It isn't easy! And it isn't cheap!
So here's some tips that I find helpful for everyday living, with my chronic illness.
I'm thinking about writing a book of tips for living with long term health conditions, so I'm using this post as a taster I guess... I hope you find these tips helpful, let me know what you think.
The tips I give are not medical advice. If you are not sure about anything consult your medical professional.
Here we go...
The benefits and work guide
It's about £12 a year, but the help and advice can be priceless...
An electric toothbrush -
No need to scrub your teeth with all your might wasting precious energy! An electric toothbrush takes less energy to use, with better cleaning results. (Don't forget to use those floss sticks!)
Pantyliners -
Sounds silly, but on some days, they are a life saver!
You can get 3 boxes of 50 for less than £2 from Superdrug when they are on special offer (they don't seem to have the pack of 50 online, so get someone to buy them for you, otherwise you can buy 30 for 99p a box which still isn't a bad price.) If you want to be as organic as possible, you could try Naturacare Pantyliners, Organyic, - or Washable Pantyliners which could work out cheaper in the long run, they're very comfy, and come in lots of different pretty patterns too!
I find Pantyliners so useful, especially for those days when changing clothes is too difficult, changing a pantyliner keeps me feeling cleaner, making those horrid days feel a little less yucky.
Infrared Heat pad -
Do some research/consult your doctor before going ahead and buying one for yourself to make sure it's suitable. I have found that my infrared heat pad was money well worth spent! I use it everyday (even on hot days!) it has multiple heat settings, and really helps my deep chronic pains and stiff muscles/joints. It's a life saver for menstrual pains as well. It also has a built in timer which I find really useful. I bought my heat pad straight from Firzone to be sure I got a legitimate product.
Muscle rubs -
If your tummy is too sensitive for painkillers (or find that they just don't work) Natural muscle rubs do exist! So there's no need to feed toxins to your body for some light relief
(don't use muscle rub and heat pads together as it's not a pleasant experience!)
you can buy hot or cold muscle products, I love Natural Hero as it's very good value for what it is.
If you want to go super natural, you could try this product from HandMadeNaturals or Gwdihw 25g if you want to try something natural but a bit cheaper - You can also buy Gwdihw 75g
All of these muscle rubs are made in the UK!
Ice Packs -
Another method that can help ease hot swollen joints, heat surges and general muscle aches.
Water and hydration -
It's the simplest tip, but easily forgotten.
Water is best absorbed when something has been infused in it. Make your water super healthy by infusing lemon, or something that's easier on the stomach like cucumber, or aloe vera, or grapes and apples. It also gives a lovely taste to the water without the need for toxic juices that contain lots of sugars and sweeteners. Add whatever fruit/veg you like!
Deep breathing for 10 minutes, 3 times a day -
It's relaxing, easy, and free!
breathe in, feeling your tummy raise (not your chest) Lower deep breathing is more relaxing and energising and helps the body regenerate quicker. Breathing chest first is very tiring and can leave you 'air hungry' so doing this exercise 3 times a day could help you feel a little better (little is better than nothing right?!)
Silent Time -
Sometimes we can get wrapped up with lots of noise - Be it tv, music, people talking (even it's quiet) Reading, thinking too much (I class that as noise too)
It's good to get at least ten minutes of silent space, preferably outside each day.
If you can't get outside, opening a window could be the next best thing.
Face Masks
Using a face mask is a great excuse to get some Silent Time! It's also something good to focus on and makes time feel more productive if you like to feel as though you're doing something.
Boy's - This includes you too!
You may think that face masks are a girly thing, but they are very relaxing, and if you find the right face mask, your skin will benefit too! Detoxing can cause spots and blemishes - Face masks also aid the skin when your body is detoxing, helping to get rid of the spots so that the skin can heal quicker and easier. I love the face mask powders from HandMadeNaturals - And I can't wait to try these face masks from Akamuti - Especially the Chocolate and Marshmallow Mask!
