100 Tasks People with Chronic Illness Handle Regularly (That Most People Don’t See)

Living with chronic illness means living a full-time job no one else sees. It's managing your body like a business. It’s tracking every symptom, navigating pain flare-ups, juggling appointments, and keeping your mind and spirit afloat- all while being told, "But you don’t look sick...or you're too young"

Here are 100 things people with chronic illness do on a regular basis:

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📈 MEDICAL MANAGEMENT

1. Take daily medications

2. Refill prescriptions before they run out

3. Organize pill containers weekly

4. Keep a running list of medications

5. Deal with medication side effects

6. Adjust dosages with doctor guidance

7. Track symptoms day-to-day

8. Maintain a medical history binder

9. Call in prescriptions to the pharmacy

10. Pick up meds (or schedule delivery)

11. Request prior authorizations

12. Call insurance for medication approvals

13. Call the pharmacy when something isn’t ready

14. Handle incorrect or delayed prescriptions

15. Request medication refills from providers

16. Ask about medication interactions

17. Cancel or reschedule appointments around flares

18. Update doctors with new symptoms or changes

19. Request and maintain referrals

20. Deal with insurance denials or errors

21. Get blood labs drawn and double check them in patient portal

22. Track insurance deductibles and out-of-pocket

23. Research new medications and treatments

24. Keep med bag nearby at all times and take everywhere with you

25. Schedule follow-ups after ER or urgent care or Hospital stay

26. Arrange transportation services for appointments

27. Apply for Medicaid

28. Call around to find which providers accept Medicaid

29. Learn what Medicaid covers and doesn’t cover

30. Deal with your Medicaid care manager

31. Apply for in-home medical or personal care assistance

32. Apply for disability benefits

33. Keep up with SSA paperwork and deadlines

34. Manage disability appeal process

35. Communicate with disability lawyers and advocates

🏥 HOSPITALS, CLINICS & URGENT CARE

36. Sit through long ER wait times

37. Explain your full history again and again and again.

38. Manage medical trauma triggers

39. Advocate for yourself

40. Keep discharge paperwork organized

41. Just paperwork in general. So. Much. Paperwork.

42. Deal with misdiagnoses or dismissals

43. Return for additional testing

44. Navigate billing errors or surprise charges

45. Prepare go-bag for ER or flare emergencies

46. Pack a hospital bag in case of sudden admission

47. Make and mantain appointments for physical therapy

48. Schedule appointments at pain management clinics...then wait for 6 months

🦷 PAIN & BODY CARE

49. Apply heat/cold packs

50. Use topical pain creams and lidocaine patches

51. Schedule chiropractor, massage, and PT appointments weekly/monthly

52. Do stretches or light movement daily

53. Rest frequently throughout the day

54. Avoid sensory triggers (lights, sounds, smells, fabrics)

55. Use a massage gun/foam roller/ neck cloud

56. Track pain levels daily

57. Adjust posture and seating constantly

58. Recover from post-exertional malaise

59. Use compression or support gear if needed

60. Apply kinesiology tape

61. Manage skin sensitivities, rashes or burns from devices

62. Deal with weather-related flares- barometric pressure drops are very real and excruciating.

63. Reduce housework to protect energy

64. Sit or lie down between every task

65. Wait for medications to kick in before starting anything every morning

💭 MENTAL & EMOTIONAL HEALTH

66. Attend therapy appointments

67. Track To-Do lists, moods and triggers in phone apps

68. Practice DBT/CBT skills

69. Use affirmations and listen to audibles and podcasts

70. Work through emotional dysregulation

71. Do breathing exercises or grounding

72. Manage guilt over canceled plans, not doing enough, and not being able to follow through etc.

73. Journal, pray, cry> Release

74. Navigate relationship tension from limitations

75. Deal with fear about the future

76. Recover from overstimulation

77. Create safe spaces at home

78. Limit social media when overwhelmed

79. Manage panic attacks

80. Grieve the loss of your old self

🥚 FOOD & NUTRITION

81. Prep food around dietary restrictions

82. Avoid known food triggers

83. Plan meals to prevent blood sugar crashes

84. Take supplements or vitamins

85. Eat frequently to manage nausea or fatigue

86. Track water intake

87. Try to get vitamin C daily- The real kind. Even if just standing outside or sitting on the porch or checking the mail.

88. Plan grocery trips around low-energy days

89. Meal prep for flare days or have fibro flare friendly snacks in reach

90. Eat in bed or on the couch always on ice or heating pad

🏊 DAILY FUNCTIONING & ADAPTATION

91. Break tasks into tiny steps

92. Use reminders for everything

93. Shower sitting down or skip when flaring

94. Setting up the car for even small trips with everything you'll need.

95. Pace yourself through every chore

96. Cancel plans and appointments for the day (and feel guilty and like you can't do anything)

97. Manage appointments around flares

98. Remember to check in with family/friends and ask about their life to maintain relationships

99. Sleep till 3-5pm or if up early Nap mid-day to stay up at night/function

100. Give yourself grace. Every. Single. Day.

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If you live this list, know this: You're not lazy, dramatic, or broken. You're resilient. You're doing the impossible daily with a body that makes everything harder. And God sees every battle fought in silence...

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Kristen, Unfiltered Xo 💋