Stopping to Smell the Roses: Mindfulness for Chronic Illness

Photo by the author © Yew and Me

"If you are depressed, you are living in the past.

If you are anxious, you are living in the future.

If you are at peace, you are living in the present.”

—Lao Tzu

We often hear the phrase “stop and smell the roses”, but for me it has become more than a saying — it has been a lifeline.

When living with chronic illness, mindfulness is not just a nice idea — it can be an important part of healing. For me, it has been central to my journey. It’s natural to grieve the life we once had or to worry about the future. I often found myself doing both. But over time, I discovered that living in the present moment helped me cope with the hardest days.

Trying to imagine months, years, or forever in pain was overwhelming. But focusing only on today — just this moment — was something I could face. If I could get through today, then I would deal with tomorrow when it came.

This shift in thinking gave me space to notice other things alongside my illness. I like to imagine holding pain and fatigue in my cupped hands. When I focus on the idea of forever, my hands overflow with suffering — too much for anyone to bear. But when I focus only on today’s load, heavy as it is, it doesn’t take up all the space. That leaves room for something else — the smell of a rose, the warmth of sunshine, the sound of laughter.

The pain and fatigue are still there, in my cupped hands, but they sit alongside other, more positive experiences. That was when I began to see that not everything was pain and fatigue. There is still beauty all around me, even on the hardest days. It was always there, waiting beside me, just hidden by the weight of my struggle. This doesn’t mean my illness disappears — it simply opens the door to a life bigger than the pain and fatigue.

Maybe today you could try to stop and smell the roses too.

Tell me in the comments 👇🏻 what mindful moment of pleasure might you be able to hold in your cupped hands today? I’d really love to hear.

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