AfroBrit Ramblings

Many people with autoimmune illnesses face varied challenges. With London at 29 degrees one has to have a military plan to survive the heat wave. Here are some tips to survive the heat. Enjoy.

The importance of maximising nature to support your mental health.

A ramble showing yet again following the directive to shield again.

My reflections on being indoors due to COVID. I discovered I was not living as me. I tried to fit in boxes that people want me to be. My reality is different, the things I need to be I cannot be, my recovery is taking longer physically.

A journey with COVID that has been insightful an eye opener. People with invisible disabilities are still misunderstood and not supported during this period. The triggers are many that affect our mental health and we must be watchful of what we expose ourselves to.

Our journeys with COVID 19 has brought us to unprecedented times. Uncertainty and fear have affected us differently particularly if you have immunity issues. It has been a reflective time and seeing a world broken in less than 3 months. Peace has to be your anchor. Take time to think about how you want to live a better life and write down your hopes. We are resilient!

Let's chat about the plans you have on the quarantine instruction from the government. How is it affecting you as a vulnerable person. Some ideas on what to do.

Rest is a must when you have fibromyalgia or lupus. We must learn to down our activities in order to help the body to recover. During these times it is easy to get depressed as one reacts to their pain and inability. Mitigating the circumstances by being prepared and Managing ones thoughts can help in your wellbeing.

My Christmas was a mess and thought I'd share the hilarity of being a single person who suffers from an autoimmune disease and anxiety. A flare during the season is messy

"What good can come out of this" - Hope

Grace for the day is a prayer for empowerment to deal with the day's needs. Living with an autoimmune illness and fibromyalgia means the mornings are horrendous trying to fight the pain and stiffness and popping pain pills. Feelings of being overwhelmed or inadequate can be frustrating. I learnt to wake up in gratitude and to pray for Grace for just that day. With a world that changes literally ov...

One of the hardest things to do when in pain is to be grateful. Physical and emotional pain can take over your life causing it to lose sight of the things God has added to our lives. Sometimes a short prayer and meditation can alleviate the noise in our minds. When we are grateful we remove our attention from self to see what others do not have. Peace surrounds our pain moment from moment. Be bles...

After years of fighting with doctors you finally receive a diagnosis. Your first reaction is relief. Then comes the shock of how an autoimmune illness will affect your life. This meditation is the first of helping you handover the journey.

Many times fibromyalgia sufferers wake up in pain. The body is stiff and it is easy to wake up grumbling and unhappy not sure how to handle the day. A gratitude prayer to our Creator who is spirit combined with breathing exercises can open your body to the healing power of oxygen supporting our broken bodies. This is a new journey for me, will you come along with me.

As a person who engages in several groups, I think it's pertinent to send a strong reminder not to take advice from a non medical person on your ailment. As services for autoimmune illnesses are strained in the NHS we have joined groups to understand this new world we are in. You cannot advice a person who has lupus to take garlic for a blood pressure problem. It would be counter-active as garlic...

A chat on my gratitude for 7 years God had my back. A challenge to you as I reflect not to give up hope. He's Got You

Time and seasons come and go; life changes. We are ill prepared for the challenges we have with autoimmune illnesses particular to fibromyalgia due to trauma. Our bodies become the voices of the wounds we have not dealt with. As we deal with them, the wounds heal and we become more empathetic to the human condition. Joni Erickson challenged me this week do not let your disability define you. In 19...

When suffering with fibromyalgia it is necessary to have peace. This means you have to audit who is speaking life into you, understands you and most of all believes you. Emotional turbulence is not good for your system and you have to stop being a garbage truck. Everyone has drama and if you overload yourself with others garbage may tip over affecting your health. Do the audit and remove people fr...

Living with depression and fibromyalgia means that the bottom will fall out again. Just as you are mid-stride a doctors report, chronic fatigue or a loss can throw all the work you have achieved. You now have tools; the decision you make will see carry you through, have a medical review and press the reset button and love yourself.

I have been away for a while due to health concerns. Just when you think you have got it together the bottom falls out. As you know fibromyalgia has different presentations over time and with childhood trauma lurking around the flashbacks can cripple you. Dealing with physical and emotional pain is debilitating. Let's talk, get some help. Don't give up as you are succeeding in different areas in y...

Brokenness is always seen as a bad thing, however getting to the aha moment is the journey. Acceptance doesn't happen over night. This allows you to see that life and growth is not linear. We rarely take into account our goodness. We get absorbed in the messages we receive from a point brokenness. Change your narrative to celebrate your goodness; or you will continuously react from the broken plac...

A plea for us to mentor the younger woman. The rate of femicide is going up at a rate that is alarming. We have to step in and mentor and integrate the old ways and new world.

Do you get up fed up? Embrace your feelings of frustration or anger. Identify the cause and create a plan to deal with the irritant and give yourself a break! You are stronger than you think and vulnerability is not wrong

Hidden among us are women suffering abuse. It is easy to tell people leave and question why they don't. The government is not going to save us women. Let us go to our communities and have these conversations; men and women. Let us stand in holding pattern together with our sisters as they heal. There should never be another story of a woman maimed or killed due to abuse. Lord I am tired.

Gratitude is important in life. Are you giving it much thought? What are you full off on thanks or are you on autopilot?