We are slowly preparing for Christmas. This year, I am making our Christmas cards myself because my teenager wasn’t convinced to have his picture taken for our usual card design. I am slowly progressing with them, here is my first batch in gold and red. I listen to music or a podcast while doing them […]
Tag: chronic disease
10 Tips for Effective Communication with Your Doctor About Your Chronic Illness
How often have you been to a doctor, only to leave the practice frustrated? I think we all got stories to tell from horrible visits to a doctor. Luckily I have found some really good ones over the years and worked on my communication with them. You can find my 10 tips for effective communication […]
How to Cope with the News When You Have a Chronic Illness
I try to skip at the moment are the news. More fighting, more people getting hurt or killed. This is all too much for me. That’s why I wrote this newsletter about how to cope with the news when you are chronically ill. Because it can rob you of spoons, you desperately need to get […]
Navigating Chronic Illness with a Bullet Journal
I have been using a bullet journal for over 7 years now. It evolved, changed and changed again over the years. Currently, I’ve deviated from the initial idea and now prefer using a weekly spread, as it suits me and my thinking style better. But that’s the beauty of bullet journals. You can tweak and […]
Toxic Positivity and Chronic Illness
On the weekend I had a strange encounter on Instagram. This person told me that if I think positively, all my problems would disappear. I blocked her as I didn’t want to waste my precious energy on that person. I wrote this essay about toxic positivity because it is important to learn how to cope […]
A Guide to Sleep Hygiene
My sleep the last weeks has not been so good, mainly because I let my sleep hygiene slip at bit. So as a reminder for myself and some food for thought for you, the topic of this week’s newsletter is how to sleep better. Sleep is often disrupted when you have a chronic illness. Living […]
Nurturing Radical Acceptance
In September I wrote about the power of radical acceptance for us living with chronic illnesses. There I discussed how this concept can help reduce suffering, enhance psychological resilience, improve emotional well-being, and strengthen relationships. But the journey doesn’t end with understanding; it’s an ongoing process of self-discovery and growth. In this follow-up blog post, […]
A Guide to Accepting Help
Living with a chronic illness can be a challenging journey. Often it requires an immense amount of strength and resilience. Coping with all the physical, emotional, and psychological challenges sometimes feels overwhelming. However, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to face it all alone. Accepting help from others is a valuable skill that […]
Embracing the Power of Radical Acceptance
Living with Chronic Illness Radical Acceptance is one of my core foundations in living with my chronic illnesses. I used it even before I knew the correct term. I felt deep down that there was no point in resisting the diagnosis and illnesses. I’ll never forget the day I found out I had celiac disease. […]
Coenzyme Q10 for Chronic Illness
What Are the Benefits and Risks? These last two weeks had been tough. I had been to the “Jurassic World” exhibition in Cologne with my teenager, which was a fantastic experience. It wasn’t just an exhibition; it felt like you were actually visiting the island. There were dinosaurs of all sizes, even baby ones, and they moved […]