People are often amazed by my ability to handle what life has handed me. Truthfully, I’ve never known any different life than the one I was given.

I endure what I endure because I have to.

Nonetheless, I think I recently found out that my strength lies within my ability to cope and I am able to cope due to my ability to distract.

In pain? Start baking.

Feeling sick? Start painting.

Mentally, do you feel as if there is a dumpster fire lit inside your brain? Go in the garden.

In the Emergency Room? Watch Netflix.

Unable to sleep? Clean up your bedroom.

Sew, do yoga, walk the dog, pet the dog, listen to music, mail out a card, learn a new skill or pick up a hobby which maybe you set down for a bit, whatever it may be, however you can distract yourself will help pull you away or out of the slump of what you are going through.

There’s a difference in ignoring whatever is happening in life and coping with it in a healthy way. I think I do a good job of acknowledging whatever I am going through, but the difference of disassociation, in my opinion, is realizing that what I am enduring is a lot, and I can take a break.

I truly cannot take a break from being chronically ill, but if I dive into watercolors or put words on a page, then I can mentally separate myself from whatever it is I am enduring.

When you dissociate, you do it involuntary, as a way to mentally detach, but when you distract, you make the conscious choice of where to put your energy.

I think this tool can not only be applied if you are someone going through a hardship such a chronic condition, but rather, a way we can all cope. We can all find outlets to express ourselves and therefore move through life more freely by doing so.

Distractions are the only reason I have made it through endless ICU admission, allergic reactions, 5-7 appointments each week (if not more), trying to balance school, work, volunteer time and a social life.

I get by because I push myself. When I was in school, I used my education as a distraction from the struggles happening in my personal life. When I worked, I dove into that area of my life. I could focus on XYZ while taking a break from life or death matters. To be realistic, life or death matters aren’t frequently focused on in life. People may endure one experience that brought them to death’s door, but for myself, it is almost a normalized experience.

Since coming close to tragedy is no stranger to me, I deeply work on the ways I can focus my life that don’t pin me down to my illness. I am grateful for my relationship with art, writing, cooking, baking, gardening, and all the other outlets that let me escape from hardships.