Hello and welcome back! I am overjoyed with you being here. Today we are going into the shift this season brings and how we often find ourselves reflecting on our journey of growth and healing. I am talking about my experience with Fibromyalgia this past year and how I have found new perspectives. I am going into how I am meeting this season differently from previous years and hope you find it inspiring.

Satus quo

It’s now been a year since I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and in some ways, I am in a much better place now than I was back then. Yet in another way, I am not doing my best. This is the first time I am actually on sick leave because of fibro knowingly. It’s not only because of fibro, but most of the other reasons are linked to fibro.

I am one week into my sick leave and have about two weeks left, and I am already feeling the benefit of it. I am starting to get my energy back. I am pretty much completely well from being on and half off again sick. And even though I have swollen feet every day, it’s much better and the swelling goes down every day. Some days it’s only back for a short while, and other days it comes and goes.
But all in all, I am slowly getting back to my healthy self again.

Beginnings

Spring always feels like a new beginning for me, and it’s no different this year. I am slowly getting back to enjoying myself without having to do anything. I am finding joy in flowers and plants again.
I am looking forward to spending the afternoons and weekends with my family, both inside and outside.

My man made me realize something that I never thought about. We have been together for almost 9 and a half years now, and for every year my health has been the worst from January until May/June each year.
No wonder why I always feel spring brings new beginnings.

Previously, I have wondered what to do during spring and summer. Almost like I had to have it all planned out, always looking for the next thing and not really enjoying it.
I know now that it was due to “knowing” that I would get a “flare” again, so I had to do as much as possible when I was at my healthiest.

This year will be different. This time I am in a different mindset. I am going into summer with a mindset of having lots of fun. I am going to enjoy my summer with my family. I am working on how I want my raised flowerbeds to look and where I will have them. These flowerbeds are for perennials (flowers that come up year after year), and I hope I will be able to start filling them this year.
We are also getting flowerbeds that will be placed around the porch railing that will have one season’s flowers.

We have beautiful weather at the moment, so we have spent the afternoons outside. Our child is running around in our yard playing. I am cleaning, tidying, and decorating the porch, and my man has been building a sandbox for our child and collecting the leaves on our lawn that came during fall. We are taking it slowly and just enjoying being outside.

The only thing that is planned this summer for travels is the yearly car festival/car meet that we have been to since the first year. So this year it will be the fifth time we go there, and it’s a tradition now.

Things I do to stay hopeful

I do have things that make me stay hopeful and that keep me working towards a better self, both physically and mentally.

One of those things is listening to podcasts on Spotify, and these three podcasts really align well with me:

1. “School of Self-Image”- by Tonya Leig
2. “Fibromyalgia Podcast”- by Tami Stackelhouse
3. “Come To Your Senses with Mary Lofgren”- By Mary Lofgren

I also read self-help books. However, I am picky about the books I consume. I like books that do not tell me what I do wrong and how to fix it. I like the books that make me go deep inside myself and work with whatever comes up. This is the list of books that have made an impact on me and my life:

1. “Ignite your Light”- by Jolene Hart
2. “GOOD VIBES, GOOD LIFE. How self-love is the key to unlocking your greatness”- by Vex King
3. “Untamed. Stop pleasing, start living”- by Glennon Doyl
   

I find myself drawn to podcasts and books that help me connect deeper with myself during spring and summer. During fall and winter, I crave more fiction books and more comedic kinds of podcasts.

This might help you to!

Let me ask you one question: How do YOU want this spring and summer to look like?

If you find yourself craving a slow spring and summer, then I hope you find this post inspiring.

Be completely honest with yourself on what you truly want this season that is aligned with your health.

Last summer I worked full time for three weeks before vacation. And I worked mostly evening shifts because my man worked day shifts and we had our child at home. So we would only see each other for an hour or two before we had to go to bed. During these three weeks, I almost got burnt out.
And I can promise you that it didn’t feel good at all. I was not the best mother or partner, and if it hadn’t been for me needing the money, I would probably have had fewer shifts.

This summer we are starting with an early vacation, and then when he goes back to work, I will still be home with our child. This is due to my workplace having early and late vacation since we can’t all be on vacation at the same time. We are having early and late vacation every other year.

I am not putting myself on any extra shifts this summer. I can be called if there is any sickness, but my priority will be my child and enjoying my time with him before daycare starts again in the fall.

If you truly want to have a spring and summer that is aligned with your values and health, then pay attention to what makes you feel good, what gives you energy, and what you know you will enjoy. Also, pay attention to what drains you, what takes your energy, and what challenges your health.

Summary

It’s been a year since I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and while I feel significantly better in some respects, I’m also on sick leave for the first time due to my condition.
After a week off, I’m starting to regain my energy and manage my symptoms better, despite daily swelling in my feet.

With the arrival of spring, I’m embracing new beginnings and finding joy in simple activities with my family. Over nearly a decade, I’ve consistently struggled with my health from January to June, leading me to plan my summers tightly due to anticipated flare-ups.

This year, my mindset has shifted—I’m focusing on fun and family time, designing raised flowerbeds for perennials, and enjoying the outdoors. We have a family tradition of attending a car festival every summer, which stays on the agenda. To maintain hope and work on my well-being, I listen to enlightening podcasts and read self-help books that encourage deep introspection rather than prescriptive solutions.

The approach to this season is about authenticity and aligning activities with my health, with a commitment to prioritize enjoyment and energy over work obligations.

Love
Emilie Cathrin