This post is going to be more personal than usual, so if that isn’t your thing, feel free to click away and read some tutorials. I’ll even link to some of my favorites to make it easier for you:

• DIY Green Tea Scrub
• Homemade Glass Cleaner
• Kitchen Organization
• DIY Halloween Boo Shirt (it may be December, but I wore it just the other day)

All right- if you’re sticking with me, here goes.

I miss you! It’s been a long time since I’ve been posting regularly on the blog.

I usually try to stick to my main topics on the blog (green cleaning, natural beauty, crafts, and organization), but for some reason I’ve been having trouble finding inspiration within those categories. I still love and am passionate about them, and I’ve been doing lots of projects in the interim, but I haven’t been posting about them. And so I’ve been contemplating why that is.

For bloggers, there’s a lot of difficulty in separating your personal life from your professional life. The lines can get really blurry. I’ve had a hard time trying to find where the line should go. I could post all the time about every detail in my life, but then when would I actually live it?

At the same time, there is a desire to present a curated picture. You want to show off only the best parts of your life. So you find yourself living your life like it’s a performance. Sure, my blog is about me, but it’s about the version of me that I show to you. I feel like in trying to create the best me to present on the blog I’ve lost the inspiration that I have to write. I’ve been lost between the desire to live my life fully without stepping back to take pictures all the time and wanting to show off the best of me and my family, and it’s left me feeling like nothing I write is right.

And there’s also another reason that I haven’t been posting often on the blog, and that is my health. You’ve probably noticed that I write about living with a chronic illness from time to time, and that’s because it’s a very big part of my life. I live with an illness called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, or POTS. Basically my autonomic nervous system has a mind of it’s own and likes to do silly things like make my heart beat way too fast or make me feel like I’ve run a marathon when I walk to the kitchen. In addition I also get migraines, which can really knock me out.

Living with a chronic illness can be very unpredictable, and I go through good and bad phases. And I’ve been having a rough go of it for a while now. We’ve had crazy weather this year, which definitely exacerbates my symptoms, but sometimes I just have times when for whatever reason my symptoms are worse than usual. Some days I can wake up and feel relatively like a normal functioning human being, but some days I wake up and can barely get out of bed. And lately I’ve been having more of the bad days than good. I seem to be on the upswing now, but it hasn’t been a great time.

I’ve made my peace with my illness but I’ve never gotten good at talking about it. Writing about it on the blog definitely helps with me learning to communicate about my illness, but I try not to talk about it unless I have to.

Sometimes I feel like two people- one who is optimistic and energetic and loves going out and doing things, and one who just wants to stay home and take a nap. And honestly, I think that is something that most people can relate to, whether or not they have a chronic illness. We all try to present our best selves to the world, but we’re not our best selves all the time.

Lots of bloggers will tell you that there is a lot of pressure to present your best self on the blog. The less I feel like my best self, the less I feel like I can share my projects with people.

So, enough of that. I’m me, and I’m not always my best. I’m going to be getting back into blogging, and I’m going to share the things that inspire me.

I hope that you’ll like what I decide to write about now, and I’m going to try to be even more true to myself and my passions. And I’m excited!

Lots of love from your fellow procrastinator,

Susie

The post Maybe You’ve Missed Me appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Caregivers are essential to any community. Being there for people during hard times is not only difficult, it is sometimes a thankless job. That’s why it’s important to find ways to let caregivers know just how much we truly appreciate them.

Some of you know that I’ve lived for years with a chronic illness, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). I’ve been insanely lucky to have many amazing caregivers over the years. The two who have done the most work are two of my favorite people, my mom, and my husband.

My mom, Lisa, was my main fighter during the worst years of my life. She took me to countless doctor’s appointments, researched alternative and holistic treatments, and stood up for me when I didn’t know what to say. There is a lot more awareness and education about POTS now (not that we don’t have farther to go!), but 10 years ago when I was diagnosed, we had an incredibly difficult road. We went from specialist to specialist leaving without answers.

She spent hours and hours putting together an application to Mayo Clinic, which is where I was eventually diagnosed. And at every appointment she was there to speak for me and say “I know something more is going on here and we won’t stop until we have answers.” When we did have answers, she helped me to reach out to organizations to raise awareness and tell my story. Her persistence in telling my story has led to multiple people reaching out to us that ultimately were diagnosed with POTS because of reading about my experience. She has literally changed lives, beyond my own. I could never do enough to give back to her.

Lars has taken up the mantle of being my primary caregiver now, and he couldn’t do a more wonderful job. We both seem to know each other better than we know ourselves, and he often realizes that I’m not feeling well before I do. He is always there to help me on days when I struggle, regardless of his other commitments. Despite his limited experience with the medical world before he met me, has learned my treatments and triggers and the reality of living with a chronic illness. He reminds me to advocate for myself and advocates for me when I can’t do it myself.

Lars and I lived with my parents for a few months last year. I had one day where I woke up with one of the most terrible migraines I’ve ever had- the dreaded horrific migraine that I luckily only get about 1-2 times a year. But on those days I absolutely cannot function and spend the entire day on the bathroom floor. They can last more than a day if I don’t get some more heavy duty medication that I don’t have at home.

On that day, I had both my caregivers there by my side. Lars brought me a pillow while my mom called my doctor. They actually argued over who would take me to the doctor, even though they both had to work that day. Lars won in the end, and he made sure that I got some relief that day. My caregivers are amazing.

And their caregiving didn’t stop at helping me function- they have been incredible with emotional support. This can be one of the most difficult aspects of being a caregiver. A lot of people are up for the task of helping someone function or complete tasks, but being there to help deal with the emotional stressors that chronic illness creates takes someone special.

I can’t think of a better thing to be thankful for this holiday season than the caregivers in my life.

That’s why I am so excited to be partnering with Create the Good to spread awareness for this amazing caregiver appreciation- 25 Days 25 Ways to Care. You can nominate caregivers in your life for a chance to win gift cards ranging from $25-$500 dollars. To nominate someone, all you have to do is submit a short video (less than 60 seconds) explaining all they do to care for others.

One Grand Prize winner chosen by a panel of judges will get to choose a charity of their choice for a donation of $2500.

So if you know an inspiring caretaker, nominate them today! It’s the perfect way to let them know just how appreciated they truly are. You can learn more about official Contest Rules here.

