what does “Listen to your body” actually mean?
Julie Gruber Julie Gruber

what does “Listen to your body” actually mean?

“Listen to your body.”

It sounds simple enough. It’s the kind of advice many of us have heard countless times, especially when we’re dealing with pain, illness, stress, or exhaustion.

But what does it actually mean?

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when I thought creativity had left me
Julie Gruber Julie Gruber

when I thought creativity had left me

There are some things that many of us have always been searching for: truth, clarity, that ever-fleeting creative spark. Yet more often than not, those things have been right there in front of us the entire time.

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7 things i started doing between doctor visits to take my power back
Julie Gruber Julie Gruber

7 things i started doing between doctor visits to take my power back

Some of the hardest words I heard in the doctor's office weren't "We don't know what's wrong," or even "There's nothing more we can do."

They were: "We'll see you again in three to six months."

And like so many others living with chronic illness or pain, I found myself wondering:

"Okay...but what am I supposed to do until then?"

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why I don’t use the word “acceptance”
Julie Gruber Julie Gruber

why I don’t use the word “acceptance”

There’s a word that rarely appears in my work.

Not because I don’t understand its meaning.
And not because I think there’s anything inherently wrong with it.

But because, for me, it has always felt a little… unsettled.

The word is acceptance.

I call it… the “A” word.

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When “Just” Isn’t simple
Julie Gruber Julie Gruber

When “Just” Isn’t simple

Few words sting quite like just when you’re living with chronic pain. It might sound harmless enough on the surface, yet it carries an assumption that effort, access, and capacity are universal. In this context, it can feel like a four-letter word that cuts to the bone.

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