Living with an Autoimmune Disease: Holistic Tips for Thriving

March is Autoimmune Awareness Month, and as a holistic therapist specializing in chronic illness—and an autoimmune girly myself—I want to share some real, practical ways to navigate life with an autoimmune condition.

If you're here, you already know that living with an autoimmune disease can be unpredictable, exhausting, and even isolating. But here’s the good news: you are not alone, and there are ways to feel more at home in your body.

Here are five holistic ways to support yourself—physically, emotionally, and mentally—on this journey.

1. Honor Your Emotional Truth

(Grief, Frustration, and Everything in Between)

Autoimmune diseases bring big emotions, and one of the most common is grief. There’s the version of you before your diagnosis, and the version after—and that shift can be deeply painful.

Instead of suppressing your emotions, let them move through you:

✨ Name them – Journal, say them out loud, or talk to a trusted friend.

✨ Express them creatively – Paint, dance, scream, sing—whatever feels right.

✨ Create space for them – Healing isn't about bypassing hard emotions; it's about giving them permission to exist.

Remember: Safety doesn’t necessarily mean calm. It means knowing you’re allowed to feel exactly as you do in this moment, and this takes time to learn how to do. 

2. Befriend Your Body Instead of Fighting It

(Shifting from, "My Body is Broken" to "My Body is Protecting Me")

When you are living with an autoimmune disease, it’s easy to feel like your body is betraying you. I get it (and I’ve been there too). But what if we reframed that thought?

Instead of: “I am sick and broken. My body hates me and it is attacking me.”
Try: “My body is my biggest protector and is constantly trying to keep me safe from harm.”

This shift takes time and practice, but starting with small moments of neutrality towards your body can lead to genuine self-compassion. Here are some examples of shifts that you’ll start to see:
✨ Noticing when hunger arises.
✨ Reducing negative self-talk about your symptoms.
✨ Treating yourself with the same gentleness you would a child or a pet.

Stay curious. Little by little, you will rebuild trust with your body.

3. Find Community & Support

(Because You Are Not Alone in This)

Autoimmune diseases can feel isolating, but recent studies show that an estimated 50 million Americans have an autoimmune condition—that's approximately 15% of the population. You are so not alone in this, and support is out there.

To find your people:

✨ Join online or in-person support groups (many offer sliding scale options or scholarships).

✨ Connect with others who understand (this is where intentional, boundaried use of social media can actually be helpful).

✨ If you have the energy, volunteer— being of service is so nourishing for us as humans; it takes us outside of our own little bubbles, it provides perspective, and it supports co-regulation.

That said, be mindful of your emotional and physical limits. Some days, being of service might feel nourishing; other days, it might be too much—and both are okay. You have time. Observing your peaks and valleys in honor of being of service will itself be a beautiful exercise that, over time, will invite in a closer relationship between you and your body. You’ll strengthen your intuition, widen your capacity to be with discomfort, and you may start noticing signs of being more honest with yourself and with those around you, because you’re so much more deeply attuned to your needs. 

4. Play with Subtle Movement Practices

(Tailoring Nervous System Regulation to Your Needs)

Your nervous system plays a huge role in how you feel day-to-day. To work with it, start by identifying how your symptoms show up:

✨ If you feel overstimulated (anxiety, racing thoughts, sensory overload): Try gentle grounding exercises: slow stretching, deep belly breathing, or weighted blankets.

✨ If you feel exhausted (fatigue, brain fog, low energy): Experiment with small movements: light stretching, gentle yoga, or even just shaking out your hands to activate your system.

This isn’t about fixing your symptoms overnight—it’s about noticing patterns and gently shifting them over time. One more thing to say on this: these resource suggestions are for you to actually try. So often, we see lists offering resourcing or grounding techniques and skim right past them, thinking, “that would probably help” or, “hmmm, makes sense”. I challenge you to try some of these and see what happens. Truly embodying something is different than having awareness or information on something. The action, and the repetition, is the difference.

5. Be an Animal, Not a Science Project

(Permission to Be Messy in Your Healing Journey)

If you were hoping for a magic five-step plan to fix everything—trust me, I get it. But healing isn’t linear, and meeting yourself where you are will take some of the pressure off of this process, allowing for permission to be messy along the way.

Instead of constantly researching your symptoms, lean into your primal nature:
✨ Move like an animal – Stretch, shake, dance, or stomp.
✨ Rest when your body says rest – No guilt, no justification needed.
✨ Growl, bark, cry, breathe – Use your voice and let your body process in its own way.

Autoimmune disease will change you. The key is witnessing yourself in the process—with love, curiosity, and neutrality. When you move half as fast, you notice twice as much. How can you slow down, enough to lean into your primal instincts, to your pain, your desires, so that you show yourself that you’re capable of living a life you’re proud of, all while integrating this disease? Sounds like some brave stuff to me, and you’re so worthy, deserving, and capable of it. 

Final Thoughts: You Are Capable of This

This journey is hard, but you are stronger, more intuitive, and more resilient than you realize. It takes strength to soften. Can you slow down enough to be patient with the process and soften towards yourself? If this resonated with you—or if you know someone who might need to hear it—please share it with them.

Want to explore therapy with me? I specialize in:
✨ EMDR
✨ Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
✨ Somatic Therapy

If you feel a full-bodied yes or even a quiet whisper of curiosity, let’s connect. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation here. In the meantime, take care, rest well, and be gentle with yourself.

About the Author

Danielle Wiggins, AMFT, APCC is a therapist on the Knownfully team who specializes in supporting clients living with chronic health conditions including autoimmune disorders. She sees clients in person at the Knownfully Santa Monica office as well as virtually throughout California. Schedule a free consultation with Danielle here and start your journey to living a more vibrant life today.