Living with autoimmune disease is hard. I am excited to share something I’ve done every night for over a year that really helps me when it comes to staying positive while living with autoimmune disease…keeping what I call a “daily victories journal.”
The idea of keeping a daily victories journal actually came from my husband.
Over a year ago, my husband saw that I struggled with staying positive while living with autoimmune disease. He looked on helplessly as I felt incredibly down about my health and the symptoms I was experiencing. He saw my fear.
One night, we were in bed facing each other, and I was crying. While I felt overwhelmed and at my lowest point, I imagine he felt helpless. At this point in our lives, this scene was on replay.
My husband looked across at me this particular night and told me he thought I needed to start writing down my victories each night.
Confused, I gave him a questioning look.
He explained it could just be a list of things I felt like I did that day that I could be proud of.
I was skeptical about his plan, but I felt desperate to learn to stay positive, so I agreed.
I starting keeping my daily victories journal every night.
At first it was things like “I got out of bed.” At that point, that was a huge victory!
Other victories included at this time included:
- “I ate healthy today.”
- “I took a shower.”
- “I took a nap.”
- “I watched a Hallmark movie with my daughter.”
- “I watched a baseball game with my son.”
Over time, as I continued on my wellness journey, my victories changed to things like:
- “I went to the park with the kids.”
- “I meal prepped AIP foods.”
- “I went on a bike ride with the kids.”
- “I went to the beach (eventhough I slept in the car both ways).”
Then more time, and now here I am over a year later, and my victories are things like:
- “I took the kids to Disneyland for the day by myself and felt great!”
- “I went hiking for miles.”
- “I stayed calm when I felt a flare coming instead of freaking out.”
- “I traveled out of town by myself to a four day retreat.”
I am so grateful for my daily victories journal, and the way it encouraged me to stay positive while living with autoimmune disease.
I love looking back and seeing how far I’ve come.
I love reading my victories journal while I am in a flare, and remembering I found wellness before, and I can find wellness again.
Recognizing my victories and finding joy in them is part of what helped get me here – to where I am today.
Funny how a simple list of daily victories taught me about staying positive while living with chronic illness.
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Learning to Love Yourself Through Chronic Illness