The post Giving Back to Caregivers appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

Living with chronic illness is hard. If you’re reading this post, I don’t have to tell you that. I don’t know what the hardest part of it is- the loss of a sense of self, the inability to do the things you love, the pain, the isolation, and the lack of independence are all pretty hard to deal with. But today I wanted to talk about something specific. The lack of understanding that we as a culture have for people with chronic illnesses makes it very hard to navigate the social world. With one paradox in particular.

You know the phrase damned if you do, damned if you don’t? When you have a chronic illness, this phenomenon is unavoidable. Too much exercise can land you in a world of pain, but not enough can lead to deconditioning. Too much medication can cause dependence or wreak havoc on your body, but too little is unbearable to live with. And the one I’m talking about today: if you act sick, you must be exaggerating, but if you act happy, you must be feeling good!

When you go to your doctor and act as miserable as you feel, they see you as a hypochondriac. When you go to the doctor with a smile on your face, they don’t take your symptoms as seriously.

When you hang out with friends with a glazed look in your face and need to be laying down all the time, you come off as a high maintenance attention seeker. When you hang out with friends acting happily and being perky, you come off as someone who feels great.

I get this all the time from people who I care about dearly. Seeing family on a good day, someone will remark, “oh, I’m glad you’re feeling better!”. It’s a perfectly nice thing to say- there’s just one problem. The underlying assumption in that statement is that you actually ARE feeling better. “Better” is a pretty tricky term for people with chronic illnesses.

But like I said, living with chronic illness is hard, and I almost never feel “good.” Better for me might mean I don’t feel like I’m going to pass out every minute I’m standing and that my head pain is at a bearable level. I still need to lie down and rest. I’m still taking pain medications on a regular basis. I’m coping- not better. At a semi-functional level. Chronic means ongoing- which means I may never get “better.”

But that doesn’t mean I can’t live my life. If I’m feeling good enough to be out and about, I’m going to smile through it. I’m a happy person. I can feel happy emotionally while my body is screaming at me to lay down in a dark silent room.

But in the days before I honed my ability to smile through the pain, there was a lot of talk. People basically questioned whether I was actually sick, or just trying to get attention and miss school. I looked a lot more like I felt- hence I must have been exaggerating or faking. Doctors suspected I was just some hysterical teenager.

I lost friends because I didn’t know how to navigate the social world. When I felt good enough to be out and about, I looked fairly normal. But if I pushed myself to be out when I didn’t feel good- people didn’t want to be around me. And I was judged for looking good some of the time and sick some of the time. I didn’t know how to advocate for myself.

Now I don’t expect people to read my mind. When someone remarks that I look great and they’re glad I’m feeling better, sometimes I just roll with it (after all, I’m using enough energy just to be there, let alone explain the complications of chronic illness to every person I meet). But if they’re someone who I think will be receptive and I’m feeling up to it, I will explain that I’m not actually better, I’m just trying really hard. They always get this surprised look on their face.

I never know if I should give in to my impulses to rub my head and put my feet up, or ignore it and keep a smile on my face. I do varying levels of both, with varying responses. I can’t speak for everyone with a chronic illness, but I pretty much never want attention drawn to my illness, because it is uncomfortable ground to cover socially.

How are people with chronic illnesses supposed to act? I haven’t figured it out yet.

We need to change the way we perceive chronic illness. Chronic means ongoing. Chronic means there might never be a cure. Chronic can mean lifelong. It means that some days you’ll look better than others.

So please stop assuming that people are either exaggerating or must be better. It isn’t an either or situation. There’s no black and white- everything is gray.

When you ask me how I’m feeling- don’t give me a look when I tell you the truth. Don’t judge me for missing an event last week if I’m able to show up today. Don’t hold me to my appearance. Don’t get upset when I do show up in sweatpants and need to sit down the whole time. Don’t get upset when I do show up in a dress and am happily interacting with people. Keep an open mind.

The thing I’ve learned most since having a chronic illness is to have empathy for everyone. You have no idea what they are going through. So that’s the principle I’m going to advocate for here. If you give people the benefit of the doubt and assume everyone has good intentions, the world is a much nicer place to live in. Try to think of everyone as a human being that has a complex life with lots of struggles. Because we all do. We all are complex.

I’m not exaggerating and I’m also not better. But that’s okay- that’s just part of my life. Thanks for understanding.

The post The Social Paradox of Living With Chronic Illness appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

I’ve spent my life trying to develop strategies to deal with my anxiety. At 3 years old I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD. My ADHD was so loud that it took until I was 18 for anyone to even notice that something more was going on inside me: I am incredibly anxious. It took years of introspection and therapy for me to even realize it. I’ve come to learn that everyone struggles with anxiety differently. So through my lifetime of dealing with anxiety- I’ve worked on strategies that help me cope, and these are my best ones.

Anxiety isn’t rational. It’s chemical. It takes over your brain.

This is gonna suck. I’m so not excited at all. I don’t want to be social; I don’t want to deal with people. I wish I could stay home and just watch TV. My heart is already going 1000 miles per hour. Ugh, my palms are sweating. My face is getting red. Everyone will be able to see I’m freaking out. They all don’t like me already. I’m not going to have any fun. I’m gonna lose all this valuable time I could have spent resting at home, where I’m safe from unexpected obstacles. Ugh, this week is gonna suck. Everything just sucks.

PAUSE

Breathe.

Where are these thoughts coming from?

They’re coming from the negative energy that flows through me. It affects every part of me. It makes my skin sweat, my face turn red, my hands fidget, my heart race, my stomach jump, it makes me worry incessantly, but worst of all: it gives me a feeling of dread mixed with fear that takes over my entire body. This energy is called anxiety. It is always present in my mind, body, and spirit.

Currently, there is no cure for anxiety, only treatments that help with the symptoms. Drugs can definitely help some people, but a lot of the time they have negative side effects. Drugs or not- I’ve spent my entire life working on these methods to help me deal with the constant anxiety in my life. These are my four best strategies.

1. Self-Talk

Self-talk can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It’s all a matter of if you let your anxiety take the wheel of your mind or if you take it yourself. I have literal battles in my head between my rational calm thinking and my anxiety. It’s an eternal struggle but the more you practice, the easier it gets.

The beginning of this article has an example of my self-talk ruled by anxiety. When I find myself on an anxiety-driven thought stream, I do exactly what I did in this article. PAUSE. Breathe. Then I ask myself a question about the rationality of the situation.

