Get Outdoors More

by irenesroth

The warmer temps make it easier for us to get outside. It’s more exciting and inviting. And the birds are chirping and chattering. How wonderful and hopeful. It’s soothing and grounding.

However, when we live with a chronic illness, getting outdoors can be hard because we’ve been sedentary all winter. For many of us, it was hard to get out of the house because of all the ice and snow on the ground around our homes. But now, it’s like we got a new lease on life. Except we have to be cautious not to overdo it.

Thus, it’s important for us to mindfully and slowly get outside. When we do, everything will be dirty because of all the salt and grime from the winter. So, we’ll see a lot of we should be doing and cleaning. Yet, if we try to get it all done at once, we’ll pay dearly and what was enjoyable may end up not as uplifting and inspiring because we will find ourselves in bed with a flare.

In order not to overdo it, we should follow these steps:

  1. Make a list of everything you need to do. Write it in a home book or journal.
  • Plan to do no more than a few things a day or even every other day.
  • Plan not to work for more than 30 to 45 minutes a day on yard work.
  • Don’t judge yourself for being too slow. It’s important for you to be lower and more intentional.
  • Keep track of how much you get done in a week. You may be surprised at how much you get done.

By taking these steps, you’ll be able to enjoy the spring season and slowly get things done so that once the real warm weather comes, you can just sit and enjoy your backyard and garden.

Try it!

Spring into Renewal: Thriving with Chronic Pain and Fatigue This Season! By Irene Roth

by irenesroth

Spring is a season of renewal, but for those living with chronic pain and fatigue, the transition can be challenging. While the world bursts into bloom, you might feel stuck in the lingering grip of winter weariness. However, with a few intentional adjustments, you can harness the energy of spring and step into the season with renewed vitality. Here’s how to make the most of the longer days and fresh beginnings.

1. Embrace Gentle Movement

The arrival of spring invites us outdoors, but overexertion can trigger flare-ups. Instead of diving into strenuous activities, ease into gentle movement. Try short, mindful walks in nature, gentle stretching, or restorative yoga. The key is to move in a way that nourishes your body rather than depletes it. If outdoor exercise is an option, soak up some vitamin D while practicing deep breathing to enhance relaxation and circulation.

2. Prioritize Restorative Sleep

With daylight savings time and shifting daylight patterns, sleep schedules can get thrown off balance. Quality sleep is crucial for those with chronic pain and fatigue, so create a bedtime routine that signals your body to wind down. Dim the lights an hour before bed, reduce screen time, and practice relaxation techniques such as guided meditation or deep breathing. Consider blackout curtains or a sleep mask to improve sleep quality, ensuring your body gets the rest it needs to embrace spring’s energy.

3. Spring Clean Your Environment (Gently!)

A clutter-free space can improve mental clarity and reduce stress. However, tackling an entire spring-cleaning project in one go isn’t realistic for those with chronic conditions. Instead, break tasks into small, manageable segments. Declutter one drawer at a time or do light dusting while seated. Choose non-toxic, scent-free cleaning products to avoid triggering sensitivities. Creating a fresh and peaceful space can uplift your mood and reduce sensory overwhelm.

4. Nourish with Seasonal Foods

Spring brings a bounty of fresh fruits and vegetables that can support your well-being. Incorporate anti-inflammatory foods such as berries, leafy greens, and omega-3-rich sources like walnuts and salmon. Hydration is equally important—herbal teas and infused water with citrus or cucumber can make drinking water more enjoyable. A well-balanced diet helps combat fatigue and inflammation, giving your body the nutrients it needs to thrive.

5. Set Energizing Yet Realistic Goals

Spring often feels like a time for fresh starts, but setting overly ambitious goals can lead to frustration. Instead, set small, achievable goals that align with your energy levels. Whether it’s spending five minutes outside each day, journaling, or trying a new hobby at a gentle pace, celebrating small victories can boost confidence and motivation without overwhelming your system.

6. Connect with Nature and Community

Spending time in nature has been shown to reduce stress and improve well-being. Even if a full nature walk isn’t feasible, sitting outside with a warm beverage or tending to potted plants can provide a soothing connection to the season. Additionally, reconnecting with supportive friends, online communities, or local support groups can help you feel less isolated and more encouraged.

Thus, the spring season symbolizes renewal, but that doesn’t mean you have to rush into major changes. Honor your body’s pace and find joy in small, intentional shifts. By embracing gentle movement, prioritizing rest, nourishing yourself, setting realistic goals, and connecting with nature, you can welcome the new season with balance and grace. This spring, let renewal come on your own terms—one soft, steady step at a time.

