Ilana Estelle is a mental health and wellbeing advocate who combines educational insight with her personal experience of living with physical, mental, and emotional disabilities.
She holds diplomas in Counselling, Diet and Nutrition, Nutritional Therapy, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Stress Management. Through her writing, Ilana supports others in navigating their emotional, mental, and physical health challenges.
In addition to writing for The CP Diary, her work has appeared in healthy lifestyle magazines.
Ilana is also the author of three books: Cerebral Palsy: A Story – Finding the Calm After the Storm, Spirituality, Healing and Me, and Survival: The Covid Years – Time for Change.
Food for thought: "I never write to disappear and escape. The truth is exactly the opposite. Most people strike me as escaping and disappearing in one way or another - into their jobs, their daily routines, their delusions about ...
Something inspirational: “Anyone can learn to fight. Hardly anyone learns to think.” TAMSYN MUIR, Gideon the Ninth Muir's quote reminds us that fighting is not just about physical strength; it can mean arguing, resisting ...
Food for thought: “All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you.” OCTAVIA E. BUTLER, Parable of the Sower This quote reminds us that everything we do has an impact, and every experience changes ...
Well, that's a very complicated thought for me as I wasn't really allowed to love myself as a child. It was supposed to be all about my mother and what she wanted.
This wasn't fair to me, but since my dad wasn't able to make her happy, the job landed on my shoulders. Hard to imagine that any parent would put that kind of pressure on their children, but I can speak from experience and it does happen.
It is only recently that I have got to the point of at least liking myself enough to begin taking care of myself physically. I'm not exactly sure about loving myself, but I would imagine that like will be a good start.
This is an intriguing thought. Does it mean if we love ourselves then there is no room for others to love us, or you are content with yourself and others to the extent that they see you as a friend not a rival?
Either way, we should respect ourselves and our flaws and be happy with who we are.
Well, that's a very complicated thought for me as I wasn't really allowed to love myself as a child. It was supposed to be all about my mother and what she wanted.
This wasn't fair to me, but since my dad wasn't able to make her happy, the job landed on my shoulders. Hard to imagine that any parent would put that kind of pressure on their children, but I can speak from experience and it does happen.
It is only recently that I have got to the point of at least liking myself enough to begin taking care of myself physically. I'm not exactly sure about loving myself, but I would imagine that like will be a good start.
Like is a good start. It's not always easy taking care of ourselves physically. I am pleased you are.
Even though we're not always encouraged to like or love ourselves, I do think we can change things as an adult.
To be able to make headway in life, we must at least like ourselves. If you're comfortable within yourself, there is no reason for rivalry.
This is an intriguing thought. Does it mean if we love ourselves then there is no room for others to love us, or you are content with yourself and others to the extent that they see you as a friend not a rival?
Either way, we should respect ourselves and our flaws and be happy with who we are.
Thanks. Yes, loving ourselves means we have a deep appreciation for who we are and that allows us to feel better about ourselves, and focus better.
Focusing better, means relationships can improve, negative ones may dissolve and new ones can begin.
The more focused we are, the better our decision making.