My story has value

My Story Has Value

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his quote from Hannah Gadsby's Nanette has always resonated with me but now more than ever: my story has value. When I launched the NYG membership I once again had the privilege to learn and listen to people's stories of disability and chronic illness. Although our stories are similar, each is a unique and incredibly personal depiction of adversity, triumph and loss.

The complex diagnoses that accompany chronic illnesses and disabilities can often result in stories filled with the heart-breaking recounting of losing every part of yourself only to find something that much more beautiful beneath all those layers. For many, uncovering the vulnerable inner you and having the courage to finally step out into the light as your true self, accepting and acknowledging both your strengths and limits, is freeing.

Finding quality of life in chronic illness

Finding Quality of Life in Chronic Illness

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ife with a chronic illness can sometimes feel like work/sleep/clean – repeat indefinitely. It's sometimes as if all the fun is sucked out of life because of fatigue and limited energy, but what if I told you doing things just because they make you happy is allowed too? What if I told you, it’s not only possible, it can actually be beneficial to step away from the cleaning, let the house get a little messier and spend some time on yourself instead?

What is radical acceptance?

What is Radical Acceptance?

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adical acceptance sounds like the kind of new-age bull you might want to steer clear of, along with juice cleanses and ‘think yourself better’, but it's not what you think. Before we talk about what radical acceptance really is, we need to highlight what it definitely isn't! Radical acceptance is not approval of a situation. Just because you are accepting a situation for what it is, it does not mean that you think it's good or right. It just means you are aware you can't change it.

How to create a support system

How to Create a Support System

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aring for a chronically ill bod is tiring, not to mention expensive, but what if there was a better way? People living with chronic illnesses need access to so many things, in fact you need a team of therapists, physios, occupational therapists, nutritionists and so many more. However, it’s rare we get the chance to have all that and even if you do it’s unlikely everyone in the team really understands chronic illness and disability, which is the key to getting the best care. Finding a specialist who really ‘gets’ what an illness or condition means for everyday living can take months or even years of research, trial and error, and is often an unaffordable expense.

What is Medical Trauma?

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edical trauma is something you hear in the disabled community a lot but rarely do we talk about what counts as medical trauma – and I think you might be surprised to learn how much actually does! **Trigger warning for this post just because of the mention of medical trauma, PTSD, COVID etc**

What Are Usable Hours And What Have They Got To Do With Chronic Illness?

What are Usable Hours and What Have They Got To Do With Chronic Illness?

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sable hours is a way of explaining how fatigue affects your ability to do things. We all have the same number of hours in a day but for someone with fatigue, they only have a limited number in which they can complete tasks.

How disability makes you a better employee

How Disability Makes You A Better Employee

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o really! If you remove the barriers to working, we actually make the best employees, here's why!

Why traditional 9 to 5 doesn’t work when you’re disabled

Why Traditional 9-5 Doesn't Work When You Are Disabled

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ue to various barriers to entering the workforce, and staying there once you’re in, disabled people are more likely to be unemployed or self-employed. Difficulties in accessing education is a massive part of this, but there are various other barriers to work that disabled people face.

Why disabled people have a rocky history with academia

Why Disabled People Have A Rocky History With Academia

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nfortunately, when it comes to education, academic institutions often fail even the most basic tests in accessibility. Learning how to make education accessible for students (and educators) with a whole range of disabilities should be an ongoing priority for schools, colleges and universities, but it seems many still have serious lessons to be learnt.

How I Outsourced My Life: Cleaning Edition

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leaning is hard when you are chronically ill and has always been one of my biggest energy drains. Just one small task could land me in bed for a week and the worst thing was I would just be staring at all the mess as it piled up. I decided enough was enough and there had to be an easier way, which led me to learn some new tricks to keep on top of cleaning. In my latest Instagram post and newsletter, I mentioned that I’d be doing an in-depth review here on my blog, of all the products and tools I use with links to where to buy them. So read on to find out how to make cleaning more manageable!

Not Your Grandma's

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