Living with Limitations: 7 Actions to Enhance Happiness

My personal experience living with a disability moves me to write about how to experience joy in life with limitations. On several occasions, I have witnessed able-bodied people project concepts of what they think life should entail onto those with a disability.  Many have been socialized to think that living a full life includes having a full-time job, getting out of the house daily, or participating in major events. This fosters negative beliefs that having a disability is bad and something to overcome, which is false. It is important to dismantle beliefs that living by others’ expectations will fulfill you.  People living with a disability can be happy without subscribing to others' definition of fully living. Happiness is created from within as you are the author of what brings you joy. Enhance acceptance of life with a disability and create your happiness by practicing these 7 actions:  

1. Ask for help.

   • It can be challenging to ask for assistance when you want to do something independently. Much of our society holds the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality. However, we do not need to put this expectation on ourselves. Everybody needs help, and that does not make someone weak. You are not a burden and it is okay to ask for help. 

2. Start a new hobby

   • Engaging in a hobby is a great way to improve mental health. If you have recently been diagnosed or injured, or perhaps the nature of your condition has changed, there is always the option of trying to find ways to adapt hobbies that you used to enjoy. However, it may be helpful to find new activities to participate in. You may even find a new passion for something you had never been interested in doing before. Either way, find a hobby that brings you joy and fulfillment.

3. Embrace your emotions.

   • Accepting life with a disability does not mean that you are void of feeling strong emotions regarding any limitations that may be present. It takes time to find acceptance, and even still, everybody has challenges and emotions that result from them. Your feelings are valid and expressing them will allow you to learn to cope. You may want to find a mental health professional so you can talk through your emotions. 

4. Acknowledge limitations 

   • Limitations are not unique to individuals with disabilities. Learning ways to cope with any limitation can allow us to grow and become our best selves. For example, you may be able to work much more effectively if you request an accommodation, you may be in less pain if you use mobility aids, or you may enjoy a movie much more if you use closed captioning. There are many great tools for coping that can vastly improve quality of life, but we first must acknowledge if a limitation is present. 

5. Participate in things that are meaningful to you.

   • Find what is important and meaningful to you and commit to it. If you value family, you may want to commit time each week to spend with your family, or even to volunteer for family services or events. Something that I personally value is mental health, so I am working towards a career in that field because it is meaningful to me. What we value may look different for each individual, but it is so important to find things that make life rewarding.

6. Reimagine your goals.

   • Did you have a goal or direction in life that may not work well for your body or mind anymore? It is okay to rethink your goals, this does not mean you have failed. You may even find yourself doing something you absolutely love, even if it was something you never previously considered doing. 

   • Set realistic goals broken down step by step and always recognize your accomplishments, even if they seem minor. 

   • Your goals do not have to align with what other people expect of you. People may project their thoughts of what you should be trying to accomplish, but your goals do not need to reflect another's standards, just your own. 

7. Advocate for yourself.

   • Learn as much as you can about your condition and about the rights that you have and be a proponent for your own needs. Doing so might considerably improve your well-being, whether it be at appointments, at work, with friends and family, or in any other scenario.

Never forget that you determine what happiness is for you, you do not have to fit into a stereotypical image. Having a disability and being happy are not mutually exclusive.