mom to help her as she was struggling living on her own. She has multiple sclerosis and previous…
World mental health day 2024
This year the theme for world mental health day 2024, is workplace burnout, and I am sure you are wondering what I could know about that! I have been unable to work for over twenty years, but I tried many jobs, and my first job was as a nurse in the NHS. So, let’s have a chat about workplace burnout. My work history and chronic illness journey I qualified as a nurse in 2000, I trained as part of Project 2000 which was started to get more people into nursing to cover a shortage and to make the training more academic. I soon realised that they had taken all of…
Autumn makes me happy
I think everyone has a favourite season, whether it’s winter with Christmas and snow, or summer with the sunshine and days out. For me, it has always been Halloween season, autumn makes me happy, and I feel like I wait all year for the change in season. There are many reasons why we love a certain season, I am sure you have your own and please share them in the comments. But for now, I thought I would share why I love autumn so much. How seasons affect chronic illness This blog is full of me talking about my battles with chronic depression, and for me it tends to rear…
Some Better Ways To Manage Anxiety
Anxiety is a very common mental health issue, and the kind that is going to affect all of us in some way at some point in our lives. If you are keen to make sure that you are looking after your own mental health as well as you can, having a way of managing and handling anxiety is certainly going to be an important part of that process. So with that in mind, what are some of the better ways to handle anxiety? Let’s take a look now at some of the methods you might want to be aware of. Stay Mindful One thing that can help a lot with…
The frustrations of being a wheelchair user
I will be honest, the frustrations of being a wheelchair user are many and though some are individual, many are shared. So, I thought today I would spend a little time explaining about the different reasons someone might use a wheelchair and then my own reasons. Then I will dive into how using a wheelchair can be so very frustrating, so grab your cup of tea, let’s get into it. Who are wheelchair users? Before we get into the frustrations of being a wheelchair user, I thought we would talk about the many reasons why people might use a wheelchair. Most people think only someone who has been born with…
Reading every day with chronic illness
I love to read, it has been something I have loved since a child, curled up with my favourite teddy and a good book I would be happy for hours. But reading every day with chronic illness is not easy, and found one book could last months. I wanted that to change, and I used some tactics to ensure I can read more and faster, so let me share them and maybe they will also help you to regain your hobby. Why does reading every day with chronic illness matter? I was in my early twenties when I first became sick, I had worked hard for three years to train…
Reducing Tension When Living With Chronic Pain
Reducing stress and tension from your body when in pain isn’t as easy as it sounds. When you live with pain day in and day out, being able to relax becomes more difficult as you learn to navigate the pain and figure out how to improve your life to accommodate this. However, by proactively creating an action plan to manage your pain levels and the stress it can cause, you can take control of your situation. This can lead to an improved quality of life and a sense of empowerment, even if it doesn’t directly alleviate your pain. Stretch When you’re in pain, it’s natural to hold your body in…
Pain Awareness Month 2024
It is September which means it is pain awareness month 2024, and as I live with chronic pain it is only fitting for me to talk about. I am not alone in living with pain, and raising awareness of how exhausting and overwhelming that can be is so important to me, so let’s get into it. What is chronic pain like? The theme for this year’s pain awareness month 2024, is #lifewithpain and as I share my life with pain here on the blog it makes sense for this month to be important to me. I have several chronic illnesses including Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Fibromyalgia both of which cause…
Myths and misconceptions about chronic illness
There are many myths and misconceptions about chronic illness, and they can really affect those of us who have them. Family, friends, and even medical professionals can treat us differently because of the things they assume. We have even experienced this in our government, which is surprising after Covid, so let’s dig into the facts. Why do people assume things? Society is very much influenced by the media they ingest and the people around them, we see this a lot when people are far left or right. Often, they do not have the facts to back up their beliefs, it is just something they read online, or their friends told…
Making every day special
I have never been someone who believes in ‘saving things for best’, but especially after becoming sick I started to concentrate on making every day special. Mindfulness, and an attitude of gratitude also became things that helped me to enjoy the moment and to enjoy life. It wasn’t always easy to do as I do struggle with my mental health, but we are all worthy of taking time to make the day mean something. Why making every day special is important? Struggling with my mental health has been a battle I have fought my whole life, depression and anxiety were always there in the background. It wasn’t until I was…
