đź’ŞI create resources to help people adapt to living with chronic illness so they can thrive.
💠When being “easy” costs more than you realize
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Hi Reader, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how often people pleasing sneaks into life with chronic illness without us even noticing. Not the obvious kind. The kind that looks like pushing a little longer, explaining a little more, resting a little later. The kind that feels responsible, considerate, and necessary… right up until your body starts pushing back. I wrote a new post this week about people pleasing and chronic illness, and it’s a tender one. Not because it offers a fix, but because it names something many of us have been carrying for a long time without language for it. For me, people pleasing wasn’t about being nice. It was about trying to stay employable, dependable, and “easy” in a body that no longer worked the way it used to. Letting go brought relief, yes, but it also brought grief. Both truths mattered. If you’ve ever felt like your days are shaped more by expectations than capacity, this post might help you feel a little less alone with that tension. It doesn’t ask you to set perfect boundaries or overhaul your life. It simply makes space for honesty. You can read the full post here: People Pleasing and Chronic Illness: What It Costs Your Energy and How I Started Letting Go​ And if reading it stirs something but you’re not sure what to do next, that’s okay. I’ve gathered several free resources on my site, and you’re welcome to explore whichever one feels most supportive right now. There’s no right starting point. ​ Take good care of yourself today,
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April Smith | The Thriving Spoonie
đź’ŞI create resources to help people adapt to living with chronic illness so they can thrive.
Hi there Reader, I wanted to share something a little different this week. I just updated an older blog post on burnout and chronic illness. Not a light edit, but a real revision that reflects how my understanding of burnout has changed over time, shaped by lived experience, boundaries I had to learn the hard way, and a much clearer picture of what doesn’t work. Burnout with chronic illness isn’t loud for most of us. It doesn’t always look like a breakdown. More often, it shows up as quiet...
Hi Reader, There’s a phrase I hear all the time in the chronic illness space, and I’ve said it myself more times than I can count. “I’ll catch up when I have more energy.” It sounds reasonable. Responsible, even. And yet, if you’ve been living with chronic illness for a while, you’ve probably noticed how often that plan quietly falls apart. The catch-up day takes more out of you than expected. The next few days feel harder. And suddenly you’re behind again, wondering why this keeps happening....
Hi Reader, If self-compassion has felt distant lately, awkward, or just plain unavailable, this is for you. Not in a “you should be kinder to yourself” way. More in a “there might be a reason this feels hard right now” way. A lot of chronic illness advice treats self-compassion like a skill you can strengthen if you just try harder or practice more consistently. But when you’ve spent years overriding your body, managing symptoms, and staying functional under pressure, kindness doesn’t always...