Not every day is a “good day”, but it also doesn’t necessarily make it a “bad one” either. What IS important, is how I handle myself on those days. There is a lot that I can’t control in life, it’s true, but there is a lot I still can control. How I chose to see a situation can make a huge difference, to my mental, physical and emotional well-being.

So what can I do to support myself on days when life feels so much harder? Maybe the nausea is up, the pain is relentless, or I feel extra fatigued? Maybe for you the kids are screaming, or work is tough, or other things in your world aren’t great…

How do I show compassion and self-love on days like this? I thought I’d share a few of my tools…

1. I acknowledge how I’m feeling, and understand I may need to give myself extra grace for feeling a bit more off (being careful not to sit in that too).

2. I wear my favourite clothes or maybe put on a bit of make-up (if I can be bothered, today I didn’t have any energy today for that - and so that is ok too!)

3. What tools are in your toolbox? When I show certain sets of symptoms or a condition is flaring, I have protocols to instigate at home. This allows me to manage at home, but if I feel unwell it’s sometimes harder to make myself do some of these things — so find accountability or someone that can give you the extra ‘nudge’ you need to manage your health to treat what’s happening.

4. Break up your day into small segments to allow yourself to get through it more easily. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming, so don’t look at it in it’s full entirety, take it in smaller chunks. You did this chunk, so you can do the next, and so forth…

5. Finally, find a way to reward yourself through your day. Your favourite cuppa? A tv show? A hobby you love? A gentle warm shower? Have a list of the things that help you, and pick some of them. Sometimes I use these to help me get through what has to be done in a day as well.

A harder day isn’t a written-off day - it just has to be navigated differently... Some days are easier, and some aren’t. So, ‘one step at a time… soon enough when you look back, steps turn to miles!’

You got this! Xxx

ALT: Kylee in a pink t-shirt, looks wearily into the distance, hand on chin with sunken tired eyes.
 

About the Author: 

Kylee Black is a social entrepreneur committed to cultivating community and enabling the best in others. Kylee thrives on being connected to community, and this drives everything she does. Kylee advocates in the disability sector and has been an active part of the Enabling Good Lives demonstration that set out to give people with disabilities more choices and control in life. Kylee runs the online store Kylee & Co which is a co-op working directly with disabled persons and the wider community to make things more accessible as well as more functional, fashionable, and fun. “Accessible works for everyone and it just makes sense”. 

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