THE SECRET TO THRIVING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS

What’s the secret to getting beyond a chronic disease? What can you do when you feel like life keeps throwing you curve balls and everything you are enduring is just too much to take? Or when you are so tired of being sick that you feel like staying in bed and shutting the world out? Here are some go-to strategies and positive mindsets for living well with chronic illness that you can adopt that I learned from struggling and making peace with a rare chronic illness- dermatomyositis- for more than 10 years while creating to heal.

Check out “A Light in the Darkness: Transcending Chronic Illness through the Power of Art and Attitude” (Sep 2018 Crimson Cloak Publishing) for more strategies and ways you can use your creativity and attitude to help you heal.

LIFE LESSONS FOR THRIVING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS

• Awaken and greet each day with total love, gratitude and positive attitude

• Keep your spirits high and always have hope

• Strive to get the best quality of life from each day

• Do what you can with what you’ve got

• Come to peace with a new baseline and slower pace

• Find and live in your place of joy

• Tell yourself and believe you are blessed

• Find and recognize beauty in the little things

• Recognize when you need help; find and embrace a support system in family, friends, and your network

• Don’t do this alone! Learn to receive and nurture relationships

• Have empathy and compassion for others

• Make time and opportunity to create and express

• Write about your journey, illness, disability to process, share and connect

• Play, use humor, and find ways to smile and laugh

• Practice the law of attraction: if you imagine it and truly believe it, you can realize it; believe you can attract     what is good and positive into your life

• See opportunity from all experiences

• Ask yourself “What can I give?” “What can I learn?” and “What can I teach?” not “Why me?”

• Refuse to be a victim; know you are not the disease

• Be kind to yourself; acknowledge that you will have hard days and better days and listen to your body

• Find community to nurture different passions

• Find ways to give back, share your story, and have impact on others; be a light in the darkness

• Help others who are new to your illness or condition

• Encourage yourself with daily affirmations

• If you aren’t able to get out of the house, find and grow an online network

• Find and immerse yourself in something you are passionate about

• Consider making time for creative expression weekly or daily; add to your calendar and make it a habit and     practice

• Remember that YOU are enough; where you are and who you right now is enough

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Lisa Sniderman

(Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter/Playwright/Recording Artist/Composer/Author/Dreamer)

Living with a chronic illness for more than 10 years, Sniderman, also known as Aoede, creates, records, and shares her original musicals, art, music, and stories as a healing path. She fosters healing by giving your creative spirit wings and inspiring you to share your story.

"When life throws us curveballs; when we’ve lost our inspiration because of a significant change in health status, and if we live day in and day out with a chronic disease or disability, it’s tempting to want to give up our dreams, to play the victim. It’s easy to succumb to discouragement, self-pity, or even despair. But dreams and significant health challenges aren’t mutually exclusive. I’m a living example. We can live with hope, passion, and joy, even if the shape and substance of our dreams have changed!"

Latest posts by Lisa Sniderman (see all)

• THE SECRET TO THRIVING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS - February 12, 2019