Rescue Remedy -
A brilliant little remedy that can help anxiety and stress levels for those days when these emotions become too dominant. Using this along side the other stress management methods is always a good idea!
CBT
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is often shunted at, probably because some people have claimed that it's 'cured them'
Well fear not - I'm not claiming that. However it's a really good tool to have as it will help keep the mind demons at bay that can occur when dealing with a long term health condition.
Isolation, depression, anxiety... countless mental health problems can sink in when one has been unwell for a very long time. This is actually pretty normal, but it doesn't mean that you have to accept it, as it will just make your quality of life worse if you don't fight it. And CBT can help you fight these horrid symptoms that can occur with chronic health conditions.
It will not improve your energy, it will not get rid of pain - But, it will help you cope with them better, and it will give you professional support through the tough things that chronic health can throw at you.
Limit your screen time -
It can be hard to do, especially when one's housebound, but it's worth it!
I don't watch much tv anymore, and I try really hard to limit my screen time on my phone and computer, because I have noticed how much energy it takes!
Why not try and split your screen time into half an hour intervals, resting for at least 10 minutes before you head back to the screens. On bad days make the breaks longer, as screen time can really drain energy without you realising.
Record the programmes you want to watch so you can spread them out throughout the weeks - I find my tv recorder a really good pacing tool because I love tv but if I watch it for more than an hour I feel rubbish! So it's great that I can watch things at my own pace, pause, or turn off when I like.
Coloured acetate for computer screens.
It's a really cheap and easy way to help light sensitivity and to reduce blue light exposure, and possibly help with insomnia.
I have personally found that with an orange sheet of acetate over my computer screen, my eyes don't 'burn out' so quickly. I bought some different warm shaded colours from Arty Folk and favoured orange. (don't buy any blue pigmented colours like purples and greens - stick to yellows, oranges, browns and reds)
Blue light reduction apps
Blue light isn't healthy at night as it tricks the brain into thinking it's morning. So reducing blue light exposure at night could actually help if you struggle to sleep or relax. It's no cure, but something is better than nothing.
If you don't fancy having a coloured sheet over your screen, try one of the free apps or programs that are available like F.lux it's free to download and can easily be turned off if you need to do anything creative like photo editing.
Nature -
Listening to nature can be naturally calming. birdsong, rain, the sound of the sea...
It's the only form of noise that I consider to be therapeutic. So if you're struggling to shut your mind of for some quiet time, invest in a nature cd and listen to it at least once a day.
Happy outings -
You want to spend your time wisely. So days when you're not visiting the doctor, and have rested enough, going out needs to be therapeutic.
Going to parks, cafes, restaurants, the beach is a great way to get some lovely fresh air and that much needed vitamin D from the sun. Or going to shops like The Range, The works, or other hobby shops can be really fulfilling and fun to go to.
What's better is that most of these places are wheelchair friendly!
Air out your home daily.
It's a brilliant routine to have - Opening the windows each day (preferably in the morning) to bring in lovely fresh air whilst ushering out the bad, stagnant stuff. I always feel much more uplifted and positive after airing out my home for a good 20 minutes.
Fresh air is always good, even when it's cold! Blow out those cobwebs!
Fans -
Keep the air circulation in your home with a couple of electric fans whilst windows are closed.
Himalayan salt lamps -
A stagnant house is an unhappy house, so it's really important to keep the place you spend the most time in naturally fresh and positive.
Lip Balms - Link
Sounds simple, but it can make each day a little different. I have an array of different flavoured natural lip balms which I use each day, it's a nice gentle way to stimulate the senses in a gentle way whilst making your lips nice and soft too. Be sure to get natural lip balm and not petroleum jelly based balms.
Keep one room tidy -
If you struggle to to tidy up - Don't stress about it. No one likes living in a mess, so I decided that if I can keep just one room tidy, I can go to that room if I need to escape from reality.
