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You’re going to have to say no. A lot. To things you used to do, things you still want to do, and things people expect from you. When you’re managing a chronic condition, no isn’t a failure — it’s how you protect the small amount of capacity you have.
The hardest part usually isn’t the no. It’s the urge to soften it with a paragraph of justification — your symptoms, your apology, your promise to make the next one. You don’t owe any of that.
What’s inside (4 pages, print at home): clean, ready-to-use refusal scripts for social invitations, requests for your time and energy, family obligations, and extra work, each paired with what you don’t owe; what to say when people push back; and a cut-out wallet card to keep where you’ll see it.
Who it’s for: anyone with chronic illness or pain who is tired of over-explaining, apologizing, and justifying every limit.
Created by Elysia Bronson, Registered Clinical Counsellor and founder of The Woods Counselling — a companion to the book You Are Not Imagining This. This material is educational and supportive and is not a substitute for therapy or medical advice. Instant download. Yours to keep and reprint.
You’re going to have to say no. A lot. To things you used to do, things you still want to do, and things people expect from you. When you’re managing a chronic condition, no isn’t a failure — it’s how you protect the small amount of capacity you have.
The hardest part usually isn’t the no. It’s the urge to soften it with a paragraph of justification — your symptoms, your apology, your promise to make the next one. You don’t owe any of that.
What’s inside (4 pages, print at home): clean, ready-to-use refusal scripts for social invitations, requests for your time and energy, family obligations, and extra work, each paired with what you don’t owe; what to say when people push back; and a cut-out wallet card to keep where you’ll see it.
Who it’s for: anyone with chronic illness or pain who is tired of over-explaining, apologizing, and justifying every limit.
Created by Elysia Bronson, Registered Clinical Counsellor and founder of The Woods Counselling — a companion to the book You Are Not Imagining This. This material is educational and supportive and is not a substitute for therapy or medical advice. Instant download. Yours to keep and reprint.