My go-to question is usually “what is the REALISTIC absolute worst thing that could happen?” really focusing on the realistic aspects. For example, let’s say I was driving about 10 mph over the speed limit and a cop started to pull me over. “Oh my gosh, I’m going to be thrown in jail. This is terrifying. I’m in so much trouble.” The anxiety starts to take over my body. PAUSE. Breathe. “What is the realistic worst thing that could happen?” “I’m only speeding; I’m not doing anything else wrong.

The worst that can happen realistically is that I’ll get a ticket. Maybe multiple depending on the officer. Everyone gets speeding tickets. You’re not going to jail. Everything is going to be okay.”

Putting a real world boundary on anxiety can really make a HUGE difference. My heart rate instantly starts to slow down the second I realize how much my anxiety dramatized the situation.

2. Communication with Friends and Family

Everyone in my life knows I struggle with anxiety. When my anxiety takes over, they know what it is but it’s still difficult for them to see me like that and they don’t always know how to respond. Some of the time it feels like no one understands my anxiety and no one can help me with it. But what I’ve learned is that the people you love want to help and they can IF you let them.

When I start to have an anxiety attack, my emotions go on a roller coaster. First, I start feeling nervous and negative about everything; usually I can win the battle there and my anxiety retreats. But if rationality doesn’t win there (probably because of uncontrollable outside factors) I start to get angry. My anger is destructive and scary and powerful. It’s also the hardest time for me to rationalize and calm down; not that it isn’t possible. The anger is so strong that it soon wears me out and is replaced with sadness. I start to cry.

The signals I’m sending from my emotional roller coaster are clearly mixed. So my friends and family don’t always know HOW to help me and it is my job to educate them. It is very hard to think, let alone communicate, rationally when you’re having an anxiety attack. When I am calm again, I reflect on my attack and what could have helped me. Then, it is my responsibility to communicate to my loved ones what they can do in the future to help me.

The hardest part is figuring out what they can do to help. Anxiety comes in so many forms: I have my constant anxiety that I feel every second, then I have my anxiety about certain situations, and then I have my emotional roller coaster of an anxiety attack. It’s hard to specify what you need for all these different situations and feelings. It’s confusing.

Most of the time, all I need is some support, preferably accompanied by a hug. A little “I love you. It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.” can make such a difference.

When I’m having an anxiety attack I feel like I am alone and I am carrying the weight of the world is on my shoulders.

Knowing someone is there to help me carry that weight is sometimes all I need to calm down. When I’m deep in an anxiety attack, it may take me a few minutes to realize my loved ones are supporting me because I’m at my most irrational. At that point, I may walk away. I usually come back after the sadness hits and can apologize. There are times however, that the anxiety attack was just too draining and I need until the next morning to have some clarity. My family knows this. Because I have communicated what I need to them, they are able to help support me.

3. Just Do It

Anxiety isn’t just in my mind. I feel it physically. When something makes me anxious I feel it first in my spine and chest. It feels like a paralyzing tingling, comparable to when your leg falls asleep. It makes my body tense up and my thoughts go on a whirlwind. The tingling makes its way from my torso to my arms, legs, and then finally out through my hands and feet.

Yes, I said paralyzing tingling. Anxiety can be immobilizing. One of the most immobilizing types of anxiety is anticipation anxiety: being nervous about something coming up. There are so many times that I know I have to do something but for some reason the thought of making the steps to get it done is overwhelming. It makes me avoid my obligation completely.

To get through this kind of anxiety, I have adopted the Nike philosophy: Just do it. I know it’s harsh, I know it’s hard. But sometimes it just has to be done. Anxiety is forever present, and if I let everything that made me anxious prevent me from doing it, I would never leave my bed.

Every time I say to myself, “Ugh, just do it!” and I actually get something done, I feel on top of the world. My self-confidence increases from facing my fear, I’m happy that the obligation is over and done with, and a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. The more you face your fears, the easier it gets because you know you can do it. Self-confidence is so important when it comes to anxiety and life in general. You have to believe you can beat the anxiety in order to do it. The more you practice winning little battles, the sooner you’ll win the bigger ones as well.

4. Smile and Laugh

Smile. Right now. Just smile. Not a little one, a HUGE smile, your happiest. Now hold it there. Do you feel a little happier? Even just a smidge? Smiling is my tactic for my constant anxiety. A smile can literally make anxiety retreat. Laughing makes you win the war. (Physically smiling actually makes you feel happier– it’s science!)

Most people think of my smile and/or laugh when they think of me. This is because I smile and laugh as much as I possibly can. The happier I am, the less I’m focusing on my anxiety. The more I’m enjoying and fully in a moment, the less my anxiety is questioning it. Let yourself laugh as often as possible. A laugh takes up your entire mind, body, and soul, which is exactly where anxiety lives. A laugh can be your greatest tool.

During an anxiety attack, I try to ask myself, “Do you want to feel negative and anxious or do you want to be happy and have fun?” I know I prefer to be happy and have fun. But making the choice to be happy and pushing your anxiety out of the way can feel like an apocalyptic war. I promise you, you can do it. Sometimes the anxiety is so seductive that you want to give in. But fighting for happiness is worth it. When I’m having an anxiety attack, my thoughts are on a negative, catastrophizing spiral and a laugh can almost always break that spell.

“Peace comes from the acceptance of the part of you that can never be at peace. It will always be in conflict. If you accept that, everything gets a lot better.” This inspiring quote is from Joss Whedon’s commencement address at Wesleyan University. I think it perfectly sums up the key to anxiety. When I accept that my anxiety is forever present and I know I can handle it is when everything gets a lot better. That is my peace.

The post How to Deal with Anxiety: 4 Strategies to Help You Conquer Your Anxious Thoughts appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

This is a post that isn’t easy for me to write. If you read my post about living with an invisible illness, you know how far people with chronic illnesses go to hide what is going on with us.

Well, if we’re hiding it, we aren’t having a productive conversation. We aren’t helping increase awareness. We aren’t making it easy for people in our lives to understand.

So today I’m going to get pretty vulnerable and bear my illness to you. I’m going to go through what a typical day looks like for me. It’s not like this every day- sometimes it’s way better, and sometimes it’s way worse. But for all you people out there who have loved ones with chronic illnesses, maybe this will help you understand. Only about 5 people in my life have seen what my actual typical day looks like, so this isn’t easy.

