Navigating the Seasons of Autoimmune Disease from Pre-Diagnosis to Remission in Honor of Lupus Awareness Month

In this episode, hosts Karin Wagner and Chris Burton share insights on self-care and self-compassion, emphasizing the importance of celebrating small wins and making incremental improvements to optimize health and well-being. This episode is packed with practical daily management advice, realistic goals, and streamlining routines to conserve energy and enhance efficiency. Takeaways: Living with lupus involves navigating different phases, each presenting its challenges. Self-awareness and self-compassion are crucial for managing lupus and other autoimmune diseases. Making small, manageable changes can significantly improve health and well-being. Celebrating small wins and setting achievable goals can boost confidence and motivation. Perseverance, strength, and resilience are key to thriving with a chronic illness. Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction and Lupus Awareness Month02:30 - Navigating the Phases and Challenges of Living with Lupus Pre-diagnosis: The Season of Uncertainty Diagnosis and Initial Treatment: The Season of Relief and Adjustment Setbacks & Extended Recovery: The Season of Endurance Season to Grow: Strategies for Making Gradual Lifestyle Changes 05:59 - The Importance of Self-Care and Self-Compassion in Managing Lupus Listening to Your Body and Setting Boundaries Creative Solutions for Tough Days 09:01 - Celebrating Small Wins and Focusing on Day-to-Day Management Tracking Symptoms and Understanding Triggers Emphasizing Gratitude Practices 11:20 - Seeking Support and Simplifying Routines for Easier Living Flexible Work Hours and Home Modifications More Supportive Shoes and Other Physical Adaptations 24:58 - Habit Stacking and Streamlining for Energy and Efficiency Combining Tasks and Creating an Ecosystem of Activities 26:50 - Building Momentum with Small Changes Starting with Achievable Goals and Tweaking for Success 28:58 - Strength and Resilience in the Face of Chronic Illness The Role of Perseverance and Long-Term Strategies 38:10 - Finding Support and Joining a Lupus Support Group Building a Supportive Network and Learning from Others Key Quotes: "In my experience, it's very easy to get locked into a sense of avoiding the facts or using the lowest day as a benchmark. You can't use your lowest point as a benchmark, and you can't use the desire to avoid all of this as an excuse to hide from it either. You gotta take it on, face on." - Chris Burton "Getting that diagnosis, while it's an amazing feeling, especially when the medication starts kicking in and you get some relief, it doesn't end there. There's still a lot of progress and continued improvement." - Karin Wagner "Perfect doesn't have to be the enemy of good. You can start with small changes that might be unnoticeable to anyone else but yourself, things that really get you into the habit of making good changes." - Chris Burton "Perseverance is understanding we do this in the moments, and the moments build up to tell the whole story. That's how we survive this thing, and that's how we turn our surviving into thriving." - Chris Burton Note: This episode draws inspiration from various sources, including personal experiences, medical professionals, and reputable autoimmune disease organizations. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review! It helps us get encouraging, actionable advice to survivors and strivers who need to hear it most!