So for the past 2 years I have been struggling with a chronic illness along with chronic fatigue syndrome. Somehow I have managed to still do pretty well (not amazing) at school. These are the steps I take to make sure that I stay on top of school, but more importantly, take care of myself. These methods can be applied to anyone, not just people with chronic illnesses.
Applies mostly to people with chronic illnesses-
1 – Talk to your teachers If your teachers understand, they are more likely to help you out. Ask to see them after class and explain your situation, or if you don’t feel comfortable talking to them, write them a big email and get your parents to do so as well.
2 – Accept that some teachers wont give a damn Some teachers are going to be amazing and email you slides and notes every time you miss class. But you have to accept that some teachers wont care, and in this case you need to find someone in the class who can photocopy their notes for you. If the teacher really is a problem, talk to/email your school counsellor and they will chase them up.
3 – Look into other options Talk to your family and counsellors about home school/online school/health school. I personally do school through a health school. They manage it all so that I can take 2 of my classes physically at school, and 2 online. This means I only go to school a few days a week and do the rest from home.
4 – Be prepared to make sacrifices. You may want to look into a career change if its going to make things easier for you. Your also going to have to accept that your not going to get top marks every time. You need time for yourself so you may have to settle for an average grade. That is OK. I cannot stress this enough. There is nothing wrong with just passing!
5 – Choose subjects you can manage. Find out what the minimum amount of subjects allowed is, and only pick subjects that you know you can mange eg ditch chemistry lmao. If you have a subject that is required for your further study then focus all your energy on that one and choose other easier subjects. It sucks but trust me it makes life easier.
Applies to everyone-
6 – Bundle up. Talk to your parents about investing some money into a decent jacket. Nothing is worse then the dash from the train station to class in the freezing cold winter without a good jacket. Find one that is warm, waterproof and has a hood, to avoid catching a cold.
7 – Food. Make sure you take plenty of healthy snacks to school and make good food choices. However, don’t skimp on comfort food. If you know that a bowl of fries or a muffin is gonna get you through a hard day, go for it!
8 – Pack light. Nothing is going to make your aches and pains worse than a heavy bag. Leave as much as you can in your locker, The uni I’m going to next year also has lockers for hire, so look into it. I only carry my notebook, water bottle, meds and some snacks in my bag. If you have a lightweight laptop take that too. I have a macbook pro which weighs like 10,000 kgs so I prefer to leave it at home.
9 – meds Meds MEDS. Always stay on top of ANY medication you take. Set alarms on your phone both morning and evening so you don’t forget.
10 – Set aside time for yourself everyday. And I mean completely for yourself. No school work, no chores, no nothing. I usually take an hour and a half to just watch tv, take a hot bath or read.
11 – Set yourself a strict routine. This will help your sleeping habits, eating habits, study habits, everything. Make one and stick to it. Type it up and make it pretty. Print it out and pin it on your wall. Heres my evening routine as an example:
5:00 pm – Homework
7:00 pm – Downtime + Dinner
8:30 pm – Check bullet journal and complete anything that is unfinished
9:30 pm – shower and get pj’s on
10:00 pm – Lights out, phone/laptop away
12 – Don’t be afraid to skip class. When I first got sick I felt terrible about missing classes, but if you have a chronic illness pushing yourself is only gonna set you back. If your having a hard day physically or mentally stay home and email your teachers asking for work to catch up on.
13 – WATER. I have a morning bottle, an at school bottle and 2 evening bottles. DRINK WATER.
Some last quick things:
Don’t have energy drinks if you have cfs. You will want to die.
Coffee is ok but I generally avoid.
Talk to your friends or anyone who will listen.
Buy a good backpack with comfortable straps.
If you feel dizzy/nauseous go home.
Sometimes treating yourself like a child is the best thing you can do.
Take hot baths.
BATH BOMBS.
Carry 12 hours worth of ibuprofen and paracetamol at all times.
Carry headphones at all times.
Don’t be scared to ask for help.
Daily light exercise actually does help with your energy even if you feel like it wont.
There you have it. I hope these help someone. Remember nothing, not even your education, is more important than your health.
Rest well, Rebecca xx
