S3E6: Is There Such a Thing as Chronic Illness:Life Balance? - [listener write-in]
Listen now:
Do you want to honour your chronic illness but as a background element in your life, rather than living with it the foreground?
This week's listener write-in episode explores:
The concept of balance between life:chronic illness, whether it exists and how we can reframe it to be more conducive to health & happiness,
How the way you feel about your chronic illness will be reflected in other areas of your life, such as friendships and family-ships,
Getting curious about what your chronic illness is asking of you,
Your chronic illness is not something to hide and be ashamed of.
Links:
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Episode highlights:
There aren’t really any quantifiable milestones that everyone can relate or aspire to in terms of balance (a. because everybody’s idea of balance is different and b. because its’ a moveable thing), so maybe we move the goalposts?
Aim for being OK with wherever that balance point lies. To feel safe and grounded, and at home within your body and life. To not abandon yourself.
Where does the desire for your illness to be in the background is coming from. What’s your why? Your motivation?
Think about what your life looks like as your illness moves through different phases and cycles, and ask yourself how you can bring that safety and sense of home that I talked about earlier, into each of those phases. How can you honour not only your chronic illness, but more importantly yourself, throughout every phase?
How do you want your chronic illness to feature in your life? Beyond whether it’s a background or foreground element, you get to decide how you relate to it.
What is your chronic illness asking of you?
Celebrate having really open, vulnerable, honest conversations with yourself and your close and supportive people.
Focus on what your life get to look like moving forward, with the new level of information you have about how your body works, how your body needs to be supported, and how you want your life to look.