The room I keep tidy is usually the spare room, as it never gets used! If I need to relax, but my bedroom is a mess, it's the place I go to.
When I have got a little bit of energy to tidy, I simply tidy in 5 minute bursts a day so I don't overexert myself.
Kitchen Gadgets -
Gadgets like a NutriBullet or Breville Family Blender; A Food Processor, Slow Cooker, and Dishwasher (I have a full size dishwasher)
Have all been the most helpful gadgets I and my family have invested in over the years. (not forgetting the microwave)
Make a breakfast or lunch smoothie in less than 5 minutes with the smoothie gadgets mentioned above, or make your own nut mylk - they're super easy to clean too!
Cut down food preperation time with a food processor and just place the used components in the dishwasher after use! With a food processor you can also make super healthy treats and snacks like nut truffles, raw cheesecake, and raw protein bars. ( I have the kenwood as it was the best cheap one I could find, but if you are noise sensitive, I suggest using ear plugs, or buying a MagiMix food processor as it's a much better quality machine with a very low noise level when it's in use, just be prepared for it's ridiculous price tag!)
Throw ingredients and water into a slow cooker before bed or in the morning, turn on, and leave to cook all day, it's the easiest way to have a healthy dinner freshly cooked. You could makes ready meals by freezing any leftovers too.
Shopping online
As fun as it can be to sometimes go out, shopping for daily essentials and food can really be a waste of energy!
Buy your food online, so you can spend your energy on better things, like visiting your local park, favourite cafe for lunch, or a tearoom, for tea and cake of course...
I love ordering my veg from Riverford, or Able and Cole. Knowing that my veg is organic, fresh AND local, it's a win all round. Yes, it does cost more, but I cut back on other things where I can.
On weeks when I can't afford these lovely veg boxes, I buy organic veg from the supermarket online.
So I get my veggies mainly from Riverford, cupboard food from the major supermarkets depending on what vouchers I have, supplements mainly from Bodykind (Sometimes I take a special outing to Holland and Barrett as it's next to a coffee shop so I can sit down after) Beauty products from Naturisimo, Lucy Rose (free delivery over £15), HandMadeNaturals (not free delivery but the products are amazing) And have recently found another shop, Love Lula.
Apart from the supermarkets... most of the web shops mentioned above offer Free Delivery in the UK
What's great about shops that offer free delivery on any purchase is the fact that I don't have to buy everything at once, so I'm not spending lots of money in one go just to get free postage.
Get someone to batch cook for you.
It could be a healthier alternative if someone makes homemade ready meals for
you from scratch. Just be sure to freeze homemade food within 24 hours of
making them, to use fresh frozen meals within one month of freezing and always
make sure food is piping hot throughout before eating.
Perfume Free
Home...
Unless you use essential oils and natural products to scent your home, regular
air fresheners and scented candles contain lots of toxic chemicals, and from
personal experience, can worsen your symptoms.
I realised this a few years ago, when I noticed that my fatigue and headaches
would get much worse every time I visited my parents house, then when I left,
my health improved again. When I asked my mum to store away her scented products and to air
her home out a week before I arrived, I found that every time we did the test, my symptoms did not worsen
as they usually did. I
always notice my symptoms worsen when I visit a home that uses artificially
scented products the minute I walk through the door.
Get rid of those scented candles, air fresheners, scented plug ins, diffusers,
and carpet fresheners - Natural alternatives are available!
Essential Oils
There are so many essential oils, there is bound to be one for you!
Because it's difficult and stressful living with a chronic health condition,
the ones I find most helpful are calming and energizing.
Litsea: Although energizing, it's also good for calming anxiety, aiding good
quality sleep, and helps digestion.
Lavender: Good for headaches and stress.
Chamomile Roman: Goes well with Lavender and it also calming.
Grapefruit: Smells like cheesecake and is very uplifting!
Add essential oils to unscented massage oils or products; Use them as a foot or
bath soak - just be careful as oils are slippery.
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