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Ways to Celebrate The Holidays in Quarantine
I have been really struggling with how to make Christmas feel special in quarantine. Thanksgiving was difficult. I was alone and didn’t have anything to do. I ended up decorating the house for Christmas. I was grateful I could do that at the very least. Looking at Christmas, I wanted to write out a list for how I could make this truly feel like a holiday. Even if it won’t look like any of the years previous. Holiday Music When I think about the best way to get in the holiday spirit, music is the first thing that comes to mind. Whether you’re in the mood for it or not,…
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Celebrating Life!
On December 22, 2019 I came very close to losing my life. It was by far the closest call I’ve had. I was hospitalized nine times previous and on and off steroids, that is quite the claim. I feel lucky to be alive. A large part of why I’m here today is because of my service dog, Crush. I couldn’t be more grateful to have him in my life. After being discharged from the ICU on December 23, 2019, I’m happy to report I haven’t been hospitalized since! I can’t explain to you what an incredible accomplishment that feels like. This year has included six surgeries. Including one to get…
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My Goals for 2021
On Wednesday, I looked at my goals for 2020. I’m happy to say that I met almost all of them with flying colors. I don’t necessarily believe in New Years Resolutions. However, I think it’s important to always have goals and strive to meet them. Once again, I will write my goals out for outward accountability. I will push the boundaries of what I feel comfortable doing in order to become the best version of myself. Goals for my personal life:My number one goal for 2021 is to graduate college. I’m on track to receive my BA in the Summer. I’d also like to finish my application to graduate school.…
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Reviewing My Goals For 2020
I was looking back at all my articles recently. After pursuing for a while, I stumbled upon my goals for 2020. I wrote out and posted those goals because I wanted outward accountability. With the pandemic and more surgeries than I expected, I forgot what I wanted out of 2020. When I wrote that article, I hadn’t even heard of covid-19. So let us look back together and talk about what I wanted vs. what I did. The goals I set for my personal life were as follows:-Start dating againI’m happy to say I followed through with this. It hasn’t been the journey I expected but it’s definitely been very…
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Why I Don't Set My Goals According To My Chronic Illness
I made an article last week talking about why I don’t make goals based on my OCD. Today, I want to talk about why I don’t make goals based on my chronic illness. Now, these two things differ quite a bit. That’s why I’m writing two separate articles. Chronic illness poses a lot more physical challenges and isn’t about what I believe I can do. It’s more about finding a way to work within the circumstances I’m in. I have several different chronic illnesses. This changes the way I interact with the world on a daily basis. I have a service dog and often need to accommodate my disability in…
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Dealing With Decision Fatigue
Lately, I’ve gotten a lot of slack for being indecisive about small things. I will be the first to admit that this is not my favorite quality about myself. I am incredibly driven and know what I want out of the next twenty years. However, when it comes to what I want for dinner, it takes me almost twenty years to decide. There’s a reason for this. It’s driven by decision fatigue. In the world of anxiety, decision fatigue is quite common. I used to struggle with this a lot during high school. The more I got my anxiety under control, the more decisive I became. Now, covid has driven…
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Practical Ways To Improve Body Image
Chronic illness significantly impacts the relationship you have with your body. It’s hard enough for people to feel confident without the added complication of being sick. I want this article to be for everyone though, not just those who are sick. Every body is valid. Everyone deserves to love themselves fully and that includes loving how you look. It’s much easier said than done. I have gone through significant struggles. From disordered eating to working out so hard that I couldn’t function for days. The goal is self love and that looks different for everyone. Here are some practical ways to improve body image. Power Pose I love a good…
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Why I Don't Set Goals According To My OCD
Something I learned very early on having anxiety was to not set goals based on OCD. This lesson was extremely important for me to learn. I used to make decisions based on what I believed I could do within the limits of my anxiety. I shifted my focus to believe I could do anything. Suddenly, I felt much more confident when confronting challenges that gave me anxiety. I want to say that I’m speaking out of my own experience. Anxiety is very real but this is how I’ve overcome a lot of my fears and been able to live outside of the boundaries my OCD set. Shifting your mindset is…
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A Year of Crush
This year has been a complete whirlwind. Almost exactly a year ago, I found out that I was matched with my service dog. That day was filled with so many emotions. Above all else, I was excited. That excitement came with fear and fear came with grief. Last year, my chronic illness had completely overtaken my life. I had withdrawn from my Fall semester. I had been hospitalized several times in one year, including a couple trips to the ICU. I had lost a lot of hope. Then came Crush. I felt very adamant that a service dog would be right for my life. After doing extensive research and applying…
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Help Me With My Senior Project!
I’m doing my senior project on what it means to have a disability. Please check out my google form! Submit your answers on what it means to have a disability from your perspective. There are no wrong answers. This is a great opportunity to ask questions in a safe space. CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE GOOGLE FORM
