24 Resolutions People With Chronic Illnesses Are Making for 2016

New Year’s is the perfect time to reflect and congratulate yourself on all you’ve achieved this year. It can also be a time to set new goals.

We asked people in our Mighty community who live with chronic illnesses to share some of the resolutions they’re making this year. Whether it’s to take better care of yourself, to be more patient with those around you or to just take a moment to enjoy the good things in life, they’re all perfect resolutions.

Here are 24 New Year’s resolutions from people living with chronic illnesses:

1. “To forgive myself for the things I don’t have the energy or patience to get done.” — Rebecca A Graham

2. “To be more mindful in living with the undiagnosed pieces of my chronic illness. I have to keep fighting. Even though we’re not 100 percent sure what I’m dealing with, I still have to live (well) with it.” — Jen Decker

3. “To find more peace in my life by valuing myself more and not allowing negative people to affect my mood.” — Sarah Jane Johns

4. “My New Year’s resolutions include forcing myself to get out at least once a week to do ceramics so that I’m leaving the house for something besides kidney dialysis.” — Kelley Paterson

5. “To never let people get my spirit down and to answer their curious questions with compassion. Most people aren’t being mean, they just want to understand.” — Nikki Lynn Nichols

6. “To accept that my body is going to respond how it wants to stress and the ups and downs of life… But to not let the ‘chronic crap’ control me.” — Kerry Hussey

7. “To allow myself to rest during an off day instead of worrying about all the things I ‘should’ do.” — Lucy Clapham

8. “To finally nail down a diagnosis!” — Emma Wozny

9. “To finally create a support network. Living with a chronic illness is so hard, but fighting it alone is worse.” — Syrena Clark

 

10. “Managing my illness is just my normal. So my resolutions are just the normal stuff — lose weight, exercise, be helpful to the less fortunate.” — Vicki Gomes Petilli

11. “[To] have more ‘me time’ without feeling guilty for doing so.” — NIkki Slaght

12. “To remember my husband suffers from my depression as well.” — Sally Chancellor Peters

13. “[To] not beat myself up when I can’t accomplish or do things healthy people do.” — Christina Chalgren

14. “To try to let unnecessary things go.” — Sharon McKinney

15. “I don’t have to be Superwoman to everyone. I need to be kinder to my body. Saying ‘no’ is a good thing.” — Shannon Turner-Williford Nichols

16. “To have a day, just one day, where I feel great — no pain, no mental anguish. To be able to be happy, to feel that happiness and to remember how I used to be, to find myself, the old me, even just for one day.” — Mari Smith-Roerig

17. “I have interstitial cystitis. My New Year’s resolution is to learn to train for a marathon, which can be almost impossible with a bladder condition.” — Shanna Ni

18. “To learn that asking for help or accommodations is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign that I am fighting for my body and what it needs, and there is no shame in that.” — Sarah McGee

19. “I’m going to try to not give a crap what judgmental people say, especially family who think they know what’s best for me.” — Janet Hall Bond

20. “[To] laugh all the time!” — Saba Ansari

21. “To keep raising awareness about rare conditions and campaigning for treatments.” — Polly Moyer

22. “To sometimes just do the fun stuff first — the things that make you live instead of simply survive.” — Crystal Hamlin

23. “To stop explaining myself to those who just do not get what I fight every day.” — Renee Slisky Musick

24. “To accept that life may be tough, but I am tougher.” — Hannah Helmers

*Answers have been edited and shortened. 

Let us know your resolutions in the comments below.