Happy spring, everyone!

Happy Spring!

by irenesroth

I love March. The days are getting longer and life seems much cheerier. Spring is my favorite season of the year. And March 1st signals the beginning of Meteorological spring. How uplifting.

As uplifting as this season is, it can be difficult for people living with chronic pain and disability. Any new season brings it’s challenges. We must adjust to different amounts of movement, time changes, temperature fluctuations and much more. Life can become an uphill battle for sure.

So, this month, I’ll offer tips on how to move into the spring season in a healthy way by planning and being more conscious of how we can have our best season ever. Only then can we enjoy spring instead of starting off too energetically and then crashing.

As a summary, this month, I will discuss:

  1. How to pace yourself so that you can enjoy the great outdoors. Finally, the temperature is nice. We can get out and get moving, right? Please be care to enjoy and not overdo it.
  • How to do spring cleaning so that you don’t pay for it darly. There’s nothing more wholesome than decluttering and enjoying ourselves while doing it. However, spring cleaning is so hard to do. Please pace yourself and try not to overdo it.
  • Prepare for the time change. When the chocks spring forward, we get an hour less sleep. It can take an adjustment to wake up earlier. Be patient with yourself. And give yourself time to rest.
  • Slow down and rethink your life a bit. Life is short. Spring gives us a chance at a new beginning. Why not take the time to think what you’d finally like.  

By taking these steps, you’ll be able to enjoy spring while honoring yourself and making this the most fruitful spring ever.

Try it!

Befriend Your Inner Child

by irenesroth

Most of us go through our day and lives disconnected from ourselves, especially those deeper parts of ourselves. There are parts of us that never left us. It exists alongside us. This is our childhood self. It doesn’t mean we’re immature when we befriend our inner child. Instead, I think we become even more mature by acknowledging that playful part of who we are.

Our inner child can deeply influence how we see the world through the eyes of who we were when we were born. She can influence our intuition and how we live as well. It can impact our life and decisions as well as who we choose for a romantic partner. Yet we may be unconscious of our inner child.

We may even have several inner children as various parts of ourselves can be stuck at a certain age, from baby to adolescent.

If you struggled with childhood trauma where your emotional needs weren’t met, then your inner child might exist as a wounded, angry, shame-filled self and now who feels just as you did when you were the age these experiences occurred.

So, why dos this becoming aware of your inner child matter when you’re chronically ill? It matters because when you have ongoing pain and fatigue, you need to nurture yourself from the inside out. And this means getting to know your inner child.

Here are some ways to get to know your inner child:

  1. Learn to listen to your inner child. She is like any small person. She needs attention. She needs to be listened to. She needs a chance to share her fears, joys, and desires.

Try to set aside time regularly, even if it’s just 5 minutes a day, to listen to your inner child and listen to what she has to say. This an be through meditation, going for a walk, or writing a letter to your inner child. Or, just sit still and listen. The key is to imagine that your adult self is talking to your younger self in a loving way, as you would to a child. Ask your child how she’s feeling right now. Ask her what she needs right now.

  • Commit to taking care of your inner child’s needs. Your inner child needs to know that you’re looking out for her. If your inner child can’t depend on you, you can’t develop a strong relationship with her. Try to become a safe shelter for your inner child. Learn what she needs most at different times. For instance, does she need comfort, protection, limits, boundaries, fun? You must show your inner child that she can rely on you for these things.
  • Start a practice of daily check-ins with your inner child. See what’s bothering her. If you’re scared and your stomach hurts, your inner child may be trying to get your attention.
  • Take your inner child seriously. A child’s concerns are very important. So, commit to paying attention to your younger self. Look for ways you may be invalidating her, even now.. even if her worries seem irrational, you must hold her in your love. As you build trust with your inner child, you’ll develop a deeper relationship with her.
  • Get curious about your feelings about your inner child. Does she make you feel angry, shame or judgmental at times? Are you frustrated with her? If so, try to be more self-compassionate towards her.
  • Connect with a therapist. Inner child work isn’t always easy, especially if you had a difficult time during your younger years. You can have wounds that weren’t processed. This is why getting support from a compassionate professional is so important.

By taking these steps, you’ll be befriending your inner child and getting to know your needs more. And this will help you cope a lot better with your chronic illness and will help you to take special care of yourself on those hardest days.

Practice Self-Care

by irenesroth

Individuals living with fibro and other chronic conditions may have a hard time practicing self-care. We may find it easier to be hard on ourselves and push past our limits. This can make it difficult to keep going because when we overdo it regularly, we feel more exhausted, anxious and in pain.