The illness I have is called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). Having POTS means that your autonomic nervous system doesn’t function correctly, especially when you are standing. If you want to read more about it, here is some info. I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty, but to help you understand this article more, some of my symptoms include: racing heart rate and low blood pressure when standing, difficulty changing positions quickly, nausea, difficulty with digestion, migraines, dizziness, chronic fatigue, and plenty of others.

I’m going to talk about spoons in this post. Spoons are representative of energy for people with chronic illnesses. It’s based on the Spoon Theory, which is one of the most brilliant pieces of writing ever about chronic illnesses. So make sure to read it, it is worth your time.

So here goes the day….

9:00 Am- Wake Up. Spoons: 15

No alarm. Disrupting my natural sleeping and waking cycles is a surefire way to set off a migraine. I open my eyes and adjust to the light. I open my phone and check emails and messages. I then start the process of standing up, because I need to get to the bathroom STAT. Apparently the three times I peed in the middle of the night were not enough, so I gotta go.

But standing up isn’t simple for me, especially after laying for so long. I mentally prepare myself to prop myself up a bit. Then I move into a sitting position, slowly. I sit for a few seconds, maybe a minute, before I stand up. When I stand my head pounds a little, typically, and my vision goes a little blurry. But I push through it and walk to the bathroom. Success! I brush my teeth and then head back to bed.

9:30 AM- Spoons: 14

Surprised that standing up to go to the bathroom loses me a spoon? I’m not. I’m used to it.

I prop myself up in bed and start checking my blog and social media. I respond to comments. I look over my editorial calendar for the week. I go on pinterest and browse a little for some inspiration.

I’m starting to get hungry. Or maybe just nauseous. It’s sometimes hard to tell. I walk the 30 or so steps to the kitchen to pick out some food. If I’m feeling pretty good I’ll make eggs, but today I’m feeling like I can’t stand for long so I eat some granola and yogurt- quick and easy. Sometimes just walking to the kitchen makes me so nauseous that I lose my appetite. It’s easier for me to eat with my legs up so I often eat sitting in bed.

I keep working on my blog, maybe edit some pictures or a post.

10:30 AM- Spoons: 13

Although I’ve been managing pretty well so far, the headache that was creeping behind my eyebrows is getting worse. I’m so used to having a headache that I often don’t notice it at first. When I start getting really irritable and feeling like simple tasks are really difficult, I realize how much pain I’m actually in.

So now it’s time to weigh my decision. Should I take medication? The earlier I take it the more it helps. But I don’t like to take it if I can avoid it, so I might wait a little longer to decide if it’s really here to stay. Do I give myself a toradol shot, take a toradol pill, or take a naproxen? If I take the naproxen and the headache gets worse, it’s always a bad idea because you can only take it every 12 hours. The toradol usually upsets my stomach. I can only give myself a shot 4 times a week, so is this migraine really bad enough that I can use up one of those valuable times?

I decide to put off deciding a little longer. I am having trouble concentrating through the pain so I look for something to watch on netflix to distract me and hope that it gets a little better.

11:00 AM- Spoons: 11

I am frustrated with my migraine and I want to know what’s causing it. I didn’t overdo it yesterday did I? Or did I eat something I shouldn’t have? Have I not been drinking enough water? I check my weather app and realize the pressure is a little on the low side today. So there’s my answer.

Deciding to wait to take the medication has cost me an extra spoon. I opt for a toradol pill and take it with some water. Sometimes I need a snack because you can’t take it on an empty stomach.

12:00 PM- Spoons: 9

The migraine is really taking it out of me. I’m trying to work but having a lot of difficulty. I took some pictures of a project I’m working on for a blog post, but just maneuvering the camera was pretty exhausting.

I look in the fridge for some leftovers. There aren’t any. I don’t have a lot of energy to make something that requires a lot of work, so I make some pasta with pesto. I know I should be eating more protein.

By the time I’m done eating the medicine is helping a little more.

1:00 PM- Spoons: 7

Making the pasta and working on my blog have been pretty exhausting. I think it’s about time for my nap. I don’t nap every single day, but I probably nap about 4-5 times a week.

2:30 PM- Spoons: 8

I have a few etsy orders to make. The nap was a little refreshing so I decide that I will make them now. I mix up the ingredients and take breaks sitting while monitoring the melting and stirring. I usually listen to a podcast while I work.

I always have fun making products and I’m excited to see them come together. Once the orders are done I’m pretty oily and messy. Taking a shower will cost too many spoons so I just wash up and change into yoga pants, a t shirt, and a zip up hoodie. Pretty much my daily uniform, plus or minus pajama pants.

I also don’t think I have enough spoons to put all the packaging and shipping together for the orders, so I decide I will do that tomorrow.

3:30 PM- Spoons: 6

I head back to bed with my laptop and start editing the pictures from earlier. I find it easier to edit pictures first and write the blog post second most of the time. Standing up to work on the orders made me pretty dizzy, so I have to take breaks from editing the pictures to let myself settle a little. Sometimes I put on my glasses hoping they will help with the dizziness, but they never do.

So I push through it like usual and try to get as much done as I can.

4:30 PM- Spoons: 5

Lars and I both really like it when I have dinner ready when he comes home from work. It means I will have at least one good meal that day and neither of us has to wait until we are hangry to eat. Don’t worry, Lars alway does the dishes.

Since I haven’t had really healthy meals today I decide that I should make dinner. Dinner is usually some sort of poultry and vegetables, and usually a salad as well. I also really love making things in my slow cooker. I make some chicken and sweet potatoes, a yummy classic and super easy to make. Although the meal is easy, it still takes a lot out of me.

5:30 PM- Spoons: 3

Lars comes home from work and we eat dinner. We don’t have any plans tonight so we talk about whether we should do some chores and errands, watch a movie, maybe go out and do something. We usually decide to stay in because by the time he comes home I’m usually pretty low on spoons.

So we decide to watch a movie, but it’s one I’ve already seen before so I decide to work on my blog post while we watch.

6:30 PM- Spoons: 1

My medicine is starting to wear off and the migraine is coming back. After eating and cooking my body is feeling pretty worn out. I ate sitting up at the table, which costs another spoon (as opposed to eating reclining on the couch or bed). I really don’t want to take more medication, but I decide to because I’m almost out of spoons and pushing through the pain is kind of out of the question at this point.

7:00 PM- Spoons: 1

We watch the movie in bed so I can be most comfortable. (but one of these days we will get a comfortable couch so I like hanging out in the living room more).

Watching the movie with a migraine and working on the blog post cost me another spoon, so I’m out now.

