Living Well

Living Well

10 Steps to Mindfully Manage Grief and Loss

Mindfulness can help you accept and navigate what you feel with kindness toward yourself.

Living Well

How My Favorite Poem Helps Me Cope with MS

"Let Evening Come," a poem by Jane Kenyon, helps me savor the quiet moments of life, let go, and find acceptance.

Living Well

What to Know About Plant-Based Protein

Here's what to know about plant-based protein and how to incorporate it into a healthy diet.

Living Well

Navigating Accessibility: A Review of the Friendly Like Me App

This app can help you find the accommodations you need at local restaurants, events, and more.

Living Well

How Finding Your Flow with Immersive Activities Can Help You Live with Chronic Illness

Activities that improve health, well-being, and a sense of meaning can help you find meaning during chronic illness.

Living Well

Balancing Act: Tips for Managing Time and Stress with a Chronic Illness

Bezzy MS guide Kathy Reagan Young shares her tips and tools for balancing time and stress when working with a chronic illness.

Living Well

The Top 7 Things I Always Keep in My Kitchen

MS fatigue is real, so I keep some ingredients on hand that I can put together quickly for a healthy-ish, satisfying meal or snack when my energy is low.

Living Well

My Top 10 Ways for Making Parenting with MS Easier

Parenting takes a lot of physical and emotional energy, even under the best of circumstances. Multiple sclerosis makes it even harder. Here's how I cope.

Living Well

How Much Water Do I Really Need to Drink?

Registered dietitian Christine Byrne explains why drinking water is important and how to figure out your daily hydration needs.

Living Well

How Emotional Repression Impacts Chronic Illness, Plus How to Make Peace with Powerful Feelings

Being mindful of negative emotions can grant you the freedom to choose how you respond to chronic illness and life. 

Living Well

5 Water-Rich Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated

Watermelon, cucumbers, and yogurt are water-rich foods that can help you stay hydrated. Here's why hydration matters when you live with a chronic condition.

Living Well

What’s in My Luggage?

I may travel a lot as a digital nomad, but multiple sclerosis never takes a vacation. That’s why I always carry these essentials.

Living Well

8 Steps to Accept the Things You Can’t Fix About Chronic Illness

Accepting the things you can’t fix can help you go from surviving to thriving when living with a chronic illness. 

Living Well

10 Ways to Enjoy Summer Without Traveling

Not everyone wants to — or is able to — travel for a summer vacation. You don't need to feel left out, though. Try one or all of these ways to bring chill summer vibes to your backyard.

Living Well

How Growing Roses Taught Me Courage in the Face of MS

I had always heard that roses were difficult to grow — picky about soil, prone to diseases and pests, and laden with thorns. But once I dove in, I realized the rewards were rich — and offered many lessons about life with multiple sclerosis.

Living Well

Why You Should Eat More Nuts

Nuts contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall health and help reduce inflammation. Here's how to add them to your diet.

Living Well

Why Kizik’s Hands-Free Shoes Work for Me

Living with a chronic condition means I sometimes need help from others. But I also want my independence, and Kizik shoes give me just that.

Living Well

How to Manage Sleep Anxiety So You Can Rest Well and Prevent Flare-Ups

Getting a good night's sleep can mean the difference between a flare-up or not. Here's how to get one.

Living Well

Small Efforts, Big Impacts: The Benefits of Microworkouts for MS

Multiple sclerosis symptoms like fatigue, weakness and heat intolerance can make exercise seem daunting. Microworkouts offer many of the same benefits as traditional exercise routines without the hurdles that often accompany them.

Living Well

Navigating the Workplace with Chronic Illness: How to Advocate for Yourself and Others 

In this column, Kathy Reagan Young shares advice on how to raise awareness about chronic conditions and advocate for accommodations in the workplace.

Living Well

Finding Stillness in Motion: Meditating with MS

When I first tried meditating to manage stress, it helped a lot. Then, my multiple sclerosis worsened, and symptoms like pain and spasms threatened to interfere. I eventually learned to allow it.

Living Well

Am I Getting Enough Protein?

Registered dietitian Christine Byrne explains why eating protein is important and how to add more to your diet.

Living Well

10 Ways to Embrace Uncertainty When You Experience Chronic Illness

Chronic illness isn't predictable, but you can learn to surf the waves for greater well-being.

