Laura’s Pen explains the challenges of blogging when you are chronically ill…
It is no secret that I’m a chronic illness sufferer, in fact that’s what this blog is all about. But the secret I have been keeping is just how challenging it is to blog when you’re chronically ill.
There are several bloggers I follow who I know, through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network (which I recommend fellow bloggers join), that write blogs well in advance and have content diaries all planned out.
This means that if they have a bad patch, everything is already prepared.
But I feel like I face a never-ending battle to get ahead. Whenever I start doing so, I have a bad patch and suddenly I’m struggling to finish in time to meet my self-inflicted deadline. I’d probably have to stop publishing content for six months in order to get ahead and be able to relax a bit.
You may have noticed things have been a bit quiet on this blog lately. That’s because of two reasons, I’m having a challenging patch health-wise and I’m concentrating on my physical health which has left no spare energy for mental activities.
Although, the irony is that I’m only able to write this because things seem to be improving.
I’ve realised lately that those bloggers I admire also have bad patches, also have to go a bit quiet for a while sometimes, also go through spells of sporadic social media updates.
So I’ve decided to make this public announcement: blogging about chronic illness can be bloody hard.
I have very limited energy supplies and mental activity drains that energy quickly. For me, putting out a blog once every two weeks feels like working a full-time job with way too many hours. In reality, I spend very little actual time blogging (although I should also take into account the time used up by resting to recover from my blog work).
It can also make me very anxious at times. You publish something in which you’ve revealed something very personal, or that you’ve spent more effort than normal working on, and you worry that people will dislike it, that they will be angry about your sentiment. That hasn’t yet happened.
In fact, it is the blogs I worry about most that you guys comment on with kind words and your own stories.
This isn’t all negative though. I blog because I like doing it. I enjoy explaining something of my life and then seeing people respond to it. It is worth those sacrifices.
But I want to say to those bloggers out there struggling, you are not alone. In fact to anyone with a chronic illness struggling with whatever is important in their life. You are not alone.
This week I have sat in despair on my stool in the kitchen looking at the washing up and just wondering how on earth I am meant to do it.
If you are doing the same, you are not alone.
I try to present a message of positivity on this blog because I don’t like to bring people down who are no doubt already struggling with the emotional burden of being unable to live the lives they once had.
But, please don’t mistake me for someone who is constantly positive in the face of adversity. I try to be, but I cannot always be.
It is ok to fumble, to struggle and even to fail. And I have to remember that the number one priority is my health and my enjoyment. I need to give myself a break when times are tough. Please remember to do the same for yourselves.
Lots of love from,
Laura’s Pen
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