I find this to be an all-encompassing problem for me these days. I never feel like i do enough because I always feel tired and unfocused. Brain fog follows me around my day like a mist over my head, blinding my reality, focus and much more. In fact, I usually wake up exhausted and things don’t get any better unless I make time for rest times when I do nothing but breathe and center.

For me, practicing self-care is hard. I walk around on auto-pilot most of my day, disconnected from who I am and what I do. By late evening, I’m exhausted. I want to stop the cycle but I don’t know how to do that. The only way I can see is to schedule in pause breaks into my day as a way to practice self-care.

I’m sure many of you have heard of what PAUSE means. Here’s a refresher:

P – Pause and take a few deep breaths to calm down your nervous system and ground yourself in the present.

A = Ask yourself “Do I want to keep overdoing it?” “Why am I overdoing it?” “Do I feel less than others?”

U = Understand that you have a choice to stops and let go.

S = Say and repeat the mantras,

  • Overdoing is the root cause of my suffering.
  • I can not overdo it.
  • I am more than what I do.

E = Experience what you’re feeling without judgment, resistance or overthinking. Become aware where in your body you feel the emotion. Then let it go.  

By using this five-step process, you can start practicing self-care by getting out of unconsciously going from one thing to another. As an added bonus, you may not over do it as often.

Be Kind to Yourself

by irenesroth

It can be so hard for fibro warriors to be kind to themselves. We live with a tremendous amount of pain and discomfort all the time. We’re also tired a lot of the time. How can we be at our best?

It’s very difficult, if not impossible, to do so. It’s far easier for us to be hard on ourselves. But does this take us anywhere? Is this negative mindset in line with feeling better about ourselves?

Here are a few ways to be kind to yourself:

  1. Carve out me-time. Take time to un-plug from your computer and technology. This is a great way to recharge mind, body and spirit. Listen to calming music, write in your journal, or practice yoga. You can also meditate.
  • Take care of yourself. Nourish yourself with good food, take care of your body, get enough sleep and take regular breaks.
  • Acknowledge your feelings and emotions. Be kind to yourself and whatever you’re going through. Give yourself permission to experience your emotions.
  • Complement yourself. Pat yourself on the back and say something inspiring, such as, I am doing so well. Great job, despite all your pain.
  • Accept and appreciate yourself. Stop trying to change yourself or your reality. Instead, embrace who you are and where you are. Be open to discovering the real and beautiful person you are. We all have strengths and weaknesses. We all have silly mistakes. And we all fail every now and then. But we’re still a gift from God. Make room to become who you are.

By taking these steps, your quality fo life will improve and you’ll feel much better about yourself.

Try it!

Practice Self-Love and Self-Acceptance

by irenesroth

It can be hard not to be hard on ourselves when we’re chronically ill and we feel pain and fatigue all the time. It’s far easier to wish we were still able to do things as we used to do and to have ample energy. But this is no longer our reality. We have to accept where we are instead of fighting it all the time.

But this is so hard to do, especially if we were just diagnosed with our chronic condition(s) and/or if we’re young at heart. We may feel that we just should keep going and we want to keep pushing past our limits. But perhaps this is precisely what we shouldn’t be doing. Instead, we should practice self-acceptance.

Here are a few ways to be more accepting of where we are and what we need to do in order to take care of ourselves.

  1. Take 5 minutes to intentionally breathe. Go to a quiet spot, sit down and take a few deep breaths. This can calm feelings of stress and overwhelm.
  • Look in the mirror and compliment yourself instead of criticizing yourself. Complement your eyes, smiles, or wrinkles before you even have your daily coffee. This is a form of self-talk that can be done anywhere.
  • Nourish yourself with wholesome food and drink. Avoid alcohol as it has detrimental effects on your immune system and negatively impacts your inflammatory response.
  • Take a calm walk outside, if possible. It can ground you and center you like nothing else. And you can get your body moving.
  • Listen to music. Music is one of the most relaxing tools we have ever created. Music that you like can be stress reducing and promotes introspection, self-love and an appreciation for life.
  • Listen to your body. Many of us ignore the signs from our body. However, our body really does keep the score and we should honor it.
  • Practice self-care. Instead of pushing past our pains, we should practice self-care instead. This can help us feel better and more capable of carrying on.

Be sure to pause a few times a day and do things that make you feel good. You may want to try:

  • Self-massage.
  • A quick centering meditation.
  • A moment of gratitude.
  • A moment of self-appreciation with affirmations.