8:30 PM- Spoons: 0

The movie is over and it’s time to wake Falafel (our pet hedgehog). Even though I’m out of spoons I need to be a good hedge-mom so I know I have to play with her.

I coax her out of her tshirt and give her a towel to stand on. Lars and I play with her and feed her treats but she is feeling like a grouch and trying hard to hide. So we decide to let her play in her maze, which is her favorite thing.

We sit around and talk for a while, checking on Falafel, who has fallen asleep in the maze.

9:30 PM- Spoons: -1

I bet you didn’t know spoons could get negative. What that means is that I’m borrowing off of tomorrow’s spoons. I don’t know how many I’ll have tomorrow. 15, like today, is pretty average, but playing with Falafel pushed me over the edge. I decided it was worth it, and I hope I don’t regret it tomorrow. I weighed the options and since we have leftovers from dinner I can probably get away with not making dinner tomorrow, so I can save on those spoons. Or maybe I will put off packaging the etsy orders another day. I’ll find the spoon savings somewhere.

10:00 PM- Spoons: -2

I get ready for bed and change into pajamas. Brushing my teeth when I’m already so low on spoons cost me another one. Spoons are relative, so the less you have, the more it takes to do simple activities.

Lars and I get into bed and talk for a while. I fall asleep somewhere between 10:30 and 11.

And then it will be tomorrow.

The dangerous thing is when you continually borrow the next days spoons. Today, I borrowed 2 spoons from tomorrow. But if tomorrow there is a bad storm or who knows what else going on, I may wake up with even less spoons than expected. I’m hoping to get an average amount of spoons (about 15) but I know I already borrowed 2 (bringing me down to 13). But if tomorrow is a bad day, I might only wake up with 9 spoons, and I’ll already have used 2 of those, leaving me with 7. Borrowing spoons is a huge gamble.

People with chronic illnesses are always told to push ourselves. What people don’t realize is that we already are. But you can only borrow off of the next days spoons for so long before the day that you wake up with no spoons at all. Pushing yourself is a balancing game, just like everything else we do. So I push myself trying to be as independent as possible and get stuff done, but there comes a point when pushing yourself is hurting yourself. And it isn’t always easy to find that point.

I don’t mean for this to be a sad article.

I’m actually a very happy person. Some of you may read this and notice how isolated I am. I spend most days at home alone and only see Lars at night. But those are my average days. Lars and I usually see his family once a week and my family once a week. I see my friends 1-2 times a month and Lars’s friends 1-2 times a month. Once in a while we have a busy social weekend and it takes me a few days to recover. I’m not completely isolated. Although, compared to a healthy person, it might really seem like it.

I work really hard on having a positive outlook and I use all different kinds of strategies. And it works for me.

I am happy with my life. It may not be what I imagined when I was younger, or what most people think of as a happy and productive life. But for me, I can find value in small things. Like days when I have enough spoons to leave the house and go for a walk. Or when Falafel does something particularly cute. Or being lucky enough to have found the love of my life and have such a great support system.

So don’t feel sorry for me. I am really happy. What I want for you to get out of this article is a better understanding of a day in the life of chronic illness. Living with limitations has certainly taught me to judge others less, and I guess that’s what I’m hoping you will get out of this. Before you judge someone with a chronic illness for not working, think about what their life is like. People who meet me when I’m out and about on a good day don’t know that I spend about 80% of most days in bed. They don’t know how hard my body is working to stand and talk to them.

So have compassion for the people in your life, because you don’t know what they’re dealing with. Whether it’s a chronic illness (physical or mental), a family problem, a traumatic experience, or anything else, you have no idea what they are really going through. They probably don’t know what you are going through either! We can all stand to employ a little more empathy in our lives.

Thanks for reading! If you liked this post, you should also check out 15 Things Not to Say to Someone With a Chronic Illness

The post Chronic Illness: A Day in the Life appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

I was having a conversation with my fiancé yesterday about maturing and being less self-centered, and it got me thinking. A trait we associate with the elderly is being wise. But although we know wisdom comes with age, what if it also comes with being less able-bodied?* I may sound crazy to you, but entertain my idea for now.

I find myself thinking, when I am in a darker mood, what my life would be like without any physical limitations: to have boundless spoons, to not think through every action. I try not to let myself go there, but there are times you just can’t help it. And I usually come out with the conclusion that I love who I am and I would be completely different without my illness because it has changed how I think and live. I truly believe it has made me wiser.

Compared to others my age, my priorities are different. My outlook on life is definitely different. Unlike many of my peers, I don’t partake in almost any risky behaviors. Going out all night and getting drunk, or trying an extreme sport, or even just driving fast are things that I can’t do. Some might think I’m missing out. Maybe I am. But I’ve had to readjust my outlook and goals for what I know I can handle. I know my physical and psychological limitations better than pretty much anyone I know. If that’s not wise, I don’t know what is.

I can’t distract myself with exciting things. I don’t treat my body like it will be young and carefree forever. Instead of using my body to have fun exciting experiences, which I just can’t do, I spend a lot of time thinking and reflecting. I take care of myself and I know my mind inside and out.

Talking to others my age, it seems to me they just go with the flow. They don’t know how to say no. They keep people in their lives that may not be good for them. They do things they don’t like to fit in. They don’t know what they need in a relationship or how to ask for it. They don’t know how to love themselves.

I am not afforded the luxury of going with the flow. I don’t have the energy to say yes to everything or to deal with people who make my life harder. I know my needs and I can communicate. I love myself more than anyone else I know. There isn’t much of a flow in my life; physically I am always walking against the flow and it isn’t easy. Dealing with this struggle of mine has made me learn what I need and what to do about it.

Now I’m not saying there is anything wrong with being able-bodied. All I’m saying is that when you can’t have crazy reckless fun in your 20’s, it can make you wiser faster than those who can. And there is nothing wrong with that. Different life circumstances dictate different actions.

As humans, we are extremely adaptable. We adjust to situations to the best of our ability. We learn new skills. Maybe being wise is a skill for those who are not able-bodied. Being unable to do “normal” activities takes a lot of adjustment and reflection. We adapt. We become wiser.

You could make the argument that going through any kind of struggle makes you wiser. I definitely think that’s true. One part of wisdom comes from experience. But for those with chronic illnesses, wisdom comes from realizing your own limitations, accepting them, and adapting. Wisdom comes from stepping outside the cultural norms for your peer group and learning more about yourself and what you can handle and enjoy. Those who are able-bodied don’t have to learn their own limitations until they age. I learned mine when I was 17.

