Living With Chronic Pain & Illness: 3 Mindful Tips to Help You Start Enjoying Life Again by Maureen Sharphouse

Living with pain and illness is far from easy. It can crush your soul, deplete your spirit, and severely sabotage your enthusiasm and zest for life. Unfortunately, it is not only you that suffers; your loved ones and family suffer also as they readjust to new ways of living, witness you not fully enjoying life, and miss you joining in with them on the things you used to love to do.

You are not your pain and illness, however! And they need not dictate the life you live or define you. If you long to start fully embracing life again, here are three of my top tips to help:

1. Face Your Story

Accept your truth: face your story of where you are right here, right now, free of judgment as to whether it is good or bad for you, fair or unfair. Acknowledging your current circumstances and who you are within those circumstances opens the door to a fresh new starting place from which to craft positive and impactful change.

2. Shed Your Labels

Shed your labels – and any preconceived prognoses or expectations that you or others have attached to them – that may have put undue pressure on you to feel you have to behave, communicate or live in expected ways. Take quiet time daily to consciously drop deep within your body to connect with your soul, free of judgment and labels. Breathe in the renewed energy and freedom that comes from connecting with who you are within.

3. Redirect Your Thoughts

Take ownership of your thoughts, choices and actions – and consciously redirect them in a direction that feels good to you at a deep inner soul level. With the best will in the world, negative ways of thinking will never bring you positive feelings. So, give up the excuses. Instead, focus on the things you can do rather than dwell on the things that perhaps are no longer easy for you.

Remind yourself every morning that you've got this. As you get out of bed each day, imagine breathing in renewed energy, grit, grace and courage. Give yourself a high five in the mirror and smile. Now step into your day – no matter what challenges the day may bring you – with a commitment to be all you can be and give to life all you've got!

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