Tag: Lupus Encouragement

Lupus In Color Monday Meditations Episode 2

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Monday Meditations with Lupus In Color Season 1 Episode 2

Part of Lupus In Color Empowerment Series, we hope this will help you manage your chronic pain as well as keep your mental and emotional health strong in your fight. Mindfulness meditation is not about fighting. It’s all about acceptance. And once you have achieved calm, it can help you regain a much needed sense of control when your disease brings you discomfort. Mindfulness meditation involves directing your attention to the present moment with an attitude of openness to accept without judgement. Every Monday, Lupus In Color will present a short meditation to help empower you in your lupus journey. #MondayMeditations #LupusInColor

Follow our podcast at : https://anchor.fm/lupusincolor

MIDWEEK REFUEL 12-25

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MIDWEEK REFUEL 12-25
HOPE H.ealing O.ver P.ain Everyday

The holidays are so hard to deal with as you battle lupus. You may be battling depression, grief, anger, or sadness. It’s so easy for someone to say just think about the good in your life to get over it all. The reality is, it’s not that easy. What I can tell you is this, sometimes you won’t be able to get over the hard times.  Especially during the holiday. It will take you releasing those feelings just to get through some tough memories and moments. It will take you realizing that those feelings aren’t bad, they are just a part of an experience you have had. It will take you a few moments to get out of your feelings and into your living in the now beyond it all. Take the time to get through and then make time to live beyond. As I said it will not be easy but it will surely be worth it for you in the long run. Just by making a conscious decision to make life liveable makes a difference in the way you walk through your fires. These issues may never go away but you can lessen the effects they have on your life. Through it all, make sure you always have HOPE. HEALING OVER PAIN EVERYDAY!

This has been your MIDWEEK REFUEL for Christmas December 25, 2019. Whatever you do for the rest of the night, make sure you are educated, inspired, encouraged and empowered beyond the pain and issues of lupus. #educate #inspire #encourage #empower  #LupusInColor #MidweekRefuel

Survive The Holidays

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Seven Tips to Survive the Holidays With Lupus

The holidays can be fun, but they can also be stressful. While we all are getting so excited about seeing loved ones and hosting events, there can be real fears that can and will bubble up in side of us. There may be fears of missing out, getting sick, or not being able to reach expectations put on us by family members or friends. The anxiety can be high, the worry can be off the charts and the depression may increase.

It’s important as we battle lupus to take it one step at a time. To not become overwhelmed and to not overdo it. If you already find yourself in a crazed frenzy of the holidays, it’s time to take your life and holiday sanity back.
Below are some helpful tips that may help you in finding your calm in the midst of the holiday storm.

  1. Remember, you don’t have to look at the whole forest. You don’t even have to look at a whole tree. Focus on the branch, the leaf, the bark. Breaking things down into smaller, manageable tasks is a great way to get started.
  2. Make a realistic list. Divide it between URGENT tasks that must get done, stuff that can wait a few days, and things that you should do, but that can be done at any time.
  3. Setting a time limit with a built in reward can be a great motivator. For example, put the dishes away while the tea kettle boils. Do a small task, like writing a thank you note, as you can while you wait for food to finish cooking.
  4. Ask for help – Reach out. Ask others for help. It can be scary, but more often than not, people are grateful to help. People like to feel useful.
  5. Take a deep breath. Take another. Drink some water and open the blinds. Put on fun music. Making your environment welcoming will help get you moving and ready to start the day.
  6. Say NO. This one is so hard for so many people especially lupus warriors. If you feel yourself getting stretched thin, or there’s absolutely no way you can do one more thing, you can say NO. Remember you are not responsible for another person’s bad time management. You don’t have to be a “Yes” man or woman to try and please others.
  7. PACE YOURSELF AND REST. This is hard especially for lupus warriors that may be feeling better and have some energy. Warriors tend to overdo it and then have to pay for it later on. I know many are excited, but it’s important to pace yourself and rest before you overdo it and end up in a bad flare.

Having lupus is challenging and when the holidays roll around it can be overwhelming and difficult to handle. The main thing to stay holiday flare free is to make it a collaborative effort. Don’t think you have to do it all yourself or make an extravagant party that will take you months to recover from. Let your need for perfection go. Remember, your first priority needs to involve doing what you can to protect your health. Don’t stress out and overwork yourself and you will have a nice holiday season.

#LupusInColor

Midweek Refuel 7/31

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As you battle lupus be BETTER: B.rave E.mpowered T.ransformed T.hriving E.xcited R.efined. Stronger and courageously living in every moment with power. Be Brave in your continued fight beyond lupus; Empowered enough to help another through this lupus journey,; Transformed in your mindset to stay strong; Thriving way beyond lupus. Be Excited that you’ve made it this far and be Refined beyond your pain to bring you positive power. Better. We all want it and operate in it daily. Be proud of how much better you are today than you were yesterday. Today together we are better. #LupusInColor

Midweek Refuel 7/31

Recognizable Scars

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Sometimes the scars of Lupus are very visible and sometimes they are not. It’s hard to inform people of a chronic infirmity that is not visible to the naked eye. But it is just as difficult to explain when the scars become visible.

I am not one for vanity. I mean, I love to look good because it helps me to feel my best, But vain is not a character trait I possess. Although many may look at me at me posting photos and assume oh she’s so vain always about herself, They really have no clue what I am all about.

Anyway, some days it’s easy to hide the fact that the insides of my body is in a constant fight for power over me. That they battle in a daily war for rights to my organs. That sometimes my mind gets involved in the battle and tries to fight for recognition only to forget why it tried to get in on the battle in the first place. Sometimes it’s easy to hide that….

Other times between the lupus butterfly rashes… the lupus lesions…the battle scars from treatments it’s hard. When the scars become recognizable scars for all to see and question or look at you like you have a disease that can be caught….it’s hard.

Now, don’t get me wrong the battle is always difficult. Just some days are easier to deal with than others.

I think anyone with a chronic illness tries to hide the scars, but when they become more visible it makes it more of a difficult pill to swallow. I say this because when you have a chronic illness you are forever battling with self to be positive and not succumb to the negatives of your illness. Couple that with the questions of your scars and battle wounds and it becomes difficult to handle at times.

I am here to not only encourage you but to encourage myself when the scars are so prominent that you just want to turn life off. *Click* just flip the switch and sit in the dark for no one to see not even yourself.

I’ve had to look at it differently. My scars aren’t a burden but a bountiful blessing to get awareness in the face of those that have never or would ever hear about Lupus. I look at my scars as battle wounds that are attached to the story of a fearless warrior that lives day to day in a treacherous fight for life.

Yeah… there are recognizable scars and battle wounds…. but they are my story… I can look at them and be sad and solicit pity from those around me. Instead, I choose to be strong when I can, allow my weak moments to peak and crawl through them, embrace the teaching moments and solicit support and love from those around me.

Is my attitude always positive about lupus and living beyond it…HELL NO.. sometimes I’m downright negative about it… but I have learned to live in that moment, appreciate it for what it is and pick myself up scars and all and start each day in a new way.

Your recognizable scars don’t define you they just give you an opportunity to tell the story of overcoming a battle. A story that all must hear including YOU!

I am the face of lupus that someone forgot to tell you about. Can you hear my story NOW? ~Racquel~

#LupusInColor