Living Well

Resisting the Lure of Toxic Positivity While Chronically Ill

It’s easy to fall prey to toxic positivity, refusing to acknowledge your true feelings. While toxic positivity may be well-meaning, finding coping mechanisms that work for you may look a little different.

Living Well

Feel-Good Fuel: 10 Yummy Foods to Boost Your Mood

Foods rich in omega-3s and antioxidants can boost your mood by supporting your brain and reducing inflammation.

Living Well

How Entrepreneurship Empowers a Nutritionist to Support Her Health with MS

Alene Brennan shares why she started her own nutrition coaching business and how it allows her to take care of her health with multiple sclerosis.

Living Well

This Silly Thing My Primary School Science Teacher Taught Me Helps Me Get Through Hard Days

A simple change in perspective can go a long way.

Living Well

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

Here's what to know about ultra-processed foods, how they can affect your health, and how to spot them.

Living Well

Baking Taught Me to Slow Down and Rise Up

The lessons I learned in patience and taking one thing at a time helped me deal with multiple sclerosis and life in general.

Living Well

6 Tips for Navigating the Job Search with Chronic Illness

In this column, Kathy Reagan shares advice and resources for finding employment when you live with a chronic condition.

Living Well

Make Your Home Your Comfort Zone with These Modifications for MS

If you have MS, you may be at greater risk for falls and other types of accidents at home. But you can modify almost any room for greater safety and convenience!

Living Well

5 Foods to Lower Triglycerides

Filling your diet with fatty fish, soy protein, and other whole foods can help lower triglyceride levels. Here’s how to get more of them in your diet.

Living Well

How Yin Yoga Helped Me Find Stability, Relief, and Ease in Life with MS

Yoga, in its many styles, is often recommended as physical excercise for people with multiple sclerosis. Yin yoga helped me find stillness, patience, and profound relaxation, along with pain relief.

Living Well

Wise Words That Ease My Life with Multiple Sclerosis

I've lived with MS for nearly 25 years. When I need a little extra encouragement, I often turn to the words of poets, philosophers, theologians, and other wise people who have come before me.

Living Well

How Music Can Level Up Your Next Walk

Listening to music can boost your mood and make walking feel easier. Check our feel-good song recommendations for your next walk around the block.

Living Well

Can I Work While Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits?

You can still earn income while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). In this column, Kathy Reagan explains SSDI work incentive policies.

Living Well

How Rejecting the Hollywood Ending Has Helped Me Cope With MS

I used to be annoyed by movies with sappy, happily-ever-after endings. Then, I discovered the wisdom and realism in indie films and older flicks and found they had a lot to teach me about coping with a chronic illness.

Living Well

6 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfasts to Start Your Day

Eating antioxidant-rich foods can help reduce inflammation and kickstart your morning. Here are 6 anti-inflammatory breakfast recipes to get started.

Living Well

What Self-Care Means When You Live with a Chronic Condition

It can be hard to prioritize your own needs when it feels like your body has let you down. But self-care is important for those living chronic conditions.  

Living Well

How Chronic Illness Led Allison to Entrepreneurship

Allison Ratkovich shares how multiple sclerosis led her to entrepreneurship and how starting a business allows her to prioritize her health.

Living Well

10 Ways I Plan to Improve My Well-Being Without Making New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are overrated. Besides, many of us with chronic illnesses have already done the hard work of making healthy lifestyle adjustments. Here are some nonresolutions that just might make us feel happier in the new year.

Living Well

What's Your MS Theme Song?

BezzyMS community members share the songs that reflect their experience of life with multiple sclerosis.

Living Well

Living My Faith: How Spirituality Helps Me Cope with Chronic Illness

MS has helped me find a new connection to God, and with it, new purpose, community, gratitude, and more.

Living Well

Feel Safer in a Volatile World: Tips for Self-Defense While Living with Disabilities

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other chronic conditions need not live in fear. There’s much we can do to prevent and defend ourselves from attacks.

Living Well

Working for Yourself: Pros and Cons of Being Your Own Boss

Kathy Reagan describes the challenges and benefits of working for yourself when you live with a chronic illness.

Living Well

Workplace Stress Worsened My Chronic Illness

My Crohn's disease came out of remission after 10 years, and I believe workplace stress played a major role. Here's how I handled it.

Living Well

My MS Holiday Wish List

My list includes some items that make life with MS a bit easier, while other items help me indulge my love of learning, music, and more.

