Just because you have a chronic illness doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t make money. Many chronic illness warriors do this by owning their own business. Some sell products, offer services or run a blog. If you are wondering about balancing your business and chronic illness than this is the place to be. I have reached out to my fellow warriors to gather ten tips for you to get started and flourish.
#1 ~ Jordyn from The Chronically Unimaginable
I run The Chronically Unimaginable where I talk about chronic illness, mental health, and disabilities. I also discuss the stigma surrounding these communities and provide a personal spin on life with all of these things.
My best tip for balancing running my blog with my chronic illnesses is to listen to your body above all else. We often have goals that we want to accomplish each day, but ignoring our health is detrimental. Eventually, we will run out of desire and energy. It’s better to have a balance between the two.
#2 ~ Melissa Temple from Disabled Disney
Melissa runs a website about disability travel with a heavy influence on Disney. You can find it at Disabled Disney
Make sure you listen to your body and what it needs. Take time to take care of yourself. If you can’t remember to do things for yourself then schedule 20 minutes a day for You Time to read or relax, listen to music or watch TV. Anything to give you a break!
#3 ~ Nikki Albert from BrainlessBlogger
Brainlessblogger.net is a blog about living with chronic pain and chronic illness. It’s about coping, acceptance and research.
Knowing the time of day when you are most productive and pacing activities during that time
#4 ~ Liz from Despite Pain
I have lived most of my life with chronic pain from a few conditions – mainly trigeminal neuralgia, back pain due to having scoliosis, and osteoarthritis. I try to share what I have learned over the years with my blog readers. As well as writing about the physical pain, I write about the emotional effects which chronic pain can have and try to look for ways to help overcome some of them.
I try not to put pressure on myself. My chronic pain varies from day to day, so I can’t guarantee how much time I can spend on my blog. For that reason, I don’t set rules. If I put pressure on myself to post once a week or on a specific day, it would take away the enjoyment of writing. It would stress me and upset me if I were unable to meet those types of time restraints. So I go with the flow and enjoy it.
#5 ~ Heather from Geeking By
Heather runs Geeking By, which is a geeky lifestyle blog.
It’s hard not to compare yourself to other bloggers, especially those without chronic illnesses, and the biggest tip I can give is to find your own path at your own pace. The more time you stress about what you can’t do is less time you’re showing everyone what you can do – and you can do amazing things! You just do them differently 🙂
#6 ~ Rachel from What a Pain
What a Pain is a chronic illness blog run by Rachel, who lives with Rheumatoid Arthritis. She blogs about all things chronic illness, disability discrimination & pregnancy and chronic illness.
The best tip (and hardest thing I’ve learned) is to rest and listen to your body. It is an endless frustration to me that my health means I cannot always do what I want, when I want with my blog. However when running a business or blog with chronic illness you must learn to rest. I always try to keep my followers updated with a quick social media post if I’m struggling with my health and won’t be posting. I know if I rest when I need to I’ll be back to writing content sooner than if I ignore my body and end up in a flare.
#7 ~ Millie Ashmore from Millies Makeup Mindset
I blog at Living Now Life, although inactive for months, but have continued writing and plan a huge revamp. We also vlog on YouTube and are working to update there as well. I also run my own online beauty business, showcasing Younique Products; empowering, validating and uplifting others!
Find balance – I use a block schedule to plan my time, but if I need a day to do a little less I allow it and focus on personal development instead, to remind myself I’m not less valuable or important because I need rest.
#8 ~ Jenna from The Comical Colon
I’m Jenna—a girl with ulcerative colitis who wants to reach out to others on their own colitis or Crohn’s Disease journeys! With the dream to bridge the isolation that these diseases can bring, I dive into the visceral, the optimistic, and the raw that my colon has shown me along my comically imperfect journey.
Because of my chronic illness, I don’t always have the time or energy to brainstorm topics to write for my next blog post. To solve this issue, I use the latest happenings in my medical journey to serve as inspiration for the topic! For example, I recently had a bone density test to check for signs of osteoporosis. I subsequently published a blog post about why bone density tests are beneficial for people with my disease and what to expect for the procedure itself; I even included photos I took at the appointment! Drawing from real-life experiences not only saves time and energy, but also inspires high quality, authentic blog posts that speak to your readers.
#9 ~ Melissa from Melissa Vs. Fibromyalgia
Melissavsfibromyalgia the blog of a mama, fibromyalgia fighter, author and coach helping others to live as well as possible despite chronic illness.
Everything gets done a little at a time – I’ll write new post ideas on Keep Notes on the phone (with a baby in my arms usually), then edit and post, then create the images etc. I never spend hours at a time on the computer.
#10 ~ Suzanne from FibroMomBlog
Suzanne is a Fibromyalgia and Endometriosis Warrior! She runs FibroMomBlog to build community and advocate for others. Suzanne juggles a full-time job, kids, school and her own business.
The best tip I can give on balancing a business and chronic illness is planning. I keep a planner and make lists (tons of lists)! In my planner I write out all my school assignments and business “to-dos”. I even include self-care on the list, that way I am more likely to fit it in somehow. Another important tip is that I don’t beat myself up if I can’t get everything done. I try to spread everything out during the week so that if I need to let some things go, they can be picked up on another day.
Are you ready for balancing a business and chronic illness now?
These top ten tips are really good! Don’t let your illness stop you from fulfilling your goals. I know it can be hard, but with a little modification and positive attitude you can accomplish anything, including balancing a business and chronic illness. Know your limits and listen to your body! Even Rome wasn’t built in one day. If you are looking for community support join my Facebook group The Chronically Strong Warriors!
Seeking Serenity and Harmony
Great advice in this post. Thanks