Self-care is essential for healing from Lyme disease. Discover simple, effective self-care strategies to nurture yourself and improve your well-being in challenging times.
As many of you know, in addition to writing a weekly column for Global Lyme Alliance, I also teach remote Writing to Heal classes through a creative writing center in Boston. On the first night of class, I have each student write and share a list of ways to take care of themself when writing about difficult topics. The exercise seems kind of silly at first, perhaps a bit trite, but I insist that it is a critical first step in undertaking this type of work.
I also believe it’s a critical step in undertaking the difficult work of healing from Lyme or any other challenging illness, tick-borne or not.
You might roll your eyes and think, I know how to take care of myself. I don’t need to make a list. And sure, we all know, in theory, that self-care is important. But knowing and executing are two different things. True healing, I’ve come to learn, involves steadily and continuously practicing self-care.
What do I mean by self-care? I don’t just mean taking care of yourself in the ways that you must to survive, like eating and sleeping (both of which can be difficult in their own right for Lyme patients!). I mean doing those things in a way that is nourishing for your whole self. That might mean cooking your favorite dinner or baking your favorite cookies (likely gluten and sugar free if you’re a Lyme warrior, but there are lots of good alternatives). It might mean taking a cozy nap or listening to gentle music for a few minutes before bedtime.
It also means doing things that bring you comfort and joy. It means doing things that ground you in the present—or, when the present is consumed by illness, that give you a reason to smile amidst the pain. Some common examples my students come up with include:
- Take a hot shower or bath
- Go for a short walk
- Call a specific friend
- Practice deep breathing
- Stand in the sun for a few minutes
- Read a light novel or magazine
- Watch a silly show or listen to a funny podcast
- Color
- Light a candle
- Pet a dog or cat
- Hug someone you love
As you can see, self-care doesn’t have to mean a spa day; it can be very simple. It doesn’t have to cost anything, and it can be done in a short amount of time. A few minutes each day add up over a week and a month and a year, until self-care becomes part of your daily routine and joy and comfort become known entities in your life, no matter how sick you are.
Self-care is important for anyone, not just those who are ill. Particularly in these trying times when it can feel like everything is falling apart, it’s more important than ever to hold yourself together with self-care. Doing so allows you to rejuvenate in ways that not only improve your own health but also allow you to better care for others. As they say on airplanes, you have to put your own oxygen mask on first.
How you get that oxygen is completely up to you. Perhaps some of the ideas I listed, like taking a walk or sitting in the sun, would be too difficult or unsafe for you given exhaustion or photosensitivity from medication. What are other ideas that would make you feel cared for? Self-care needs to be tailored to you—and shouldn’t involve the word “should.” Instead of, “I should do the dishes because they’re piling up,” self-care is, “I need to meditate for 10 minutes to help me relax.” The dishes will still be there.
I have my students share their lists to get ideas from each other. I also ask them to keep their lists at their desks or writing spaces. Without a written list, it’s easy to get lost in the writing, and suddenly hours have gone by and someone is feeling consumed by feelings of grief, anger, or frustration. It’s easy to say to yourself, “I’ll take a break after an hour and do something nice,” but it’s also easy to forget that intention or not be able to think of something nice to do. With the list right there, students look up from their work and see a visual reminder to take care of themselves, with a list of ideas right in front of them. The instructions come from themselves: Take a walk. Make a cup of hot tea. Put on some fuzzy socks.
I encourage everyone to make a self-care list and post it somewhere you will see it every day: by your desk, on your phone, on the fridge. Whether you’re sick, healthy, or somewhere in between, we all deserve—nay, need—care and comfort.
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