Simple ways to help manage chronic illness...

Simple ways to help manage chronic illness... from someone who has been there.

I went through a period of 4-5 years dealing with hypothyroidism, and many other symptoms such as daily fatigue, raynaud’s syndrome, bloating, gut issues, cold extremities etc, 

I am super fortunate to have come through the other side of this, but I know how difficult it can be during those tired days, and the path to healing and improvement can be slow and full of ups and downs. 

Looking back at my healing journey, these were some of the things that really helped on the more difficult days.

1. Remind yourself that this time/day is temporary. Never live as if this will be your reality forever. I believe and am sure that the body will heal from anything, just like we know we'll heal from a paper cut. Sometimes it just takes a bit of exploring to find out what is getting in the way or preventing the body from doing what it needs to do. Your belief in your own healing is vital to keeping your energy and spirits up.

2. Prioritise listening to your body cues and trusting that you know what you need. Now is not the time to push through just because you feel you have to. Listen to your body and allow each day to be different.

3. Take a break from the noise. I felt an urgency to research and listen to everything I could to learn how to heal quicker, but sometimes it was too much to process in one day. Most of the answers we're looking for are in the body cues anyway, so taking time to be in silence is so valuable.

4. Warm meals and herbal teas are a great option when feeling particular cold, shut down, numb etc. Warming foods can create a sense of safety, and soothe the gut, which has a huge impact on the brain and energy levels. Anti inflammatory teas could include ginger, lemon-balm, peppermint and hibiscus etc.