Chronically Joyful

Happy Spring, lovely readers! To make this highly pollinated season that much easier for everyone, I am going to be sharing 4 essential things that have been saving me during the season change!  

Exercise

While this one is not necessarily relative to the Springtime season and applies year-round, I can very confidently say that exercise has been keeping me grounded during this season change. Springtime always comes with a surge of excitement and energy as we climb out of winter hibernation and I’ve been taking full advantage of this! Personally, I find that I am more energized when I’m more active vs. when I take prolonged periods of rest and am more sedentary; they always say to use it or lose it so I’ve opted to use it. 

My exercise of choice has been lifting weights in the gym for over a decade and I love it just as much as the day I started. With having MS, maintaining strength and high muscle density is critical as MS can lead to muscle atrophy over time, and in some cases also skeletal dysfunction. One thing to note here (for myself, really, as I haven’t been very consistent with this) as well is the importance of stretching! Muscle Spasticity in MS can lead to muscle shrinkage as well if we aren’t taking the time to stretch them back out after high use, so just something nice to note! 

I predominantly use cardio for my mental health as opposed to specific goals for physique changes (abs are made in the kitchen afterall LOL). When I’m feeling out of personal equilibrium and the garden of my mind is struggling to remain my center of focus, I opt for “cardio meditations.” I don’t intentionally meditate on my longer steady-state runs, but it just kind of naturally happens where my mind goes blank and I stop intentionally directing my thoughts in any particular direction. It is during these cardio sessions that I end up having my most amazing epiphanies about things bothering me in my personal life (shameless plug to check out the Chronically Joyful Youtube channel Sunday where I talk about this in more depth!). 

Choose movement that brings you joy, as is always my advice for any facet of life! Whether it be walking, hiking, dancing, yoga, or anything in between – choose what lights you up and makes you feel amazing. 

Fiction 

I have always been a big reader and I will say that my most absolute favorite book in the entire world is Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon. This was one of those reads that I felt actively changing me as I read it and has stayed with me ever since. I love a good thriller, I finish those within 1-3 days max depending on the size, but I’ve switched it up recently and got into a genre I don’t often spend much time with. 

My very good friend lent me the first book and told me to get out of my comfort zone, so I am currently on book 3 in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas. I recognize that this series has a bit of a reputation, but after reading Fourth Wing ~ 2 years ago, I would rate this series PG-13 in comparison LOL. I think something about these series’ (including Fourth Wing, though I only read Book I) that really appeals to me is that they feature strong female protagonists that aren’t straight up Mary Sues. Fourth Wing hooked me immediately because Violet starts her journey as someone who is not 100% well (cough, cough, sounds familiar). 

My love of reading has always been a part of me but it almost feels like a vacation to be reading something out of my norm and just allowing myself to be taken somewhere else where I can then come back and remind myself that I am a badass b**ch too and continue to re-claim my power, MS or not. 

Switching up my Allergy Meds

Living in the Southern USA, good GOD is the Pollening the worst it’s been in my 8 years of living here. I have only survived this long on the name-brand Zyrtec-D (the behind the counter stuff) and am so dependent on it, I die without it. 

On this episode of “WTF is Going On,” the 2026 allergy season is like nothing I’ve experienced before. The only remedy I have found to the beautiful Springtime torture has been to shift between my usual Zyrtec-D and straight up Benadryl every week or so. After touching base with a friend who is a nurse, she did indeed confirm that this is the best approach to stay alive during allergy season. 

Hug your friends in the South this Spring.

Ice Packs / Ice Vests / Headache Headbands 

As I’ve mentioned many times before, one of the main reasons (I only speak for myself, but this is very common) that MS symptoms can spike or worsen is due to a raise in core temperature. Nearly every person experiencing a Chronic Illness labels themselves as heat intolerant and for good reason; to combat this in my pure state of denying that it exists, I utilize tools! 

So far during this abnormally warm Spring season, I am predominantly using ice packs wrapped in small blankets and paper towels to cool down after moments of high heat (especially after a run!). I unfortunately don’t personally own the other 2 tools I’m about to list but they are honorable mentions anyway as very close friends live and die by them! 

Ice (or cooling) Vests can be game changing in the warmer months; my very good friend with PPMS continues to follow her passion of flying sports kites on the beach because of her ice vest! I’m in the market right now for a Puppy Ice Vest for Puddles so we can enjoy a beautiful hike in early August to celebrate my birthday, so please let me know if you’ve used one before or if you’re aware of ones that work for large breed dogs for multiple hours! 

Koldtec Headache Halo – I am so sad to say that I do not have this anymore but wore this for 6+ years! I lost it in my most recent move in 2025 and I absolutely LOVED this headache halo. Not only did I love the product, but Koldtec in general is one of my favorite companies as they have supported me throughout my MS journey almost from the beginning and have sent me a multitude of products to try out and see if they helped with my MS symptoms. Feel free to click the link to read more about the headache halo, but the easiest description is a soft headband with built-in pockets for the patented “Flexice” that is activated by soaking in water. I loved this as it allows the wearer to determine how thick they want the ice to be (my first time using it, I left it to soak for too long and the ice became BLOCKS that just stabbed me in the head, as a gentle warning LOL). 

You can find similar products at your local drug store, but Koldted has my heart forever and alway thanks to the quality of the product and the team behind it! 

So that wraps up the 4 major things keeping me alive and happy in the Spring of 2026! Some are practical products you can look for today to help with specific things and others are just things keeping my mental headspace blooming along with the trees. I am sending you all SO much love in this season of awakening and growth and wish you a happy and healthy Spring! 

And as always, thanks for remaining Chronically Joyful with me. ♡