Finding Joy and Magic While Living with Chronic Illness -

When I first became disabled, finding joy and magic while living with chronic illness felt impossible. I grew up believing that a meaningful life had to be a busy one, society tells us that adventure happens outside our home. Success only comes from being productive and slowing down meant missing out on my dreams. But actually, living with chronic illnesses forced me to slow down, and as I lost pieces of my life I expected to have, I started to notice the magic I had been too busy to see.

Sunlight falls on an open diary, and a pen with a peach flower on the end, alongside it is a cute teacup with a hand drawn heart on a small card beside it. Steam rises from the cup to represent Finding Joy and Magic While Living with Chronic Illness — Photo by Carli Jeen on Unsplash

Slowing Down Changed What I Notice

Mindfulness and slowing down have made finding joy and magic while living with chronic illness so much easier. Life can feel so fast and as we get older it can feel like a year goes by in the blink of an eye.

But we can change that, just by changing how we live our lives and how we do things, I know because I have done it myself. It is about romanticising our lives, and making the mundane moments special, like Hygge.

It is small moments, like sitting drinking tea out of a pretty cup and watching the birds in the garden. Watching the garden change through the seasons, listening to the rain, watching the smoke from incense. Slowing your life helps you become present instead of always rushing to the next task.

Making Everyday Life Feel More Magical

We moved in with my mom about seven years ago now, and when we did it hadn’t been decorated since I was a teenager. But because me, mom and my husband who is our carer, spend most of our time at home, it really started to affect our mental health.

Part of finding joy and magic while living with chronic illness for us was redecorating in a way that felt whimsical and fun. We added thrifted treasures, fun wallpaper, colours that brightened the spaces and made it feel like a home for all three of us.

It was all about choosing objects that made us smile, and making our home a place that we loved to spend time in. Our homes should feel this way, and it can be difficult to do on budgets, but collecting things over time was a big help for us.

We have been saving up, doing things ourselves when we could, getting wallpapers and paint when they were on sale. Finding any opportunity to get things second hand and planning ahead for the upgrades we needed to do.

Rediscovering the Things I Love

Hobbies have made a big difference for me too; I stopped seeing them as wasting time and started seeing them as part of living a joyful life.

Reading – I have always loved reading, but I started to realise that I can learn, I can get lost in other worlds and time periods. Reading is a wonderful hobby and this year I stopped buying new books and decided I needed to read the ones I already have. It’s something that is so wonderful and I often turn to books as part of my rest time between other tasks, always with a cup of tea of course.
Watching cosy TV and films – I have always been a big TV and movie fan, and I love curling up in bed to watch something. I thrifted a portable DVD player and I love a cosy night watching a DVD on it its nostalgic and so lovely.
Embrace my nerdy side – Yes, I am a nerd, I love collecting Funko Pops and watching Marvel movies. The things that make me feel like a kid again are nothing to be ashamed of, and I no longer am!
Learning new crafts – I love learning, it takes me longer because of my memory issues, but I still love it. I might not be the best at crochet, or the most incredible painter, but I enjoy them. I want to learn to embroider and to spend time off a screen just enjoying something relaxing and fun.

I don’t see these things as time wasting because they don’t make me money, I see them as building a joyful life.

Finding Comfort in New Rhythms

Part of finding joy and magic while living with chronic illness for me, has been embracing slower routines. Having a morning routine that includes pulling a tarot card, doing some gentle movement and having my meds in bed with a cup of tea.

Getting some rest throughout the day instead of waiting for my body to hit the wall and stop me so exhausted. Having early nights when I journal, pull an evening oracle card, and watching a movie snuggled up with a teddy bear.

Slowing down and finding gentle routines has helped me mentally and physically because I find I don’t have such big flares of fatigue. It helps me to start and end each day with intention and to find rest throughout the day. Instead of fighting my body’s rhythm and symptoms, I have learned to work with it.

My World Didn’t End

The truth is, I still cannot leave the house as often as I’d like, and I still need a carer when I do. My symptoms might have eased, but if I went back to before, they would return full force.

But I realised that my life didn’t stop when I got sick, I am still here even if my life is smaller than it was when I was well. But my life now is deeper, slower and joyful and that joy comes from noticing not chasing.

Our lives can still be magical and fun even if we cannot go on extraordinary adventures, a different life isn’t always lesser. It can be favourite mugs, hobbies, reading a good book, watching the birds, and finally building a life that fits who I am now. It might be gentler, but that is finding joy and magic while living with chronic illness.

Thank you xx

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