Dr Jenna Macciochi

So we kind of get stuck in a loop and then you have layers on top of that.

Things like vitamin D deficiency, which is really common in winter, which will again,

lessen your ability to close the stress loop and suddenly you get into this messy network of all these different things happening under the surface and all of the symptoms are flaring for that person.

I think if you can manage as much of the unwanted inflammation as possible,

stress you know will come and go then that's the best case scenario and actually there's some really interesting literature that the people who have chronic diseases but fear the best in terms of their sense of their own well-being so how they feel in themselves are the ones who've kind of made peace with this lifelong condition this awful diagnosis that they've had and

And I think that they're no longer kind of resisting because for so long it can be like, but why me and what's going wrong and what have I done?

But when you have a sense of acceptance of how things are, instead of wishing they were different, that seems to allow people to feel a better sense of well-being.

I think for me, there is a moment of being like, it doesn't mean I have to like it.

Like I can resist this and be like, why is this happening to me?

And then I can be like, well,

It couldn't be any other way because it's not.

This is literally how reality is and I can't change it.

And it's like you put the hot coal down and you're no longer burning your hand.

But it doesn't mean I have to be like, yay, I'm really happy for this.

And I think when I kind of put those two things together and I notice it now with the kids, like when my kids get frustrated because of something and it's usually because they're resisting whatever it is and then they kind of eventually get to the point of acceptance.

And then it's like, oh, yeah.

Yeah.

And I think to be able to do those things, go and enjoy a salsa dance class or something you enjoy, but you just put it off for whatever reason, you need to give yourself like a sense of safety and love and compassion.

I'm allowed to do that.

I can find, I can carve that out in my busy week where sometimes we...