Excuse Vs. Reason: Navigating Wellness With Chronic Illness
Why knowing the difference between an excuse and a reason can help you live Chronically Well.
When you live with a chronic illness and strive to improve your well-being, you often face a frustrating tension. There is a constant push and pull between what is actually possible based on your symptoms and what you desperately want to accomplish. Your mind might be incredibly ambitious, but your body sets different parameters for the day.
Have you ever caught yourself making an excuse for why you cannot do something when you probably could? Or, on the flip side, have you ever been incredibly hard on yourself for missing a wellness practice that simply was not right for you that day?
Finding balance is hard. Being aware of whether you are working with a genuine reason or a subtle excuse can help you determine how to proceed.
It empowers you to take control of your health journey. Regardless of where you find yourself today, make sure to read on with a mindset of deep self-compassion and absolutely zero judgment.
Here is what we will explore: how to define reasons versus excuses, why confusing the two can harm your mental health, and how to gently challenge the excuses keeping you from feeling your best.
What Is A Reason Vs. An Excuse?
To navigate your daily wellness choices, you need to understand the fundamental difference between a reason and an excuse. Both might stop you from taking action, but they stem from completely different places.
the objective truth of a reason
A reason is exactly what it sounds like. It is an objective, factual circumstance that prevents you from doing something.
For example, during the most severe part of my own health journey, it made absolutely no sense for me to attempt vigorous cardio workouts. I dealt with diminished lung function and extreme fatigue. I could not walk for more than five minutes without needing to sit down to catch my breath.
That physical reality was a factual reason why I would not lace up my sneakers to run a 10K. My body had established firm parameters, and respecting them was an act of self-care, not surrender.
the subjectivity of an excuse
An excuse, however, is a more subjective and defensive response. It usually sounds something like, "I cannot make a workout happen because I just do not have the time."
To be fair, sometimes time scarcity is a highly valid reason. We all have busy seasons. But if "lack of time" becomes a consistent rationale day after day, it tends to look much more like an excuse. It shows that engaging in a mindful practice or gentle movement is physically possible for you, but it is simply not a priority right now.
Why You Must Know the Difference
It is incredibly important to know whether you are working with reasons or excuses. Mixing them up can easily derail your progress and damage your emotional health.
If you objectively cannot do something due to symptom severity, beating yourself up for resting is deeply harmful. Toxic guilt can tear down your psyche and increase your stress levels. When you deal with a chronic condition, you deserve a massive amount of self-kindness. Rest is productive when your body demands it.
On the other hand, continually giving excuses for skipping things you actually can do plays into patterns that do not serve you. At some point, you need to ask yourself why you resist making space in your life to better care for your health.
You deserve self-care and kindness, and often that starts with opening yourself up to the exact wellness practices that support your long-term health.
Working Within Your Parameters
The most common reasons we face revolve around physical parameters. When a flare-up happens, we must ground ourselves in reality.
It doesn’t makes sense to push yourself to do something detrimental to your health. It also makes no sense to feel guilty about stepping back when an activity is just not in the cards for you today. Fighting your reality only harms your mental well-being and wastes precious energy.
However, sometimes we can find a gentle workaround. If you cannot engage in cardiovascular exercise, you might still find ways to add movement without the cardio stress. Gentle stretching, restorative yoga, or light strength training might be accessible.
Only you and your medical team truly know what is feasible and advisable for your specific condition. But, there is typically a way to build a supportive practice at a level that actually works for your body.
Busting Common Wellness Excuses
When we step out of excuse mode, we often realize that the barriers we built are not as tall as they seemed. The most common excuses for avoiding wellness practices usually center around time, money, and energy. Let’s break these down.
"I Do Not Have the Time"
When someone says they lack time for a wellness practice, it usually means they have not made it a priority, yet. We all get the same hours in a day, but we control how we fill them.
You do not need an hour to practice mindfulness or engage in self-care. Five minutes of deep breathing, a short morning meditation, or a brief walk around the block can significantly improve your quality of life. Small steps create massive changes over time.
"It Costs Too Much Money"
Many people believe that managing health holistically requires expensive treatments and premium memberships. While you can certainly spend a lot of money on wellness, it is absolutely not a requirement.
The internet offers abundant free resources. High-quality sleep is free. Meditation is free. Gentle stretching in your living room is free. If money feels like a barrier, I invite you to search for free and inexpensive alternatives. You can easily find workouts, guided breathing exercises, and educational content that costs nothing at all.
"I Just Lack the Energy"
This is a massive hurdle for those of us living with chronic conditions. Sometimes, lack of energy is an absolute, undeniable reason to rest.
But, if you find you have the energy to scroll through social media for an hour, or handle endless favors for others, you might need to reprioritize. If you know you only have a set amount of energy each day, schedule your wellness practices first. Ask yourself what serves you best in the long term: consistently engaging in a healthy habit, or skipping it?
Exploring Your Truth: Honest Self-Reflection
To thrive amidst your challenges, you need to practice honest self-reflection. Ask yourself these guiding questions:
Am I truly maxed out today, or could I reprioritize my schedule?
Will engaging in this healthy habit actually help me level up my wellness?
Am I respecting my body's parameters, or am I letting an excuse hold me back?
Only you and your care team truly know the answers. Be deeply honest with yourself. Identifying your truth is vital to your physical and mental health. Regardless of where you land today, I hope you choose to treat yourself with the utmost compassion, patience, and love.
Busting Your Excuses
If you are ready to stop letting excuses hold you back while still honoring your body's valid reasons to rest, The Chronically Well Guide to Thriving with Chronic Illness is exactly what you need.
Take the Next Step in Your Wellness Journey
If you need help moving out of excuse mode and stepping into your power, I invite you to explore the Chronically Well Guide To Thriving With Chronic Illness.
This comprehensive resource will help you identify your true priorities, highlight where you might need to make gentle changes, and celebrate the areas where you are already doing amazing things. Your wellness journey starts right here.
Grab the guide today and begin transforming your Chronically Well life.
Every step, no matter how small, is a victory on your journey to thriving with chronic illness. Don’t let excuses stand in your way.
What steps can you take today to better understand whether you're working with a reason or an excuse, and how might that shift your approach to wellness?
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