Recently, I took part in the “I’m not my Pain” podcast with Melissa Adams.The podcast was so wonderful to participate in. I just learned so much!
But more than that, the host Melissa Adams is beyond wonderful and empathic! She is a host like no other I ever had. Thank you, Melissa!
In this blog, I would like to discuss a few aha moments that I had during the podcast. In blogs that follow this month and next, I will be delving further into some of my reflections and aha moments after this podcast.
It can be hard to separate yourself from your pain since it affects every part of your life and especially your attitude and mindset. It is when you realize that you are so much more than your pain that you can thrive and live a wonderful life. Each one of us can do that for oureselves.
When I was first diagnosed with osteoarthritis, I was pretty sure my life was over. But that wasn’t the case at all. I am a testament to the fact that we can live well with arthritis or any chronic condition.
How can we do this? Well here are a few tips I’d like to share with you.
First, watch your self-talk. Many times, what we say to ourselves over and over can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, if you keep telling yourself that you will never get better or that your life is over, you may just bring it about.
Further, our negative self-talk can affect our attitudes and mood. So, it is especially important to become mindful of what you tell yourself about your chronic illness. If you can try to be as confident as you can, this will positively affect your overall health and well-being. But, unfortunately, if you say negative things to yourself a lot of the time, this too will impact how you live your life.
Second, realize that having a chronic condition is not all negative. There are many blessings about learning how to slow down, declutter parts of our lives, and doing some of the things we enjoy every day. Taking the time to figure out what these things are for you can have a significant impact on your well being, too.
When we were in our younger years without chronic illness, we probably overdid it a lot of the time. We may have had a difficult time to make time to do the things we enjoy. We even could have had a hard time figuring out what we needed to do to make our life more meaningful.
I felt that way for the first few decades prior to my diagnosis. However, when I became chronically ill and started reflecting on what’s most important, the answers started popping into my awareness. This is when my life became so much more meaningful.
Third, you are so much more than your arthritis or any other chronic condition. You don’t have to identify with it. Remember, you have a chronic condition, it doesn’t have you unless you believe it defines you.
We have our chronic condition. Yes, we will have bad days and good days. But we are still in control of our lives. We can take the time to rest and be. We can take time to enjoy ourselves. And we could live a good life.
So, take stock today. If you are struggling with a chronic illness, know in every fibre of your being that you can live a good life. Now that spring is around the corner, it can be a great time to take steps towards renewal and replenishment. You have the key, my dear friends.
Stay tuned for more wisdom from the “I am not my Pain” podcast. It’s so amazing when an hour can transform your life to such a degree!
Thank you, Melissa! You’re the best!
Irene Roth
Living With Chronic Illness 