Living Well

How to Find Meaning After Grieving the Former You

After my diagnosis, it took time to accept my new life. But I still struggled to understand its meaning. The sixth stage of grief helped me find meaning.

Living Well

13 Side Hustles for Earning Money If You Live with Chronic Illness

Kathy Reagan shares advice and resources for earning extra income and avoiding scams in this Patients Getting Paid column.

Living Well

5 Yoga Practices to Consider If You Live with a Chronic Condition

Yoga is an accessible way to get your body moving that can provide a range of health benefits. Here's how to get started.

Living Well

8 Tips to Find Lower Cost Therapy

Mental health treatment is expensive. Read on to learn about more affordable options that might help you get the support you need.

Living Well

I Am Enough — and Other Lessons from MS

I questioned whether I could give my son everything he needed. He just started middle school, and now I realize I was always enough to be his mother.

Living Well

How to Reinvent Yourself When MS Steals Your Purpose

Everyone needs to feel that their lives are meaningful. If life with multiple sclerosis has changed your sense of identity, here's how to find it anew.

Living Well

I’m a Patient Getting Paid — and You Can Be Too

In this column, Kathy Reagan shares advice, resources, and stories to help others navigate the world of work while living with a chronic illness.

Living Well

17 Great Chronically Ill and Disabled Content Creators to Follow

There are countless chronic condition and disability advocates on social media committed to spreading awareness and breaking down stigma. Here are 17 who are making an incredible impact.

Living Well

How Movement Became My Medicine

I was only 4 years old when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Slowly but surely I started to understand the consequences of missing playtime and not moving my body.

Living Well

Gardening Is My Mindfulness Practice of Choice — Here’s Why

Watching my plants grow and bloom, as well as the benefits of grounding, are just some of the ways gardening teaches me to be more mindful for my chronic illness.

Living Well

Creative Writing for a Better Life with MS

Creative writing provides an outlet for untangling thoughts and emotions, feeling a greater sense of control, sharing lived experience with others, and even helps relieve some MS symptoms.

Living Well

A Public Health Crisis: Preventing Loneliness in Chronic Illness

Loneliness is more prevalent than ever in the U.S. — and people with chronic illness are likely familiar with it. Here's how to stay socially connected even when symptoms or flare-ups get in your way.

Living Well

From Grounded to Globetrotting: How I Became a Digital Nomad While Living with MS

I had long dreamed of becoming a digital nomad, but my existing medication schedule was prohibitive. Then I discovered twice-yearly infusions.

Living Well

The Day My Life with MS Changed for the Better

For 13 years before I was diagnosed with MS, I couldn't stand or walk for long or far enough to enjoy many of life’s simple pleasures — or necessities. After 3 years of taking Ocrevus, my abilities and gratitude improved drastically.

Living Well

How ASMR Can Benefit People with Chronic Illness

If you live with a chronic illness, ASMR may help you feel relaxed, comforted, or even relieved from chronic pain. But triggers aren't the same for everyone.

Living Well

MS Ambassador Gains Perspective on Slowing Down to Live More Meaningfully

Bezzy MS Ambassador Leisa talks about her diagnosis and journey living with MS.

Living Well

How to Balance Chronic Pain with a Healthy Exercise Routine

While exercise may be beneficial for those with chronic pain, finding the right balance can be a challenge.

Living Well

Should You Disclose Your Diagnosis at Work?

The decision of whether or not to share your chronic condition diagnosis with an employer or potential employer is personal. Here's my story and some things to consider as you make the choice.

Living Well

Building a Better Life with MS — with LEGOs

LEGOs now come in sets aimed at adults, and working on them helps my memory, problem-solving, fine motor ability, and stress.

Living Well

Consistency Is Overrated

Consistency helps us feel safe and reduces anxiety. But it also can create unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to redefine consistency (and success) so you’re OK with the ebbs and flows of life.

Living Well

Ask Ardra Anything: Can Riding Horses Help My MS?

Hippotherapy involves using horses to promote balance, posture, and more.

Living Well

The Mindflight Journal: A Journal for Chronic Illness

Meet Nicole and Aisley, the mom and daughter partnership behind the Mindflight Journal. Building from their own experiences, they've designed a journal for those living with chronic illnesses. Trust me, it's a game-changer.

Living Well

5 Spring Cleaning Hacks for Life with MS

Spring cleaning takes even more energy than the weekly chore list. But with some planning and the right approach, you can still reap the rewards of a deep clean while living with MS.

