Living with a chronic illness is no easy task. Sometimes, just getting out of bed in the morning can be a tiring and debilitating endeavor. Yet, managing day-to-day life is not about screaming for a cure. It's about finding the right ways to cope, things to keep you busy, and adding a little bit of beauty treatment into your daily self-care routine (hint; CBD does wonders in this regard).
We spoke with Hannah Cade, a Beauty Therapist and Marketeer based in Nottingham. She empowers women on her IG platform (@hannahcade_) with her own personal journey of endometriosis, mental health and lifestyle. Hannah is open about the daily challenges and has found ways of wellness with selfcare, skincare and CBD.
I have a passion for make up and skincare and absolutely love experimenting with new styles and products. I constantly try and raise awareness for mental health by sharing my journey and battle with chronic illnesses.
I’ve suffered from Endometriosis symptoms for 11 years but was only diagnosed in August 2019. Endo is extremely hard to diagnose as many symptoms can relate to other illnesses, such as IBS, and you can only be diagnosed through laparoscopic surgery.
My symptoms include:
Endometriosis has stuck my organs together, forced me to stop working and heightened my depression.
Exercise can feel like the last thing you want to do when you’re flaring, but gentle stretches and walking can really make a difference. I also recommend getting an electric heat mat and practicing breathing exercises to help through pain.
Most days I’m in so much pain I can’t leave the house, so I try and focus on small self care tasks to improve my mood. This includes:
I absolutely love an Epsom salt bath full of essential oils whilst doing a facemask or peel. Through trial and error, I have found my perfect skincare routine and like to include facial massage, different serums and always SPF!
As a result of managing endometriosis symptoms, I don’t eat meat or dairy and try and have a mainly plant based diet. This made me interested to see where else in my life I could be cruelty free. I also love animals, especially since getting my cat, so I’m really against animal testing.
I’m a big fan of CBD and think it’s a great natural alternative to pain relief. I also love it in skincare products as it helps reduce inflammation and brighten my face.
I have also tried several oils, balms, jelly sweets and moisturisers. I particularly like CBD balm to use on my stomach for reduce pain and cramping.
Check out our All-in-One Wonder Balm to rub on for painful periods, muscle aches or other pains.
You are not defined by your mental illness and you have already made it through some of your worst days and survived them!
I suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder and often struggle to manage my emotions, but journaling has really helped get rid of negative thoughts.
I feel really humbled when women message me saying my story has helped them. All I want to do is help others feel less alone in their struggles as I know how isolating mental illness and chronic illness can be.
By sharing my experiences I’ve connected with so many wonderful women who have educated and advised me too.
We can ALWAYS learn something from one another. It is so important to build each other up, especially when we live in pain.
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