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Hey Reader,

I’ll be honest—last week was a rough week health-wise. The kind that reminds me that even with pacing, planning, and all the right tools, chronic illness has its own agenda. And when that happens, the best thing I can do is not push harder, but to pause.

So, instead of forcing myself to crank out a new blog post, I wanted to send a more honest kind of update—one that I think many of us need right now as the holidays approach.

If you’ve also been running on fumes lately, you’re not alone. This time of year can amplify everything—fatigue, pain, emotional weight, even decision fatigue. And for those of us managing chronic illness, the pressure to “keep up” doesn’t just come from others. It comes from inside, too.

So here’s my gentle reminder to both of us:
Rest is not failure. Slowing down is not giving up. It’s how we create the capacity to keep going at all.

While I’m resting and recalibrating, I’ve rounded up a few of my most meaningful blog posts from the past few months—the ones I think might help you find some steadiness, clarity, or self-compassion as we move into a season that can feel especially heavy for spoonies.

Here are five reads worth revisiting:

1. 6 Energy Saving Tips for Chronic Illness to Help You Handle Energy Fluctuations Without Guilt – A compassionate look at how to cope with those unpredictable dips without spiraling into guilt or frustration.
2. What It Really Means to Live Authentically With Chronic Illness—And Why It’s So Hard to Do – If you’ve ever felt disconnected from who you used to be, this one explores how to rebuild a life that still feels like you.
3. How to Find Stability With Chronic Illness When You Feel Like You’re Always Starting Over – A grounding reminder that consistency doesn’t mean perfection—it means finding your footing, even when everything keeps shifting.
4. The Powerful Legacy of Chronically Ill Activists—And Why Disability Rights Are Still Under Threat – For when you need a reminder that resting, existing, and advocating for your needs is a form of resistance.
5. No, You Don’t Just Need a Better Planner—Why Chronic Illness Demands a Different Kind of Structure – Because managing chronic illness isn’t about productivity—it’s about building systems that support the body you have now.

If you only take one thing from this email, let it be this: you don’t have to earn your rest. Sometimes showing up means logging off, closing the laptop, and giving your body what it’s asking for.

I’ll be back with a new post soon. For now, I’m choosing to listen to my body—and I hope you can, too.

With gentleness,

​ April Smith | Chronic Illness Adaptability Guide ​Owner & Founder of The Thriving Spoonie​ ​Email | Bluesky | Pinterest​ ​ Take control of your energy and routine—grab The Complete Guide to Daily Chronic Illness Management and start thriving today.

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