Sometimes I feel chronic illness has taken a lot away from me. But in all honesty, it has given me so much more than it has taken. So, to my body, I say: thanks for the wisdom.

*I am speaking from my own experience of having physical limitations. This in no way means that chronic illnesses do not include mental illnesses that still leave you able-bodied. For those with mental illnesses, just replace able-bodied with people who don’t have mental illnesses. 

The post Does having a chronic illness make you wiser? appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

The death of Robin Williams has got the world talking. How could someone who seemed so happy and was so full of joy have been so depressed?

Well, the thing is, the people who are the best at entertaining and being funny are often the saddest. There are different types of defenses to keep people from getting to know the real you- and humor is one of them. Depression is a horrible, horrible thing. It’s touched the lives of many people I love and it is just as debilitating as any other type of chronic illness.

I know that depression and low self esteem are different issues, but depression causes irrational thoughts about one’s self and their lack of worth. Loving yourself and knowing you have worth is one small step on the road to recovery from depression. And every person, no matter how different and unique, is worthy of love and respect.

This post is a bit of a departure from my regular subject matter, but I was feeling motivated to write it. It’s easy for me to open up on this blog because if my story and words can help someone or make them laugh or have a little more positivity in their life, it’s worth it.

In my struggles with chronic illness, I have come out the other side a more positive and self-loving person. Any kind of battle in someone’s life can cause important self-discovery and can motivate people to change or learn more about themselves. And that has certainly been true for me. Everyone has insecurities, and I’m certainly no exception, but I know who I am and I love who I am.

That hasn’t always been true. I was a pretty insecure teenager, especially because of dealing with chronic illness. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) encouraged denial in my teenage self. I had grown up a very energetic child, and my lack of energy and chronic pain and dizziness caused me to be unable to do a lot of the things I loved most. I could barely dance anymore or do other things I loved. I thought that those things defined who I was. So I denied that it was bad for me to do those activities and pushed myself to try and continue because I couldn’t deal with changing my idea of who I was. And every time I couldn’t dance or do things I loved, I told myself that I was doing something wrong.

Well, eventually reality settles in, and it got to a point where I physically could not dance anymore. I could barely make it out of bed. And so facing that reality forced me to reexamine my identity. Without being a dancer, I was just a kind of awkward shy nerd. And that’s what I told myself. And the nerd part was even in question because I couldn’t keep up with my schoolwork. I told myself that those qualities were not good enough and let myself be defined by POTS. I saw myself as a sick awkward shy girl. And I didn’t think that was good enough.

I was forced to reexamine why I thought being a dancer was my only interesting or positive quality. Really, how crazy is that? It isn’t what is unique to me. Lots of people are dancers. Sure, it’s pretty cool and a really fun thing to do, but it wasn’t who I was. Since I couldn’t go about the routine of my life I had to look into myself and find out who I was outside of that routine. And I recommend everyone does that.

Over time I’ve refined my sense of self. Sure I’m still awkward, and definitely nerdy, but I have a lot of other stuff going for me. I’m very creative. I’m fiercely loyal to the people I love. I’m quite smart and I’m kind and empathetic. I’m strong and flexible. I love learning. I love food. I love making things with my hands and creating new things. I could continue on this list for a long time. I’m not pigeon holed and I don’t rely too much on thinking of myself as any one of these things.

So, now that you’ve got a little bit of my story, here are some things that I do to love myself more.***

1. Listen to your compliments, and forget the critics

In college I had a journal where I wrote down all the positive compliments I had gotten from people and myself, and accomplishments I was proud of. When I felt down, I looked at that journal to remind myself how awesome I really am. I think everyone should try this at least once in your life. We are programmed to remember critical things that people say about us and we easily let those overshadow compliments. When you write them down so you can’t forget them and see them all in once place, you can drown out your critics much more easily.

If you need a jump start, ask people you are close to to come up with three words to describe you or your three best qualities. I did this once when I was preparing for an interview to help me brainstorm, and it was the best positive bombardment. It felt really good to have people remind me about the things that are awesome about me.

2. Challenge your irrational thoughts

This is easier said than done. The person who helped me with this most was the therapist I saw when I was in high school. When I said something irrational, she called me out on it and taught me to question the logic of my thoughts. I’m a very logical person, so that strategy worked for me.

So with any negative thoughts you are having about yourself, take a step back. Every time a negative thought pops into your head, think about why you think it. Take yourself step through step about what made you think that negative thought and look carefully for flaws. Think about all the evidence that contradicts it.

If you are thinking to yourself when you read this, “None of my thoughts are irrational. All the things I think are true.” then you might need help recognizing irrational thoughts. A therapist can help you learn to recognize irrational thoughts. Don’t fool yourself into believing all your thoughts are rational. That is not true of one human on this planet. You have at least one irrational thought or belief floating around in there. If not, take me to your leader, because there is no way you came from this planet.

Besides challenging irrational thoughts and beliefs, creating positive thoughts will help crowd them out. Which brings me to my next strategy…

3. Practice positive self talk

This goes hand in hand with challenging irrational thoughts. You also need to tell yourself how great you are. It may feel weird at first, but fake it until you make it. When you are proud of something, remind yourself over and over and over how proud you are. When you feel good about something, remind yourself over and over. Who needs other people to compliment you when you can compliment yourself?

One of the ways to accomplish this easily is to change the words to a song that is stuck in your head to be positive about you. You can’t help but sing those songs in your head over and over. So instead of singing in your head, “turn down for what” sing, “I really rock” to the same tune. Once the night before a final I was very nervous for, I was having trouble sleeping. So I wrote myself a song in my head about how I was going to kick butt on the final and I sang it over and over in my head until I fell asleep. And it totally made me less nervous. Our thoughts are very powerful.

No one can convince you how awesome you are as well as yourself.

4. Be empathetic to others

It’s easy to be hard on yourself if you are hard on everyone. I’m willing to bet my savings account that you, person who is reading this, have gone through a struggle in your life. Probably more than one. And there is probably something you are struggling with right now. A lot of people might not know about it, but that doesn’t make it any less real. People probably can’t see that struggle just by looking at you or meeting you for a few minutes.

Does the above paragraph resonate with you? It does with me.

