Taking Care of You as Digital Advocate/Content Creator with a Chronic Illness

As much as I want to be a neurotypical person who has the discipline to stay on task- my neurodivergence gives me a reason to breathe. While we can agree that having a chronic illness is more of a burden, it can be a reality check many of us need after trying to act neurotypical to the outside world.

It's already draining to live in the falsehood of being a productive member of society, plus the obtuse assumptions people have about chronic illness, we tend to forget to take care of ourselves. As the 9-5 dream has slowly died, many of us post videos to escape from reality or establish a better future for ourselves. The role of a content creator or a digital advocate adds pressure to mask in the hopes of not letting anyone see behind the persona. In our identity, we grow accustomed to fatigue and stress 24/7, but what if life is not meant to be that way and we have designed this fate we are doomed to fulfill, especially since we don't have the guidance to know any different?

As much as we want to advocate and post online, it can be too overwhelming. What people seem to either ignore or purposely neglect to tell the rest of us is you need a balance between giving yourself time to rest and achieving your goals. Most of the time, it is a risk we take in hopes of bringing awareness or confidence within ourselves.

Remember, mental health is an essential part of being an advocate because before you can speak for someone, you need to take care of yourself. Sometimes, that little break was all you needed to keep moving forward or find a creative way to express yourself and spread awareness in the community.