When you are in the joy of victory, take a moment to write yourself a love note. When we have moments of victory during chronic illness, we can use that for days to come when it is not so glorious. Chronic illness is not one big victory, it tons of smaller ones. The victories are hard to remember when we are in the really bad days (or weeks, even months or years) of illness. Love notes to ourselves is a beautiful way to remember, to feel the hope of past victories to help us keep walking through some of the darker days.
Love notes to self will remind you later that you really are having victories through this difficult experience of chronic illness. I don’t know why, but the victories are so easily forgotten.
Lyme is one of those diseases that messes with the mind and our sense of being human.
Chronic illness can be plum maddening at times. So, to remember the victories, quickly write yourself a love note as a reminder.
Keep It Simple
The next time you have a victory with your illness journey, write yourself a quick note.
Don’t make it complicated or you won’t do it.
Grab a piece of paper and write LOVE in circles.
Whoever wrote this, also took a very cool picture of it. If you like photography, have fun with your love notes and record them through pictures as well. Create a picture album of Love Notes to Self…
If you like to journal, start a Love Note to Self journal. You can detail the victories through your writing. Just remember to include the love note part of this. Use YOUR name in addressing yourself. Give yourself huge kudos for the victories.
It is so easy to get lost in chronic illness. We can lose a sense of who we are. We are real people. Love Notes to Self during victories helps us connect with ourselves in a different and fun way.
If you are able to get outside, celebrate the days of illness victories outside!!
Make a fun heart banner and hold it up to the light. Soak in the fresh air, the warm hug of sunshine, the victory of reaching another milestone in your wellness journey. Breath in the goodness of the moment. Create a part of that moment as a keepsake for later.
Celebrate the victory and record it. Actually record any victory you can. Record it in your unique way.
If it is Autumn, grab a leaf, they are everywhere! Write yourself a love note. Remind yourself that you are loved, by you. You are capable because you can see it in these victories. They really do come along from time to time on this very difficult experience. They are building on each other and we need reminding of that. It helps us stay connected to hope.
If you are making these fun things like paper hearts and notes on leaves, stick them in an old shoebox. Collect your victories and your love notes to yourself.
On a bad day grab the love box and enjoy the memories.
Remember that you are making progress. Remember that you are loved, by yourself. You are worthy of this wellness journey. Your body is capable of self-healing because it was designed to heal, not self-destruct (given the right support). Your mind is capable of healing. You are tender, fragile and you are incredibly strong and brave, the perfect combo that makes you, YOU!!!
Remember that there will be bad days as you walk out of chronic illness. The path takes work, some pretty darn hard work. There will be set-backs but when we have victories, celebrate the victories, remember the victories!!
When we choose to remember the victories, we can continue to see hope and keep walking this out…
Walking out of chronic illness can take a while. It took a while to get into it, so allow yourself time to get out of it and heal your body and mind. Since it takes time, make your love box filled with reminders of how much you are loved, by you.
Make it a goal to pull out that box every Valentine’s Day and soak in the memories of victories and love for YOU. You are real, you are loveable, exactly where you are today!!!
I know the chronic illness journey is tough. I know it can be very lonely. I know that it is long, confusing, scary and absolutely maddening at times. By doing things that help us connect with our humanness we don’t get as lost in the craziness of illness. At any point in the journey, we can love on ourselves.
Need help? Just ask… Contact me.
Maribeth