Living Well

How I MS-Proofed My Phone

Multiple sclerosis makes my hands fumble a lot. Which means I kept dropping my phone, and putting both my phone and myself at risk for damage. I found some accessories and best practices to help prevent that.

Living Well

The Importance of Being a Hustle Culture Dropout When You’re Chronically Ill

The constant pressure to go-go-go took a toll on both my physical and mental health. Then I realized I could opt out.

Living Well

Can Virtual Reality Help Life with MS?

Virtual reality headsets offer creative new ways to exercise, socialize and escape from monotony. Emerging research shows they may also help with some MS symptoms.

Living Well

How the Spoon Theory Helps Me Explain My Health

It can be hard to explain the way that a chronic condition impacts your daily energy. The spoon theory is a clever way to help get the point across.

Living Well

How to Serve Others Even If You Have MS

Giving back to others can make us feel less alone with our disease. Here’s how to perform acts of service even when you have physical limitations.

Living Well

Healthy Tips for Remote Workers with MS

Working from home has so many benefits for folks with MS, but cabin fever isn't one of them. Here's how to stay healthy in body and mind this winter.

Living Well

Realistic Approaches to Setting Resolutions When You Live with a Chronic Condition

Living with a chronic condition often means working within your body’s parameters, which can mean editing your expectations. Always give yourself grace and remember that your New Year’s resolutions — if you choose to set them — don’t have to “match” anyone else’s. They only have to feel helpful to you.

Living Well

Planning an Event? Here Are 6 Reasons It Really Needs to Be Accessible

Not only is it the law, but planning an ADA-compliant event shows you care about people living with disabilities.

Living Well

The Benefits of Being Vulnerable

Allowing someone to see you as you truly are with your disease may help you feel more connected — and may help others more than you know.

Living Well

Gadgets and Apps to Make Life with MS Easier

Use this guide to find gifts for yourself or others with MS.

Living Well

How to Host a Holiday Party with Style While Living with MS

Being the host actually makes it easier on you. Here's what you need to know.

Living Well

Gratitude Changed My Life with MS

MS takes so much from us, but I’ve learned to focus on the many things I still have to be grateful for — and that has made me a much happier person.

Living Well

Chop, chop: Prep Now for Easier Holiday Cooking with MS

Keeping it simple saves time, energy, and strength.

Living Well

Your Holiday Gift Guide for Spoonies, by Spoonies

These gift ideas, from seven small businesses run by people living with chronic conditions, will help make this holiday season even more festive.

Living Well

Winter Can Be Difficult for People with MS. Here’s What You Need to Know

Many people complain about winter, but it can be a particularly challenging time for those who live with chronic conditions like MS.

Living Well

15 Tips for Better Holidays with Multiple Sclerosis

The holidays can be a stressful time for anyone, but especially those of us living with MS. But you deserve to enjoy this season.

Living Well

Living Alone with Multiple Sclerosis

I lived alone long before I had MS. Then my diagnosis changed everything.

Living Well

How I Navigate Professional Life While Living with a Chronic Illness

When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I was terrified that my career was over. These tips helped me adapt my work life so that I could excel.

Living Well

How to Set and Achieve Your Goals with Chronic Illness

Managing your chronic illness on top of life's everyday tasks can be overwhelming. These tips can help you find the motivation and inspiration you need to reach your goals.

Living Well

You Were Just Diagnosed with MS. Now What?

You'll get lots of advice from well-meaning people, but remember to prioritize your own needs.

Living Well

Take Time Out For Self-Care with MS

September is Self-Care Awareness Month. What will you do to prioritize your own needs?

Living Well

Dancing with MS

At one point, multiple sclerosis seemed to threaten my ability to dance. Now, it's an essential part of my physical and mental wellness.

Living Well

The Importance of Staying in the Moment When You Live with MS

MS can stoke fears about the future, but the key to living successfully with MS is to stay in the present

Living Well

Mindset Matters: Who Am I with Chronic Illness? Acceptance and Letting Go

Mindset Matters is a space to learn about the mental and emotional aspects of living with chronic illness. Nat Kelley, a certified life and mindset coach, shares how coming to terms with her ulcerative colitis diagnosis was hard, but it allowed her to build a more compassionate relationship with herself.

