Sometimes it’s the little things that can make or break a day.

And as a fellow spoonie, I have picked up some little habits that help to improve or prevent an especially bad day. I’ve picked these tricks up over the years and now I tend to do them without a second thought.

1. If you can; change your pajamas when you get up. Even though you are no doubt going to ride your day out in bed, there is nothing more cathartic than a fresh set of pajamas to slide into. Mentally, I can’t tell you how much this simple trick helps me. After I’ve spent the night tossing and turning or sweating for no good reason the last thing I want is to wake up and spend my day in something I had a bad night in. Just like when you get home from a bad day at work and the first thing you want is to rip off those uncomfortable clothes.
2. Make things you reach for often accessible all around your home. For me, that means leaving bottles of water around with Tylenol, nausea medications and chargers. That walk to the other room just to get something you forgot can be a daunting task. Your home should be catered to you, it will help to know that supplies are within an arms reach.
3. If you feel like you’re getting particularly stuck in a repetitive thought do something to break the cycle. A task as simple as watching a dumb video online can bring you out of that funk. For me, it involves watching youtube vloggers. There is something about watching someone else’s day that can really get you thinking differently.
4. Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook can really mess you up if you fall down the wrong hole. It’s so easy to go from watching funny animal videos to the sad ones and then to something someone said that makes you upset. Do something to remind yourself that even though you’re stuck in a bad situation you have something to look forward to. Look through your calendar, make a to-do list, read something that is inspiring to you, face-time someone who makes you laugh. Before you know it, you’ve spent a few hours without social media and it can give you a sense of usefulness.
5. Provided you do not have a blinding headache or a migraine open your curtains. Letting some light in can boost your mood, change the course of your day and make your home feel less like a prison. Around the time that I finish my first cup of coffee in the morning, I open the blinds and make my bed (even if I plan on getting back in it). Compared to days spent in darkness, the days with sunlight are exponentially better for me.

It is so easy to get into a funk when you are working less, sleeping more, in constant pain, etc. I’ve found that doing these things can help me feel a little more normal from day to day.

I realize that these things seem small in the grand scheme of living with a chronic illness. But even the smallest change in a day can set a better mood and make you more comfortable.