Chronic Illness Overdraft Protection

Life with a chronic illness can feel like waking up every day already a depleted, as if your emotional bank account hasn’t seen a deposit in some time. Appointments, symptoms, insurance calls, and the quiet grief of limitation all make withdrawals. Finding your emotional overdraft protection means building in small, reliable deposits that keep you steady when the balance runs low. It might be a morning ritual that anchors you, a short walk if your body allows, a text thread with someone who understands, or a few honest pages in a journal where nothing has to be polished or perfect. It is knowing which thoughts drain you and choosing ones that offer steadier ground. It is allowing rest without guilt and asking for help before you are completely spent. Over time you learn that resilience is less about pushing harder and more about tending to your reserves so that when a hard flare or hard day arrives, you are not facing it empty handed.

Dr. Jeffrey Bone