Because everyone in life has an invisible battle they are dealing with that is very real and difficult. As people we adapt and survive, but we fight hard. So remember that when you are dealing with other people. Forgive someone for making a mistake and assume everyone has good intentions. The more empathy you have for others, the more empathy you will have for yourself. Trust me, you won’t be able to help it.

Being kind to and helping others has been proven to increase one’s sense of self worth. Trust me on this one. It’s science.

5. Accept things you cannot change

There is no point in beating a dead horse. Some things in life you cannot change. For some people, it’s that one family member who is never going to see eye to eye with you. For others, it’s their weight. For others, it’s a physical characteristic. Everyone has something.

For me, it is my illness. I can’t change that I have POTS. I can manage it and try to make my lows a bit higher with different treatments, but unless a cure is found I’m not getting rid of it. And I don’t delude myself into thinking that there will be a cure any time soon, or maybe even ever.

Like I’ve already mentioned, I was in denial about POTS at first. I wanted to just try and pretend that it didn’t limit me in any way. Accepting that I am going to live with it is one of the most freeing experiences I’ve had. It doesn’t drag me down, it is just simply a part of how I will shape my life, and it makes me a more flexible and much more creative person.

So stop seeing things you can’t change as an obstacle and see them just as part of life. Adapt to them. Realize that life almost never works out how you will imagine it, and some of the best parts of life are things that are unexpected. When you stop trying to change everything and start accepting and adapting to it, you will definitely love yourself more. After all, you’ve developed a new skill and freed yourself from fighting an impossible battle.

6. Know your limits and learn to say no

How many of you have that one friend or co-worker who always seems to be doing a million things and everyone relies on them and they are always stressed out to the brink of breaking point? We’ve all met at least one. And it isn’t fun to be that person.

Everyone has limits. Maybe they are mental, maybe they are physical, maybe they are time or financial constraints. Think about yours. Limits are not a bad thing. In fact, without them, you would have too many choices and never know what to do with yourself! (Just think of every magical immortal character in a movie ever).

Practice pushing yourself and find out what your limits are. And then remember them. Write it down if you have to. If you know something in life is going to push you past those limits, don’t do it! Of course, there are exceptions, because every once in a while it is okay to push your limits a little. But in general, stick within your limits. You will be so much happier taking better care of yourself and not always being pulled in a million directions.

If you don’t listen to them now, they will come back to bite you in the future. Believe me. Maybe that will be going into horrible debt, or having a relapse in your treatment, or reentering a depressive cycle. You want to avoid those things. Deal with it today to avoid the catastrophe.

7. Let go of negative influences in your life

I surround myself with only a few select close friends and family. My circle is small, but it is the most supportive circle I could have made for myself. I do this by choice.

If there is someone in your life who makes you unhappy, don’t waste your energy on them. I see so many people trying to cling to relationships that only cause them drama and negativity. Why not focus on someone else more positive instead? Everyone deserves rewarding relationships.

This isn’t easy for everyone to do. Start by distancing yourself someone negative in your life that isn’t particularly close to you, and you will see just how much easier it is to be positive without them, even in a small way. When you are ready, apply that to the biggest negative influences around you. If it is someone you cannot avoid, like a family member, you have to learn to take their company with a grain of salt and disregard their negativity.

Your life will be so much less stressful without people that make you unhappy.

8. Stop trying to make everyone else happy, start trying to make yourself happy

If you try to make everyone happy, no one will be happy. It’s impossible. Different people want different things.

It’s not a bad thing to consider other people’s happiness. Being a considerate, caring, and empathetic person is a great thing! Just don’t make their happiness your responsibility. You can’t juggle multiple other people’s happiness and your own too. Focus on you. What makes you happy? Take a lot of time introspecting about this, and strive for it. This doesn’t mean you should hurt other people or make other people unhappy. Just remember that only you can control your own happiness and it is the same for every person.

So make choices in life based on what makes you happy. It’s your life, after all. If you are making choices to make other people happy it just won’t work out for you. Make them for yourself, and other people will recognize that it is the right choice when you radiate your joy.

9. Forget about the concepts of failure and success

We have a tendency as humans to compare things as two opposite poles. Who says that failure and success are opposites, or mutually exclusive? Who says that those are the only two options? This is one irrational thought that everyone should practice challenging. We accept failure and success as givens. Take a step back and question those two concepts.

Stop telling yourself that these are the only two results in life. No one is either a failure or success, and everyone is something in between that has elements of both. So don’t be scared to fail, and don’t strive to succeed. Failure and success are unattainable. Find a different goal. Make a goal to work on being happy, or be a positive influence in someone’s life, or to compliment three people a day, or anything other than failing or succeeding. Make a goal that is enjoyable and focuses on process more than outcome. Outcomes are hollow.

Remember that it is the journey and not the outcome that really matters. Along the way you learn lessons and form memories and meet people and have real experiences. Focus on the process and the journey. Who cares about an outcome if you hurt people on your way there? The real fun and meaning in life is in the process.

10. Get to know all the pieces of yourself

This is a crucial element. After all, how can you love yourself if you don’t know yourself?

Spend time with you. Put down the phone, turn off the TV, and hang out in your brain for a while. As long as you can handle without going crazy. This is easier for some people than others. If you can’t take it right away, ease into it by reading books. Think of how you relate to the characters and it will help you with self discovery.

If you make the mistake that I made as a teenager and define yourself by only one facet of you, this is your chance to broaden your sense of self. Get to know the parts of you you haven’t spent much time with. Challenge yourself and try new things to see if you like them. Have fun with yourself. You’re gonna find out that you are even more interesting, deep, and awesome than you realized.

So… in conclusion:

YOU- yes, I’m talking to you, are worthy of everything you want in life. You are worthy of love from yourself and others. You are the only person like you in the world. You are pretty darn awesome, and don’t forget it. Love yourself.

***I in no way mean for this article to serve as professional advice because I am not a mental health professional. I am just someone who uses these strategies to help love myself more. Try them for yourself, but if you are really struggling with depression or anxiety or any kind of mental illness, there is no replacement for a trained therapist. Therapy is awesome if you find the right therapist for you, and the right one will help you come up with these kinds of strategies that are customized for you.

If you need help finding a therapist, here are some resources to help:

• Psychology Today Therapist Locator
• APA Psychologist Locator
• Find a Mental Health America Affiliate
• Mental Health Treatment Facility Locator
• GoodTherapy 

If you or someone you love is in crisis, DO NOT HESITATE to call the 24 hour suicide prevention hotline: 1-800-273-8255 (1-800-273-TALK)

The post 10 Ways to Love Yourself More appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.