Living Well

How Sewing Has Enriched My Quality of Life While Living with MS

Motivated by her desire to contribute to home renovations, Ashley took up sewing, an MS-friendly activity that became her favorite pastime.

Living Well

MS Can’t Stop Me from Gardening

Manage your symptoms and keep growing with these 7 tips.

Living Well

5 Tips for Safe Backcountry Adventures When You’re Living with a Chronic Condition

Wherever you're starting out on your outdoor recreation journey, these five tips from experienced, outdoorsy chronic illness warriors will help you find your way.

Living Well

Moving with MS: How Short Bursts of Exercise Invigorate My Body and Mind

I never thought that the dusty kettlebell in the corner of my basement would be the answer to enjoying exercise again.

Living Well

6 Tips for Setting Nutrition Goals When You Live with a Chronic Condition

6 Tips for Setting Nutrition Goals When You Live with a Chronic Condition

Living Well

12 Ways to Get Involved This MS Awareness Month

Whatever you do — or don't do — what's important is that it feels right to you.

Living Well

How Modeling Empathy to My Toddler Helps Me Navigate Chronic Pain

Learning to practice self-compassion when pain or emotional triggers arise can be a beautiful teaching moment for children.

Living Well

I Tried Aqua Aerobics for MS: Here’s How It Went

Monica Lynne describes her experience taking the plunge into an aqua aerobics class for the first time, and how the low impact movement helped her exercise comfortably with MS.

Living Well

How Chronic Illness Helped Me Cultivate Better Reading Habits

Through bibliotherapy I've learned that books can offer greater insight and healing than I ever imagined, as long as I pay attention.

Living Well

What Growing My Own Food Has Taught Me About Living Intentionally While Navigating MS

Sustainable living not only helped me improve my health with multiple sclerosis, it also brought community and a sense of purpose.

Living Well

A Digital Nomad’s Favorite Tips for Managing Travel Safely with MS

Traveling safely with MS may take some additional effort and planning, but I find it's always worth it in the end.

Living Well

10 Fun Ways to Keep Your Mind Sharp with MS

More than half of people with MS will experience MS-related cognitive changes at some point. The good news is that anyone can increase their cognitive skills, and investing in cognitive health is not only fun, but the payoff is rewarding.

Living Well

5 Tips for Prioritizing Your Own Needs When You Live with a Chronic Condition

Taking time to focus on your own needs isn’t selfish — it’s responsible and necessary.

Living Well

Ask Ardra Anything: What Are Your Best Tips for Traveling with a Mobility Aid?

Traveling with a disability requires extra planning and patience, but you can still feed your wanderlust.

Living Well

The Value of Pursuing Hobbies When You’re Living with a Chronic Illness

Finding activities that you’re passionate about and can enjoy despite your condition can lead to a richer life.

Living Well

Ask Ardra Anything: When Should I Disclose My MS Diagnosis at Work?

Multiple sclerosis is not something to be ashamed of, but the choice of when or if to share is entirely yours.

Living Well

Working from Bed Isn’t Lazy — It’s Accessible

As a disabled person, working from bed makes it possible for me to have a job.

Living Well

Is Dairy Harmful If You Live with MS?

Can dietary changes or eliminating dairy affect multiple sclerosis and relapses? Here's what research says about dairy and MS.

Living Well

Ask Ardra Anything: Do I Need a Mobility Device?

There's no roadmap for entering the confusing world of mobility aids, and so many of us with multiple sclerosis struggle with this.

Living Well

9 Ways to Make Long-Haul Quarantine More Sustainable

These tips may help add some ease to your quarantined days.

Living Well

7 Things I Learned Using Medical Cannabis for Multiple Sclerosis

When used appropriately, medical cannabis has the potential to reduce the intensity of some MS symptoms, and many people report a considerable improvement in their quality of life.

Living Well

How I Created Flexible, Remote Work While Living with a Chronic Illness

I was productive, I had purpose, and I was bringing in an income, all while taking good care of myself.

Living Well

Don’t Have the Energy for Zoom Happy Hours Right Now? Me Neither, and That’s OK

It can be hard to ignore internet pressure to have a “productive pandemic.”

Living Well

Insomnia and MS: Expert Approaches to Better Sleep

Learn more about the relationship between multiple sclerosis and sleep from the experts, plus find tips for improving sleep outcomes.

Living Well

13 Great Books That Shine a Light on MS

These books are written by doctors and other authors who understand what it's like to live with multiple sclerosis.