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yesterday was emotionally exhausting, and there is much more work to do.

#draweveryday #drawing #draw #hedgehog #rest #radicalrest #selfcare

Disabled people rely on social media for connection & companionship.

We might be housebound or bedbound & often have no one in real life who “gets it”

The unrelenting negativity of the news cycle takes a toll on us

If we unplug, we lose our support network. If we come online, we lose our spoons

I’m working on an article about how we can protect our online spaces (and spoons!) in the era of Trump.

How we can find ways to unplug without losing vital community.

Discover strategies for supporting one another in resistance efforts so we can all take breaks when we need to.

I’m working on ideas for resisting, networking & community building in ways that spare as many spoons as possible.

Ways to help people leave toxic social media and find safer online spaces.

I’m thinking about the role we can play in protests & resistance and how to get organizers to include us.

My own spoon deficit is slowing me down, so in the interim I’m going to share some articles from the Archive that I hope can help people rest, recharge and prepare to fight another day.

The first is about throwing away the guilt & harmful inner monologues and learning radical rest 🧵 1/3

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/its-time-to-throw-away-the-coulda

#uspoli #resist #rest #selfcare #disability #ableism #chronicillness #communitycare #fascism #RadicalRest

Don't forget to eat something wholesome today, if you can manage it. Remember the revolution needs cooks and it needs you to be well.

#radicalrest #wholesomepost

This week’s article was a tough one - mainly because I’ve been in a horrific and unrelenting flare that’s prohibited me from writing about what I wanted to tackle.

I’ve had to put multiple pieces on the back burner because my brain fog and other symptoms were too severe.

My inner monologue turned very cruel - constantly berating and gaslighting myself for being unable to get the articles done.

It’s hardly a surprise - because we aren’t taught to rest. We’re taught to push. To hide our pain. To say we’re “fine” and smile no matter how much we’re suffering.

We’re taught that worth is tied to economic contribution. That we’re cogs in the wheel of capitalism and that if we aren’t contributing we have no value.

As a result we play through the pain. We ignore what our bodies need because we don’t know how to truly rest.

We are overwhelmed with the “coulda woulda shouldas”… three of the most damaging words to someone living with chronic illness.

When you’re disabled - you can’t push as hard as other people can. You need to learn radical rest.

My own war with the ‘coulda, woulda, shouldas’ looks a lot like this:

😞 You coulda had a better day today if you had just been smarter yesterday

😞 You woulda been more productive if you had just done this differently

😞 You shoulda seen this coming. You’re stupid. Why didn’t you prepare better?

😞 You coulda stopped this if you only tried harder

😞You woulda had your article published if you focused more
You SHOULDA known better. When will you learn?

My article is about how to recognize the warning signs of an impending crash, learn radical rest and most importantly - throw the “coulda woulda shouldas” away once and for all.

https://www.disabledginger.com/p/its-time-to-throw-away-the-coulda

#chronicillness #disability #disabilityrights #spoonie #pem #brainfog #radicalrest #pots #mcas #Dysautonomia
#mecfs #longcovid #rest #gaslighting

I woke up feeling good. My sinuses are almost back to normal so my breathing wasn’t bad last night. I plan on taking it ridiculously easy for at least two weeks. Minimal exercise. Resting any time I feel tired. When I walked up and down the stairs today with breakfast, it made me feel a little lightheaded, so the symptoms aren’t completely gone. Still worried about my housemate who tested positive. They spent nine hours at emergency yesterday only to learn they can’t take paxlovid because of drug contraindications. I’ve been gargling antiseptic mouthwash everyday in the hopes it helps. I’m getting some for my housemate too. #covid #CovidIsNotOver #MaskUp #paxlovid #recovery #RadicalRest

The Tyee: The Case for Radical Rest https://thetyee.ca/Culture/2023/10/02/Case-Radical-Rest/ #bcnews #TheTyee - via @tyee@mstdn.ca #TheDaytheWorldStopsShoppingbook #TomWolfeMastersoftheUniverse #TheAgeofInsecuritybook #CharteroftheForest #COVID-19pandemic #Ju/’hoansipeople #J.B.MacKinnon #TriciaHersey #AstraTaylor #NapMinistry #radicalrest #AudreLorde #MagnaCarta #longCOVID

It's radical concept in the religion of capitalism, but it's true.

Something that chronically ill folks know is that if we don't build rest into our day/lives, our bodies will take that needed rest anyway, just more intensely and usually at a very inopportune time.

#RadicalRest

It's half term this week and I'm actually taking it off with my family, thanks to some dedicated negotiation with my partner to persuade them to step away from their startup for a few days. We are going to the wildlife centre and an art workshop and we have babysitting for a couple of nights! The weekend just gone was already pretty relaxed, so it feels very abundant to have more days off on top. #parenting #WorkLess #RadicalRest

Covid 19 Update. Day 11. 6 days after completing full course of Paxlovid. So, after the medical science recommended 10 days of bed rest, I am back up and about. I feel almost normal, except having been off my immunosuppressants all this time, I am a bit sore in my hands and impacted joints. I generally walk on a treadmill at a 2% incline for around .75-1 mile 3-6 times per week. Today, I jumped back on that for .5 miles. Feel fine. #covid19 #RadicalRest #paxlovid

wow. I feel so much better. I’m up and moving about the cabin. Halfway through my dedicated 10 days of #radicalrest. No more snot. Mild sinus pain, my headache is down to 2/10. And the cough I was worrying about starting, seems to be gone? Evening of night five of #covid, and i am on my way to kicking it, it feels like.

And adolescence is also a fairly dangerous time in one’s life, and anger displacing fear can lead to very bad outcomes, fights, arrests, joining gangs, whatever. Also, keeping up a fine head of anger long enough to avoid feeling fear over something scary is EXHAUSTING. Does not work with the concept of #radicalrest and is not fun at parties either. Not that I am going to parties, I have Covid. So, this brings me to the only option left. Option Three- Live with my fear.

Can #RadicalRest help with #LongCovid symptoms? Claire Sibonney checks it out https://www.webmd.com/covid/news/20230118/can-radical-rest-help-long-covid-symptoms

A privilege to be invited by the students interested in Health Care & research to talk all things sleep. The open discussion ranged from #Sleep & #Brain, # ExtractiveResearch Methodology & #COVID. The #teens are getting less than their recommended sleep (9 hours)across the 🌍. We talked about the importance of self care & #RadicalRest in the age of the #Pandemic & how sleep shapes who we become as human beings. Also, introduced them to the brilliant work of the Iranian #artist Maryam Ashkanian.

Neuroinflamation via the 😡 microglia cells hypothesis:
In #ME|CFS & #LongCOVID
these cells become hypersensitive & hyper activated & it takes very little to
set them off.
Even the tiniest activity leads to a cytokine storm➡️ hyper-inflammation ➡️state of chronic sickness.
Also,
Activation of hypothalamus (brain’s innate immune sys. temp control etc.) can trigger cytokines ⬆️ inflammatory molecules via infection, toxins, stress, temp fluctuations- Jarred Younger

#RadicalRest is recommended