No Cost Self-Care Tips for Chronic Illness with Amber Tresca

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Living with a chronic illness can make traditional self-care advice feel impossible or out of reach. Many struggle to prioritize their well-being when dealing with unpredictable symptoms, fatigue, and the constant demands of managing a condition. It can be hard to know what "self-care" even means when your primary focus is often just getting through the day.

This week, in episode 270 of the Positively Living Ⓡ Podcast, I sit down with Amber Tresca, an advocate and activist in the chronic illness community, to discuss practical, low-cost (or even no-cost!) self-care strategies. Amber, who lives with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), shares her insights on adapting self-care to fit your energy levels and lifestyle, helping you prioritize recovery, build resilience, and move toward a future where thriving is truly an option.

Amber Tresca is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patient who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 1989 at the age of 16 and underwent 2-step j-pouch surgery in 1999. Today, she is a speaker, facilitator, and advocate for people with IBD and works as a medical writer and editor, focusing on patient-facing content in the digestive and rare disease spaces.

Amber and I cover the following topics:

• Why self-care, especially with chronic illness, is primarily about managing your condition and supporting your future self.
• How accessible self-care doesn't have to cost money; many powerful practices are free or low-cost.
• Simple actions like hydrating, listening to music, or stepping outside can significantly impact your well-being.
• The benefits of decluttering your physical and digital spaces, and "letting things go," to reduce mental load and stress.
• Why connecting with a trusted support system and even seeking professional financial advice are important, often overlooked, forms of self-care.

Remember that even on days you feel completely disengaged, these tools will be waiting for you when you feel better. You won't always feel this way. Which of these self-care strategies will you try first to support your well-being?

Learn more about Positively LivingⓇ and Lisa at https://positivelyproductive.com/podcast/

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CONNECT WITH AMBER TRESCA:

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LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Declutter playlist

Self-Care playlist

Stress Management playlist

Ep 24 Understanding Chronic Illness

Ep 257 The Special Nerve that Helps with Stress 

Request this Toolkit and other free resources at the Resources Page.