Working during a flare

I thought I might write this weeks blog post on how I manage running a small business while my disabilities flare, especially as that’s what’s happening now!

So to start, a little background about my disabilities. I have a genetic condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, which is a condition that causes faulty collagen, impacting every system in my body. Along with that, I have a lot of other diagnoses that are caused or made worse by my EDS, and I have a few mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and c-PTSD, as well as a neurological disorder that causes seizures and cognitive issues. I am also autistic and have ADHD. As you can see, there are a lot of things going on in my body at all times, which means I have to be very careful about pacing myself so as not to cause a flare.

But what happens when I overdo it? Or my body is naturally going through a flare?

Well, honestly, I rest. I try not to be hard on myself for not getting things done, I work around what I can do, and I celebrate any progress I am able to make. So let me show you how that looks.

Last Thursday, I was feeling very ill in the morning, but then my best friend put in a last minute order for a couple of bouquets. Despite feeling sick, and because I love them so much, I rushed to get to the wholesaler. With ten minutes to spare, I chose flowers for their mum and nan and then headed home. When I did get home, I had to rest for a couple of hours before getting started, and worked as slowly as I needed to, lighting incense, a candle I made, listening to my Whimsigoth playlist. My friend came over while I was creating the bouquets, and Soren went home with them (they’re his owner too).

The next day is when my flare got worse. I woke up having done something to my neck, which caused my usual nausea and dizziness to be even worse, so I spent the day in bed. I got quite a bit of work done surprisingly, mostly writing and some planning, but I didn’t force myself to continue when I needed breaks.

I don’t make myself work on background business stuff on weekends, those are for events and resting, and although I went out on Saturday to help with an appointment, I still rested. And I also didn’t work the day after as I had a couple of errands (namely, Cliona had a grooming appointment to make her actually look like a poodle).

And that was a week and a half ago now. My body is still sore, but it is not as bad as a couple of days ago. The rest also reset my brain, so my mind has been clearer and I’ve been able to focus (and not hyperfocus on my new special interest of dumb phones and old technology).

So the way I work through flares is… I rest. If I can work, great, but if I can’t I’m not going to beat myself up about not being able bodied, I wouldn’t do it to anyone else, so why should I do it to myself. You’re allowed to give yourself grace, and the only way to run a successful and fulfilling business as a disabled person is to do just that.

Althea xx