Chances are, you are no stranger to loss. Especially when you live with MS, kidney disease or a heart condition, you haven’t just lost your health, but perhaps also your career, people in your life and that unshaken belief in your body. And you have a right to grieve the things you no longer have, and all the dreams for the future that might never come true now.
But loss isn’t all bad. Sometimes we need to shed the old in order to grow or to make room for new things. As the saying goes, autumn reminds us how beautiful it is to let things go. So ask yourself, what’s weighing me down that I could get rid of? What no longer serves me now that my life has changed?
Maybe you’ve come to realize that it doesn’t make much sense to be overly attached to certain possessions or status symbols. Maybe you have toxic people in your life who drain your energy instead of support you. Or perhaps it’s time to finally kick those limiting beliefs and negative thought patterns to the curb.
Letting go of the past isn’t easy. It takes patience, self-compassion and inner work. You have to make room for your negative emotions to flow and learn the lessons from the situations. Because holding on to pain doesn’t fix your problems.
So hopefully these 16 quotes will help you to let go – of the good and the bad – and move forward again with hope in your heart.
This blog post contains some affiliate links to resources you may find useful, at no extra costs to you. All opinions are my own.
You know how they say that laughter is the best medicine? As frivolous as that may sound, there actually is some truth in that.
Research confirms that having a strong sense of humor helps you live longer, even if you have poor health. That’s because laughter releases endorphins that boost your mood and counteract the negative effects of stress, like compromised immunity. Even better, these feel-good chemicals raise your ability to ignore pain, making genuine laughing a fun tool to manage chronic pain.
Laughing out loud also supports your heart health, by increasing your heart rate and the amount of oxygen in your blood as well a lowering your blood pressure. And let’s not forget how humor lightens your burden, strengthens your relationships and helps you deal with distressing emotions.
These benefits are no joke, so why aren’t we laughing and smiling more?
This blog post contains some affiliate links to products you may find useful, at no extra costs to you. All opinions are my own.
Experiencing joy and feeling sick every single day – that sounds like a huge contradiction right?
You’re right, there’s nothing fun about chronic illness. Being exhausted and in pain, having serious symptoms, not being able to do the things you love, it all sucks the joy right out of your day.
And yet, joy is a more powerful emotion than we give it credit for.
When you’re having fun, feel passionate or burst out laughing, your brain receives a signal to release dopamine and serotonin. These ‘happy hormones’ causes reactions in many other parts of your body, like a racing heart from excitement or butterflies in your stomach. Through this chemical process, joy boosts your immunity, reduces stress and pain, improves your heart health and makes it more likely to stick to a healthy lifestyle. Studies show that even a fake smile can trick your brain into a better mood and lower stress levels.
So when you think of it, you actually need more positive emotions like joy now that you are sick. Not just to support your health, but to counteract all the negative experiences you’re dealing with. According to the happiness ratio concept, you need 3 positive emotions for every negative one in order to feel good, physically and emotionally. (Ok, the exact ratio is criticized but not really important – the idea that you need plenty of positivity in life for a healthy balance is).
Making room for joy in your day is not a luxury, it’s a necessity for your wellbeing.
Sounds great, but how can you cultivate joy when you’re chronically ill or experiencing other kinds of hardship?
The first thing to realize, is that you can be sick and hurting and experience moments of joy at the same time. Feeling happy and excited or having fun does not mean that you aren’t seriously ill. It means you were able to put your pain aside for a little while to enjoy life too. These conflicting emotions can coexist. Filling your days with more laughter and more fun activities is not selfish or frivolous – you’re simply trying to live a full life despite your illness (and work on your health in the mean time!).
Even on bad days, you can try to find joy in your senses, from cherishing a good piece of chocolate to listening to your favorite song. You can find joy in playfulness, getting silly and laughter. It isn’t easy, but looking for the humor in every situation can be a helpful coping mechanism. You can even find joy in accomplishments, like putting in a day’s of hard work or overcoming challenges.
Whatever sparks joy for you, make sure your sprinkle more of these simple pleasures throughout your day. I highly recommend making your own happy list to cultivate positivity when life’s tough.
And perhaps the 15 joy quotes below will give you some inspiration – or at least put a smile on your face today.
We’d all love to protect ourselves from being hurt, to try to live a happy life. But that’s not always possible.
Vulnerability means you’re exposed to the possibility of getting harmed, either physically or emotionally. Maybe you worry about failure, rejection or being judged. Your medical condition may also make you feel physically and emotionally vulnerable due to fear, anxiety, and worry.
The good news is that vulnerability can also act as a source of strength if you learn why you need to embrace it.
This blog post contains some affiliate links to resources you may find useful, at no extra costs to you. All opinions are my own.
Friedrich Nietzsche famously said: “What does not kill us, makes us stronger.” It’s great catch phrase used in songs and movies, but can surviving traumatic events actually lead to a positive outcome?
That’s a question people have been asking themselves throughout history. For thousands of years, humans have been telling stories about an ordinary hero going on an adventure, who overcomes challenges agains all odds and then comes home transformed.
When you’re in the middle of a war zone, lying in a hospital bed or grieving a loved one, it’s hard to see how anything good could ever come from that. But science shows that traumatic events not only cause immense distress, but can also provide an opportunity for personal change, namely post-traumatic growth.
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