Finding Calm In the Chronic Illness Storm
Balancing life with chronic illness can be overwhelming. Finding some calm in the storm can be important to finding your balance.
It can be hard to find the energy to manage doctor appointments, symptoms and day-to-day life. It is hard to juggle all these moving pieces especially when you are not feeling your best.
On top of that, long to-do lists and stress are not great for supporting our underlying health, particularly when living with a chronic illness.
Are you feeling overwhelmed managing chronic illness in your everyday life?
Have you found ways to balance life with chronic illness?
If you could use a little support on these matters, I invite you to read on.
Finding Your Balance With Chronic Illness: A Holiday Metaphor
The contrast between living life in or out of balance with chronic illness reminds me of a snow globe.
When you shake up the snow globe, the fake snow flies around, and you can’t see much of the scene inside the globe. It can be beautiful and exciting - like your own private party. But, you really don’t see beyond the blur and swirl of the snow. You might catch a small glimpse of the scene inside, but it is really hard to see what is there.
However, when the fake snow settles and becomes still, it reminds me of moments when we are able to find presence and calm. We have clarity on the scene inside the snowglobe. We can see the smaller details and the entire setting all at once. While it might be less exciting, it is very clear.
But, life does not usually give us the option of living in an undisturbed snow globe, especially when you are living with chronic illness.
Therefore, it is important to find what helps each of us find our own sense of calm when we need it. It can help us find our way to see clearly even when the fake snow might be flying.
How do you find some clarity and calm amidst the chronic illness snow storm?
FINDING CLARITY
When the fake snow in your chronic illness snow globe settles, you can see the scene for what it is. Your chronic illness “scene” might not be as serene as the average snow globe. It might not look pretty. It might not look peaceful. It might look like a bit of a disaster. But, at least you can see what is there.
And, once you have some clarity regarding what you are dealing with, you can cut through the overwhelm. No more fake snow obscuring your view. You can start to find your unique way to manage symptoms and day-to-day life.
Clarity can allow you to prioritize a big and overwhelming to-do list.
It can allow you to see what you CAN do something about and what you can’t.
And, when you have clarity, you have the ability to prioritize and give yourself the space you need to take care of yourself.
I am not saying that the follow-through is easy. Sometimes it can be really hard to reprioritize something you care about. It can be hard to say no to something. It can be hard to delegate tasks or ask for help. But, when you have clarity, you know on some level what you need to do to address your needs.
FINDING CALM
When you are feeling buried in the fake snow, or overwhelmed by the scene in your chronic illness snowglobe, it is time to pause. It is time to breathe. It is time to tune into what you need. That might be time to rest. It might be time to reprioritize and reevaluate where you are putting your energy. This is a time to give yourself a little space to decide what YOU need.
We can get swept up in trying to force chronic illness to fit into our already packed lives or vice versa. And, this usually does not work. Your body will probably tell you and it might not negotiate.
Doing your best to find a sense of calm, even in the middle of a very challenging moment, is one of the best ways to nurture yourself and reclaim some sense of control of your situation. In fact, it is the key ingredient to feeling empowered in your journey to live well with chronic illness.
Prioritizing YOU!
For more holiday-focused support around prioritizing you, check out my blog post “Prioritizing YOU During The Holiday Season” HERE.
What about finding joy?
Clarity and calm are great. But, our entire life doesn’t need to just be about illness, wellness and to-do lists. Sometimes we can simply feel a sense of calm and a better connection to ourselves by pursuing whatever brings us joy and happiness.
While adding joy to our lives will not cure chronic illness, adding some joy will help to ground us in the better parts of life. And, it is actually good for your health. It is one more way for us to find our Chronically Well Balance.
If you need more of a rationale for adding joy to your life, read this blog post! I have all the rationalization you need!
I am sending you my best wishes for finding your Chronically Well Balance.
With a little clarity, calm and joy, you can find your unique path to living well with chronic illness.
Maybe you want to shake the snow globe a little AND maybe you can enjoy its stillness, too.
If you are reading this and feeling like you are far from having clarity and calm regarding what to do to find your balance with chronic illness, I invite you to:
Join my free 7-day Chronically Well Mindset Program in the Chronically Well App.
Accept my free Chronic Wellness Challenge for 7 days to gain clarity on your unique path to Chronic Wellness.
Download my Thrive Starter Guide for a free download designed to empower you to take the wheel on your chronic illness journey
Or, explore how to work with me.
Does this resonate?Please share this post with friends! Click the menu on the right to share on social media.
