Why Joy Will Help You Live Chronically Well
Living with chronic illness can entail a lot of focus on being a warrior and a self-advocate, not to mention the effort to keep up with living day-to-day life with symptoms.
It can be exhausting.
How do you stay connected with your reasons for wanting to do what it takes to live well with chronic illness when you are juggling all that?
It might help to spend some moments focusing on what brings you joy.
Why Joy Can Help You Live Chronically Well
Joy provides balance
While it might not heal your chronic illness, experiencing joy can serve as a meaningful way to add some balance to the stressors and discomforts of chronic illness. It can serve as a connection to what makes you feel like YOU, not a bundle of symptoms or a diagnosis. It connects you to the basic parts of what makes you a unique individual with your own unique sense of humor, interests and purpose.
Joy Provides Motivation
Joy can also keep you motivated to keep going and continue to find ways to heal. When you have strong reasons for living, it can provide an important part of your “why” when you need some reasons to keep looking for your answers, finding the right healthcare providers and making important lifestyle changes. All of this can be tough. Having regular joyful reminders of why you are a warrior, survivor or self-advocate can motivate you to keep going.
Joy uplifts us
Joy is what connects us to our unique reasons for wanting to live our lives to the fullest. It is what makes our lives worth living. If you are having a rough time, experiencing something that causes you to smile, laugh or gives you purpose, can be uplifting and help you get through a challenge. Finding joy in our lives has a way of making us want to be here regardless of any hardship.
Joy is good for your health
When we experience positive emotions, our body releases healing hormones, like serotonin and endorphins. These can help the body turn off its “fight or flight” response. The body needs to turn off the “fight or flight” response in order to turn on the “rest and repair” response. Only when the body is in “rest and repair” mode can it heal.
Some specific benefits of the hormones produced from positive emotions are:
Slowing digestion and increasing nutrient absorption;
Lowering blood pressure and heart rate;
Lowering stress hormone levels; and
Strengthening your immune system.
For those of us with chronic illness, facilitating healing is a good place to be. It is why joy, rest and less stress can be so important for many of us. Plus, it just feels better than the alternatives!
Want to know more?
For more information on thriving with chronic illness, accept my free 7-Day Chronic Wellness Challenge.
The Disclaimer
Please note that the concept of choosing joy does not mean attempting to be blissfully happy every single minute of every day. I don’t know how you could possibly do that, especially when you are experiencing difficult symptoms.
What you CAN do by choosing joy is connect with your reasons for living and what makes your life enjoyable.
The Practicalities
When you are finding joy in your life, you are connecting with your deeper reasons for living your best life. This is the foundation of motivating you to take action in order to live well with chronic illness.
It involves tuning into what makes you feel happy and fulfilled. What makes it worth it for you to get up everyday and live your life despite your symptoms? What do you want your health for?
This will look different for all of us. It could be spending time with friends and family, pursuing a hobby, being creative or just doing whatever puts you in a good mood.
Keep in mind that what brings you joy might look different on tough symptom days versus days when you feel pretty well. And, that is important information to keep in mind.
An easier day might include something more physical or that requires more of your body budget or spoon supply. This might include travel, painting, going to the beach or going to a museum with a friend. And, a more difficult day might help you to conserve your body budget or spoon ration. This could include watching a funny show, reading a good book or calling a friend.
Whatever kind of day you are having, it is useful to know what you can do to lift your spirits and ground yourself in your reasons for wanting to live Chronically Well. These little moments of joy can be great reminders that you can find some enjoyment and meaning in your life regardless of how you are feeling. And, it is good for your health!
I challenge you to choose joy for a few minutes every day. Don’t put it off until you feel better.
You deserve to connect with something that brings you joy regardless of how you are feeling.
What brings you joy and happiness?
How can you connect with joy for a few minutes every day regardless of your symptoms?
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