Press on! Keep looking toward the prize. There will be ups and downs, but keep pushing on.

Let me explain. The chronic illness and disability life mean ups and downs. Good days and bad days; strong days or weak days. Sometimes, it seems as if it is two steps forward and one (or one and a half steps) back.

It is not easy to stay encouraged on the bad days. How do we handle that?

1. Take each day as it comes. Expectations can be hard.
2. Don’t blame yourself for setbacks. It is easy to think we did something wrong, but the truth is that it comes with the territory.
3. Keep in mind the goal: to be as healthy as we can be. What does that mean for the day? Rest? Move?
4. Have plans for both good days and bad days. Have a list of things ready that you know need to do to be successful on both days.
5. Don’t be discouraged on the bad days or try to conquer the world on the good days. (Not that I would be speaking from experience or anything.)
6. If you know that there are big events coming up, plan ahead for both preparation leading up to the event and recovery time after. It may help even things out a bit.
7. While pressing forward, sometimes we need to look back to see how far we have come. Then, keep pressing on.

So, when you take the steps backward, don’t get discouraged. How do you handle the days when you take steps backward? We would love to hear any and all tips you may have.