By taking these steps, you’ll be practicing self-care and self-love.

Align Your Tasks with Your Energy Levels By Irene Roth

by irenesroth

People living with chronic conditions frequently struggle with low energy and pain-filled days. This is an integral part of living with a chronic illness, making it difficult if not impossible to do some of the things we plan to do. Therefore, being patient and compassionate with ourselves is most important.

We must also choose to complete our small goals daily and weekly when we’re at our est. and this can wrack havoc with the smooth completion of our goals. We have to weigh whether we can still do even a bit of a goal instead of doing nothing, depending on how we feel.

it would seem that it may be better for us to do a bit instead of do nothing at all. Not only will we be building momentum if we do even a bit, but we’ll also be creating a can-do attitude in ourselves. And this can help us feel better about ourselves in the long run. This is so important for people who are chronically ill.

To determine when you’re at your best, you may have to do some experimenting. Choose some times when you feel focused, energetic and not in a lot of pain. You may have to journal about this for a week or two. Then decide what you’re going to do and when the time comes, do it. If successful, jot that time down and schedule a similar time in the future.

If you find it hard to complete your goal in the allotted time, be patient and compassionate. You’ll get there in time.

Try it.

Strengthen Your Routine By Irene Roth

by irenesroth

It can be hard for people living with chronic illness to create a consistent routine. This is because our chronic pain and fatigue fluctuates daily and sometimes moment to moment. We may have the best of intentions, but creating healthy habits and maintaining them is so hard. However, setting up a routine is not impossible if you’re flexible and plan well.

Here are some ways to do this:

  1. Keep it simple. Identify one small action you can start implementing. Plan to do something easy to incorporate into your life. This will help to increase the likelihood that you will do it.
  • Make the habit relevant and meaningful. Do something that matters to you, not to your partner, best friend, therapist or medical provider. Remember meaningful doesn’t always mean enjoyable or even easy.
  • Figure out when best to do what you set out to do. Choose a time where you have energy and are not as sore. On those unpredictable times when you feel pain or are very tired, be flexible and tuck your inner critic away.
  • Reassess how you’re doing at the end of the week. Decide what works and what doesn’t. learn from your previous rhythms and energy fluctuations and honor them.
  • Identify less physically and/or mentally demanding activities that you can substitute for your target routine on days when you feel tired. Perhaps break the duration/how long you do your habit.
  • Reward yourself for a job well done. Watch a movie or go out for lunch—anything that will put a smile on your face. This will encourage you to keep doing your habit for another reward.

By taking these steps, you will be strengthening your routine. Try it with self-compassion and self-love.

Write Down Your Goals for 2025 – Irene Roth

by irenesroth

Many chronically ill individuals feel so exhausted and in pain all the time that they have a hard time setting goals and committing to them. It can be hard for us to do things that will improve our lives, even if it is by a bit because our energy levels are so low.

Instead, it is quite habitual for us to feel dejected and less than we ever were.  However, this need not be the case, as we discussed in last week’s blog. We can work at changing our mindset so that it is much more positive and encouraging.

Whether we’re chronically or not, this should affect who we are on the inside. We’re still the same person we were before the onset of our chronic illness. We have the same values and beliefs. And we can still enjoy similar things, such as a warm bed, cozy chair to sit in, and our books and journals. We can crate quiet corners for ourselves where we can just sit and be with a warm cup of tea.   

Therefore, our mindset truly matters in our lives. We can cultivate a positive attitude in our lives. We can set one or two small, realistic goals n our lives and we can take steps to achieve these goals. 

So, what would you like to accomplish this year? A new year gives us a blank sleight, a hopeful new beginning to do things differently. It may be as simple as sitting down and deciding what’s missing in your life now. Maybe you’d like to socialize more or take a few day trips over the course of the year. Or you may want to start a new hobby. Or, maybe you’d like to start a blog. Or write a book.

Whatever it is, make sure that you write down your goal in your planner. Then break up the goal into small, achievable steps. Make sure it’s something you can complete in 10 or 15 minutes. That way, you’ll be sure to be able to do it even on those hardest days.

For example, say you want to bet more active. Maybe you’d like to walk for 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Just be sure to write it down. Then once you write it down, be sure to write it into your schedule. To do that, you must decide on the time you’d like to work on one part of your goal.

If there are days you can’t walk because you’re sore or tired, give yourself some grace and start again the next day. Don’t beat yourself up. Just keep progressing slowly.

By taking these steps, you’ll feel more in control of your life, despite living with a chronic illness.

Try it!