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…
Dealing with ‘state of the world’ stress
Dealing with state of the world stress is something I have been struggling with over the last month or so. With elections, riots and the rise of the far right, it can be hard to stay grounded and unaffected by it all. Today I wanted to talk about this and hopefully help if you are also struggling, so grab that cup of tea let’s get into it. Dealing with stress is hard The news seems to be a place to find out about what is happening in the world; however, it is often reported through a lens. Journalists often have a version of the story they want to tell depending…
Staying Cool with Chronic Illness
Staying cool with chronic illness is never easy, many of us struggle to regulate our temperatures which can lead to overheating. Added to that is the fact that many medications can affect how our bodies react to heat and direct sunlight. So, now we finally have sunshine and heat here in the UK, I thought I would share some of my best strategies for keeping cool in a country where we don’t have AC and our homes are built to keep heat in! Why it’s important to keep cool with chronic illness Keeping cool is especially important for children, those over 65 and anyone with chronic illnesses or who are…
If I woke up well tomorrow
This week I thought I would do something different and talk about what I’d do if I woke up well tomorrow… I try not to think about this, to ponder on how I would change my life if I was well and able to do normal things. Chronic illness so defines your life and how it will go, and I became sick so early on in my twenties. That is the point in your life when things start to get going and you find a job and get some independence. For me, it was losing my nursing career, moving back to my parents and having my mom be my carer.…
What Causes Irritable Bladder?
Irritable bladder (not to be confused with irritable bowel) is a condition where your bladder makes you want to go to the toilet all the time, even if you don’t pee much. It’s seriously annoying, especially when you’re trying to work or enjoy a social occasion. But what actually causes the condition? That’s what’s often so confusing. Many times, it seems to come out of nowhere. Fortunately, this post is here to help. We look at some of the determinants of irritable bladder and what you can do, if anything, to reduce your risk. Constipation One of the main causes of irritable bladder is, strangely, constipation. While constipation is something…
Disability Pride Month 2024
It is Disability Pride Month 2024 a time to celebrate, mourn, educate and get angry about the injustices we face every day. I think we can all agree that attitudes towards disabled people have to change, and that we are all disappointed it didn’t when Covid happened. I think I got a bit giddy thinking of all the possibilities that opened up for us that have been shut down just as quickly since. It was so nice to be able to see the option to work from home, something disabled people have been asking for, for so long. I also liked recorded theatre productions suddenly online and feeling part of…
The Importance of Independence When You Have a Disability
Whether you’ve been coping with a disability or chronic illness for a long time, or it’s a recent change in your life, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is regaining your independence and freedom. It doesn’t seem like the most pressing issue, especially if you’re coping with chronic pain and potentially added risks to your life, but it can have a massive impact on your quality of life. This article is going to explore the issue of independence as a disabled person, as well as how you can explore your boundaries and gain more freedom. Accepting Limitations First things first, different people have different circumstances, which means that they…
