Having a chronic illness often includes unpredictable flare-ups. And as awful as the physical symptoms are -- searing pain, fatigue, nausea, etc.-- the emotional fallout can be just as bad. Despair. Fear. Intense self criticism.

In this episode we cover 3 common emotional responses to symptom flare-ups and what you can do instead to get through a flare-up more peacefully:

If you have pain, dysautonomia, POTS, IBS, migraines or other unpredictable chronic illnesses, you may find this helpful!

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Resources on the Mind-Body Connection

University of San Francisco Magazine: "Can We Train Our Brain to Unlearn Chronic Pain?"

https://magazine.ucsf.edu/can-we-train-our-brain-unlearn-chronic-pain

Cleveland Clinic: "How to Manage Irritable Bowel Syndrome With Your Brain"

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/manage-irritable-bowel-syndrome-ibs-brain

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Need help building a life when your brain or body is different? Bonnie coaches folks one-on-one.

For more info: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.bonnieprestridge.com/⁠⁠

⁠⁠@bonnie.prestridge⁠⁠

My business bestie Jessica Guerrero shares her experience with stage IV malignant melanoma and how it changed her relationship with fear.

We talk about:
Going through cancer treatment when all your friends are going out, dancing, and living it up
How relationships change, and, and begin through cancer
Turning fear into an ally instead of an enemy
How her morning ritual prepares her to face fears every day
How to show up for someone going through cancer or another major life challenge
Jessica Guerrero
Contact her for a free life coaching consultation!
https://www.thisisyourlifecoaching.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thisisyourlifehealthcoaching/

Need an audio editor? Or help starting your own podcast? Sarah is taking on new clients!

Contact Sarah via email: ⁠⁠sarahwilliamsedits@gmail.com⁠⁠

Need help building a life when your brain or body is different? Bonnie coaches folks one-on-one.

For more info: ⁠⁠https://www.bonnieprestridge.com/⁠

⁠@bonnie.prestridge⁠

My colleague Cameron O’Brien is on the show to talk about what it’s like to go off ADHD medication for the first time and enter eating disorder recovery as an adult.

We talk about:

Eating disorder recovery as a form of resistance to oppression

Relearning how your brain works

The importance of sociocultural context in personal development work

Anger as a force for positive change

How social media can be a HELPFUL tool for body acceptance

How to move from loathing yourself to liking yourself

Putting a new business and a new, fat body out into the world at the same time

Dance and developing a new relationship with movement

Cameron O’Brien

Contact her for a free life coaching consultation!

https://www.ceolifecoaching.net/

https://www.instagram.com/ceolifecoaching/

https://www.tiktok.com/@ceolifecoaching

Books Cam Recommends:

Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia by Sabrina Strings

https://nyupress.org/9781479886753/fearing-the-black-body/

Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

https://read.macmillan.com/lp/intuitive-eating-4th-edition/

Need an audio editor? Or help starting your own podcast? Sarah is taking on new clients!

Contact Sarah via email: ⁠sarahwilliamsedits@gmail.com⁠

Need help building a life when your brain or body is different? Bonnie coaches folks one-on-one.

For more info: ⁠https://www.bonnieprestridge.com/

@bonnie.prestridge

In this mini episode, Bonnie shares a piece she wrote on her blog about how she thinks about the word disability. This is part 1 of 3.

The words we use to describe our chronic health condition aren’t just words, they are bridges that connect us with others, tools that help us get what we need, and sources of power that give us strength to carry on. They can also be markers of shame and walls separating us from others. This is the first in a series of posts exploring different meanings of the controversial word "disability". My hope is that it will expand the way you think about your chronic health condition and help you feel more confident talking about yourself.

Need help building a life when your brain or body is different? Bonnie coaches folks one-on-one. For more info: ⁠https://www.bonnieprestridge.com/⁠

Need an audio editor? Or help starting your own podcast? Sarah is taking on new clients!

Contact Sarah via email: sarahwilliamsedits@gmail.com

Today's guest and North Star, Amber, talks about life with an amputation, and the unique experience of having an amputation since birth.

Get ready for a funny and irreverent convo that includes:

- DIY Prosthetics

- The creative power of disability

- Appalachian Culture

- What movies get wrong about bullying

- Finding true disabled love <3

You’ll especially love this episode if you:

- Want to hear about having a disability in a rural setting

- Wish people weren’t always so serious and sad about disabilities

- Are worried about dating when your body looks different than other people’s

Need an audio editor? Or help making your own audio project?

Sarah is taking on new clients!

Sarah’s email: sarahwilliamsedits@gmail.com

Need help building a life when your brain or body is different?

Bonnie coaches folks one-on-one.

For more info: https://www.bonnieprestridge.com/

Welcome to North Stars Season 1: Brains and Bodies. It’s our first guest interview! To kick things off, we brought on Will for a chat about life with ADHD. He also happens to be an audiovisual tech expert, which is helpful when you’re learning how to make a podcast 🙂

You’ll especially like this episode if:

- You’re tired of ADHD always being framed as a problem to correct

- The thought of learning another note-taking strategy or productivity hack makes you want to scream

- You want to love and celebrate your brain just the way it is

Join us for a playful meandering conversation about:

- Growing up with ADHD

- How he’s used his brain’s unique wiring as an asset in school and at work

- The tendency to talk a lot + not have a “filter” and how to mitigate problems that can cause in relationships

- Motivation: How to playfully trick yourself into doing things that are hard (instead of pushing or forcing)

- Productivity: Getting more done by not trying to get more done

And more!

Need an audio editor? Or help starting your own podcast? Sarah is taking on new clients!

Contact Sarah via email: sarahwilliamsedits@gmail.com

Need help building a life when your brain or body is different? Bonnie coaches folks one-on-one. For more info: https://www.bonnieprestridge.com/

Bonnie explains how she and her clients develop North Stars to help guide their work. Bonnie draws on her work as a life coach for young people, with a specialty in working with people with disabilities and health conditions, to provide specific examples of North Stars. What North Star guides you?

What's this podcast about? Bonnie shares her inspiration for this show. She hopes each episode can serve as a guiding light for listeners, especially people who have a disability or chronic health condition.