DEALING WITH FATIGUE IN A FAST-PACED WORLD

‘Good, just busy and stressed’ feels like the default response for most of us lately. Whether we’re faced with never-ending to-do lists or trying to keep up appearances of our ‘hectic but fun’ lifestyles on Instagram, there’s no denying that our world moves at a pace far faster than we’re capable of.

Whilst some speed is unavoidable, and the energy of the whirlwind can often be enjoyable, there’s no denying that it’s unsustainable without an equal amount of rest. And that’s before we’ve even factored in the role that fatigue plays in all of this – a common and heavy symptom for a lot of IBD sufferers.

Finding your support bubble

No, this is not a post about Covid-19 lockdown restrictions and who you can/can’t socialise with. I just like the term support bubble. Now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk support when you’re living with Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

Some health resolutions for the New Year

Can you quite believe that as you’re reading this and I’m writing this, it’s 2021. Whilst although I am glad to see the back of 2020, it has also knocked me sideways to think that despite all the shit, I basically blinked and missed the entire year.

STRESS & YOUR GUT

I’ve spent most of my life being ‘stressed’. Whether that’s being crippled with anxiety about something menial or overthinking everything to the nth degree, I’ve often found myself to default to the state of ‘stressed’. In my early twenties, I used to crave to be seen as a ‘chilled gal’ but as I’m fast approaching the ripe 3-0, I think I’m coming to terms with the fact that I’m just a bit of a highly strung individual.

Why It’s Okay to Slow Down in Lockdown

Anyone else been tagged in a post on social media, telling you that you now need to run 5K? Or that you need to enter a virtual 24hour singalong via Zoom? Perhaps you feel an overwhelming sense of guilt as you scroll past another person showing off their 9th banana bread that week with the hashtag #productive? If you’ve answered ‘yes’ to at least one of these questions, then babe – I’ve got you.

A reminder to wash your hands

For those people who needed a little nudge into the world of basic personal hygiene – please remember to wash your hands. Thoroughly and often. This basic level of advice baffles me, but if it took Covid-19 to finally get humans to wash their hands, then so be it.

Living with UC & Learning about ‘Me’ – Guest Post by Katie Benham

When I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis, I remember feeling quite relieved. I’d experienced some very minor symptoms, jumped through the hoops of awkward doctor assessments and no more than 3 months later I had my own consultant and a letter to take home. In that respect, I was pretty lucky. It can take some people years to get a diagnosis and even longer to get taken seriously. But there were a few other reasons behind my relief…

Managing Work with IBD

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is difficult enough as it is when you’re allowed to lie-down all day in a room that’s no more than 1metre away from your toilet – but managing IBD whilst trying to hold down a full-time job can be somewhat trickier. How do people do it? When is enough, enough? What can I do to try and be more pro-active with balancing my wellbeing and my career?

Finding Remission(ish)

“How are you medication free, seriously?” is a question that I get asked all the time. Like not an Instagram wanker ‘you guys ask me all the time’ kind of bullshit lie, but a genuine I-get-askked-ALL-the-time type thing. Whilst I’m flattered that my journey of IBD without medication has proven as such a source of interest, it’s also terrifying – because the truth is, I don’t really know!