The Daily Manic

A website for people with chronic health conditions looking to live life better or for anyone needing to escape the rat race and slow down.

My name is Jayne and in 2015, at age 44, I was diagnosed with a complex health condition. Prior to that I had a successful career in the corporate world as a change coach and advisor. A little ironic that I was about to go through a pretty significant change myself!

I established this website to journal my own steps in understanding my health condition and in making significant lifestyle change. Having 'come out the other end', I am now putting those change skills to good use and helping others do the same!

The root of my own issues is Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (Hypermobility Type) and Dysautonomia, dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

My particular life impacting issues result in hypotension and surges of adrenaline being pumped out under certain trigger conditions (giving me hypertension, tachycardia, anxiety, tremors, then headaches and fatigue).

The trigger conditions that provoke my dysfunctional nervous system include exposure to heat, being upright too long, exercising, talking, laughing, startling, experiencing stress, watching an action movie (? yep) - so pretty much 'life' - all acting like a multiplier effect. My body lives through a roller coaster of adrenaline and blood pressure related issues every day.

My health condition caused me to immediately rethink my life. However, my body dictated a change my mind wasn't immediately ready for. Making this transition after years of doing the opposite was, and still is, extremely challenging.

Things have settled a good deal from where they were, and I manage a lot of my symptoms with medication and modifications to time spent standing and exerting myself. However, I still have issues everyday with adrenaline impacts and the compulsion to busy myself.

The life that I work on everyday is about balance and ensuring my health is top of mind.

I'm hoping this website and the community group I've set up help those of you who need to do life differently, do it different, with the added bonus that it's from someone who really gets it.

It's aimed at helping you take steps to live your life in a way that is more respectful of what your body needs.

Writing for me is ultimately about providing help and inspiration for others to make change. It is also the best way nowadays for me to fully express myself and I find it quite cathartic - helping me keep true to the balance I need in my life. So what you'll see from me is not all about the gloss of change, there are some honest and open 'bumps along the way' in here too.

As well as writing here, you'll also find me in Thrive Global's Journal, Arianna Huffington's site aimed at ending the epidemic of stress and burnout. With over 20 years working flat out in a change management career, I figured I had something worth sharing on the matter!

Everything I write is all in the spirit of slowing down, with a little bit of a laugh at the ridiculousness of life chucked in too.

To get my posts and articles straight into your inbox and some exclusive member-only stuff, subscribe to my mailing list. You can also join my community group: Freedom to Choose Coaching Group for support with making your own life change.

Thanks for joining me and here's to better living!