October of 2016 was the beginning of a new normal for me, far before COVID-19 had started. It was a time of grief, sorrow, and bargaining. It was when I had obtained my mystery minor chronic illness. Mystery because I’ve had my tests done, and they all came out 100% fine. Minor because I am still able to carry out my day-to-day activities. And chronic because from one point forward, I had to deal with loss of energy and concentration for everyday of my life.
Countless times have I been told that nothing was wrong with me, and all of these are mere signs of anxiety. However, my change in physical appearance and internal sensation tells me otherwise. Drastically, I had become paler, weaker, and more tiresome. It was clear to me that something had changed. What it was - I was not certain for sure.
Dealing with mysteries can be unsettling because there is no definite answer. Not even science - the discipline which purports to know a lot of things - could tell me what I was facing. This had forced me to fight and cope using my own means. And for eight years, I have built a set of coping tips that I would like to share about today.
1. Gratitude
I keep a gratitude journal where I list things I am grateful for each day. This helps me focus on the positives despite the sea of negative feelings. In it, I list down all my blessings, however minor. It helps me realize I have a lot to be thankful for.
2. Exercise
With chronic fatigue, it may seem counterintuitive to exercise, but exercise helps release endorphins and maintains good chemical balance in the brain. Even simple walking can help lighten one’s mood, so I highly recommend this.
3. Friendships
Keeping close friends helps distract me from wallowing, as I shift my focus on others instead of just myself all the time. They also help me lower my feelings of anxiety whenever I rant to them. Just be careful not to rant too much because that will just bring the mood down.
4. Reframing
Self-blame is common with chronic illness, but we must realize that some things are beyond our control. Reframing thoughts can help shift our focus on things we can still do rather than things we cannot do.
5. Rest
After a day or some hours or some minutes of hard work, it can be rewarding to get some rest. Rest is the universal reset, which not only resets my energy levels, but also resets my mood.
6. Hobbies
Having hobbies are a great form of satisfaction because you can achieve small things during your free time, whether it is a new stuff toy you sewed or a new song you learned to play.
7. Moving Forward
My motto is “Keep moving forward.” This means that we mustn’t keep feelings of regret or other negativity from past experiences. Moving forward means that we forget about small things, and focus on things that build us and make us better people.
With all these tips, dealing with chronic illness has become easier and more manageable for me. It is never easy, but baby steps such as those listed above help me get through my day, week, month and year. I hope that even as cliche as all my tips sound, it can help reinforce the idea that these tips do work. I assure you that as long as you keep following these tips, and your own coping strategies, you are on track to be a much better self. A lot of times it is hard, but the silver lining is that we emerge stronger, braver, and more empathetic in the end.
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