Monday, May 29, 2017

Self-Care with a Chronic Illness: Sleep with Kirstin


It's Arthritis Awareness Month! This month I am challenging you to take a little time each day and practice better self-care. Each day in May, I plan to share one simple way you can show yourself some love and appreciation.

On May 1st, I posted  Self-Care with a Chronic Illness: Holding Each Other Accountable. I asked how often you ask your friends and family, "What are you doing for self-care?" So, I had to ask those in my self-care community.

Kirsten, from Not Standing Still's Disease and the awesomeness behind Chronic Sex, is a friend from the health community who I first met online and later through advocacy conferences. One of the many things I love about Kirsten is that she observes the positive strengths of others and then skillfully brings people in the health community together. 

Sleep.  I used to fight sleep all the time, up until the last year or so. I have a hard time sleeping at night, but sometimes just pass out earlier in the evening or, now that I work at home, earlier in the day. I’ve stopped doing that, focusing on listening to what my body is telling me. If my body says I need sleep, then I need sleep.

Our bodies straddle this world between functioning and sabotaging itself. It takes so much more energy for it to try and carry out normal functions. Plus, with pain interrupting our sleep, there’s no reason to not take advantage of naps!


2 comments:

  1. I am a huge fan of sleep and wouldn't be able to get through the day without my daily nap/Mandatory Rest Period. but what do you do when all your body wants to do is sleep? I've been really tired five months now and especially in the past month. I feel like I could sleep 24 hours a day. But I push through and try to get something done at least part of the day. Maybe I shouldn't?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love my morning nap. I am able to write this evening or any evening, because i had a nice nap this morning. So yes I am a nig big fan of the snooze.

    ReplyDelete