BeWell Blog

A front porch on halloween with a cauldron at the front door. In the cauldron is personal care items like lotion for spoonie treats.

Spoonie-Approved Goodies for Your Cauldron

Once you have chronic illness, the caring for yourself becomes your daily routine. The things that make life easier, warmth, cleanliness, softness, hydration are definitely worth being celebrated. Although these things aren't glamorous, they are very grounding. They help us...

Women looking at a bottle of lotion in her bathroom. It is fall outside.

Psoriasis and the Cold: Why Fall & Winter Are Flare Seasons

If you live with psoriasis, you can almost feel the change coming before the weather app confirms it. The air dries out. The wind picks up. The heater turns on, and suddenly, your skin feels like it’s fighting against you...

Autumn farmers market with pumpkins, visitors browsing under pergolas in golden sunlight.

Haunted Houses and Sensory Overload: Why Spooky Season Can Exacerbate Chronic Illness Symptoms

October rolls around and suddenly everyone is completely stoked about attending haunted houses, corn mazes, and Halloween bashes. Your social media feeds are with individuals screaming their way through high-production-value horror scares scenes, and someone will approach you and invite...

a person walking on a trail on a cold fall day

When the Cold Bites: How Changes in the Weather Impact Autoimmune Flares and Chronic Pain

October with its soothing tradition, pumpkin patches, the shaking out of blankets, the sunsets that occur so much earlier and tell you to stay indoors. But for individuals with autoimmune disease or chronic illness, October more often than not brings...

women in pink walking at a breast cancer event

Against the Pink Police: Why Wearing Pink in October Can Be an Act of Solidarity

Every October, pink ribbons sprout on everything from coffee cups to sneakers. In the cancer community, that wave of pink is meant to symbolize support, awareness, and hope. But in recent years, the backlash has grown: the charge of “pink-washing”...

a gold ribbon next to a teddy bear and a child's shoe

Beyond the Gold Ribbon: Everyday Acts to Support Childhood Cancer Families

Each September, gold ribbons serve as a reminder that it's Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The symbol is powerful, but childhood cancer families need more than awareness, they need real, every-day support. If you have ever found yourself pondering, "What can...

Person in soft sweater relaxing by window on autumn day, gazing at golden fall landscape.

September Is Pain Awareness Month: 5 Soft Ways to Honor Your Body

September is Pain Awareness Month, a time when the world comes together in solidarity for what millions of us experience every day. If you're reading this and live with chronic pain, then you already know how awareness months can simultaneously...

Fall scene in a kitchen with a drink in a mug with whip cream.

The Autoimmune Patient's Comforting Fall Drinks Guide without a Sugar Crash

And here is what you do: it's October and you're walking down the street when that divine smell of cinnamon and nutmeg wafts out. Your head is already screaming "pumpkin spice latte!" but your body—the one that has sat through...

Person washing hands with soap and water under running faucet in bright kitchen with autumn decor.

10 Ways to Be One Step Ahead of Germs This Cold and Flu Season

When you're fighting chronic illness, autoimmune disease, or chemo, "it's just a cold" doesn't even cross your mind. What is so bothersome to everyone else can take you out of commission for weeks or hospitalize you. Your immune system is...

Fall scene in a cozy living room with autumn leaves outside the window at dusk.

Fall Light Science: How Autumn Days Could Re-Set Your Spoonie Sleep Cycle

Fall's changing light patterns can naturally help reset disrupted sleep cycles common in chronic illness. As days shorten and sunsets arrive earlier, your body produces melatonin sooner, making it easier to fall asleep at a reasonable hour. Simple changes like getting 10-15 minutes of morning sunlight and dimming lights after dinner can work with autumn's natural rhythm to improve sleep quality for those managing fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, POTS, and other conditions.