First, make sure you can travel

Us spoonies are known for biting off a little more than we can chew once in a while. Talk to your doctor before you plan a significant trip. If you really aren’t up for it, you can find a compromise. Maybe you can stay at a hotel for a few nights in the closest city to you instead, or just take a day trip to a nearby destination. It might be less exciting than a big trip, but your body has limits and you have to listen to them. If traveling is going to set you back in your treatment or could injure you seriously, consider whether it is actually a good idea for you.

The transportation itself

Planes, trains, and automobiles can take their toll. It can sometimes take me a week to recover from a particularly long plane ride- which is usually how long a vacation lasts. So anything you can do to make the travel easier on you is good.

At least a few days before you travel, picture yourself sitting in whatever mode of transportation you will be on and imagine all the discomforts. Yeah, this sounds awful, but bear with me. If you can, think of something to alleviate the discomforts that you can bring with you. A neck pillow, some tylenol PM, a sleeping mask, compression stockings, ear plugs, and a refillable water bottle can be the difference between you spending the day in bed tomorrow or being able to venture out and explore a bit!

It’s probably a good idea to take Vitamin C the week leading up to travel to help prevent catching colds from the travel. Every time someone coughs on a plane, I’m a little paranoid. Am I the only one? And as much as I hate the stuff- it can’t hurt to carry a little bottle of hand sanitizer with you any time you use public transportation when you’re traveling. You can’t afford a virus on top of the stress of travel.

If you are flying, give yourself extra time at the airport. Less stress is good. It may mean waiting around more, but it also could mean standing in lines for shorter amounts of time and not rushing to your gate. And you never know if you need to stop and rest or face some other obstacle on the way to the gate. So prepare for that.

Make sure to bring any essentials in your carry on. Yeah, you may only take that one pill once every three months when you get a killer migraine, but if that day is tomorrow and your luggage is lost, you are out of luck. So if you need it for your health, carry it with you!

The key here is to plan ahead. You can’t afford to plan everything at the last minute. It could make your travel much harder.

Swallow your pride

Are you embarrassed by the cane you need when your knees flare up from rheumatoid arthritis? Or if you need to use a cart or wheelchair to make it across the airport without passing out? I get it. People sometimes give you a hard time for it, people stare at you, and you feel out of the norm.

Well, truth time: you just have to suck it up. This isn’t the time to push yourself to your limits. Traveling and getting out of your routine is already hard enough for your body, so you need to do whatever you can to make it easier.

My family made fun of me one time we were on a plane and I had on my sunglasses and a scarf wrapped around my head. Well, I had a migraine and the sunglasses blocked out light and the pressure from the scarf helped with the pain. So I took the teasing and the weird looks. And I was much more comfortable because of it.

Are you the only one on your trip in a heavy coat because your body can’t regulate it’s own temperature? I feel you. Do you wear your sunglasses at night? I get it. Do you sit down in the middle of crowded areas to avoid passing out? I’ve been there. You have to swallow your pride and LISTEN TO YOUR BODY!

I wish I could say I staged this photo because it is too perfect for this topic- my shirt even says pride on it. This was in 2008 in Florida. When waiting for a bus I laid down in the parking lot with a water bottle on my head for my headache. I looked ridiculous, but I needed to do it.

Expect the best, prepare for the worst

Prepare for bad scenarios. You never know what will happen when you are on a trip. The most important thing I always do when I travel is make sure that I have 2-3 extra nights worth of my medicines in case we get stuck in another location for longer than expected. Flying into Chicago, it is not that surprising to have a flight cancellation because of weather. So I am prepared for it.

Like I said for bringing meds in your carry on, always bring the one med that you almost never have to use. Because if you need it, you will be glad you have it.

And let’s be honest, you may not be able to participate in all the activities on the trip. So prepare to spend some time alone in the hotel room. Bring books, movies, audio books, or whatever you can do to keep yourself occupied/ entertained/ sane while you are alone. Not everywhere has free wifi- so maybe download a movie from iTunes before you go so you know you have it ready.

Don’t forget to bring lots of snacks. Wherever you are going might be lacking in gluten free/ dairy free/ low histamine/ paleo/ raw/ whatever diet you might be on to help your health.

It doesn’t hurt to have a go bag ready to bring to the hospital if that is something you might need. Just bring it along inside your carry on and have it ready if necessary. And that includes knowing where the closest hospital is to where you are staying. You probably won’t need it- but if you do you will be glad you have it.

And definitely stay organized! The less time you spend searching for something like a water bottle, a pain pill, compression stockings, an instant ice pack, or anything else you need in a pinch, the more spoons you’re saving. Think of the spoons!

Talk to your companions

Hopefully the person or people you are traveling with already understand your illness, but if they don’t make sure to fill them in. They will need to understand if you are unable to do something or need to rest once in a while, or whatever limitations might arise. This goes along with swallowing your pride. It’s not always easy to talk about your illness.

If you have trouble, give them the brief version and then print out some materials from a source you trust. But definitely give them the heads up of any situations that could arise because of your illness. You don’t want anyone unprepared to help you- or panicking over something that is a small deal for you. Communication is key.

Have fun, but don’t push yourself past your limits

You’re on a trip and you are probably going to push yourself a little to try to fit in all the vacation fun. Although it may feel like you’re taking a little break from the real world, unfortunately, you’re still in it. And you still have your limitations. It’s not bad to push yourself, but it is bad to push yourself to a point where you are hurting yourself in the long run.

So- don’t forget: drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, get those fruits and veggies, get AT LEAST 8 hours of sleep a night if not more (c’mon it’s vacation- you have the time!), and follow the protocol for your treatment. Listen to your body if it is telling you to stop or take a break. (How many times should I say listen to your body? You got that part? It’s especially important when you are out of your comfort zone!)

Prepare yourself mentally before you leave to know that you may not be able to do everything on your dream vacation itinerary. It just isn’t always possible- even non-spoonies get worn out! So have a great time on your trip, but take care of yourself. You may be on vacation, but unfortunately you can’t take a vacation from your illness. It’s part of who you are, and you are awesome.

You’re gonna have a great time on your trip doing what you can and taking care of your health!

Hopefully these tips will give you some ideas to help you with your next trip. What else do you do to help you when you travel?

The post Tips for Traveling with a Chronic Illness appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.