Kira Lynne Life Coach

08/28/2025

I am very happy to announce that the second edition of Aches, Pains, and Love: A Guide to Dating and Relationships for Those With Chronic Pain and Illness is now available for sale!

Revising the first edition turned into a much bigger project than I expected, but it was worth it. This book is still the only one of its kind, and now contains added content, fresh perspectives, and new strategies for navigating your way through this sometimes very challenging part of life.

If you’re living with chronic pain or illness, and have struggled to maintain or even consider pursuing an intimate romantic relationship, this book is for you. I hope you enjoy it!

05/30/2025

When you can talk to someone about a difficult issue between the two of you, and they are able to listen and respond thoughtfully and respectfully, that’s safety, and that’s something for all of us to strive for within ourselves as well.

05/25/2025

Reminding my self today to focus less on what's not working and what I don't have, and more on what I do have and the special moments in my everyday.

05/13/2025

05/11/2025

Yesterday, I saw this magazine on the shelf at the grocery store and, since I'm always on the lookout for new anti-inflammatory meal ideas, I bought it.

Call me naive, but I was floored by the advice inside, particularly the piece that advises that if the reader is really hungry in the evenings (and only "really hungry"), to "quell the that budding hunger with a breath of fresh air," brushing their teeth, drinking tea, or using "simple" willpower.

In what world do we still believe that this is good advice?! Why are the two writers who tout themselves as so-called nutrition "experts" encouraging readers to ignore one of the most basic, vital signals our body gives us: hunger?

If your body is asking for food—whether it’s 11 a.m. or 9 p.m.—that means you need food.
Not a walk.
Not minty breath.
Not “mind over matter.”
Food.

If a baby was crying from hunger at night, would we say “just breathe and wait till morning”? No. So why do we think it’s OK to say that to ourselves as adults?

It’s not. That’s toxic advice rooted in diet culture and it contributes to chronic stress responses in the body, bingeing, and disordered eating. And make no mistake, this magazine is 100% rooted in diet culture, not health. I expected to open the pages and learn more about anti-inflammatory foods, but discovered the contents were focused, more than anything else, on weight loss.

That $20 magazine? It’s now sitting where it belongs: in the recycling bin.

05/08/2025

This kind of decision is rarely made lightly. It often follows years of hurt, attempts to repair, self-doubt, and guilt. It takes a huge amount of strength to choose peace over obligation — and even more to follow through.

05/06/2025

One of the hardest things for me is staying consistent and motivated while I'm trying to build long-term supportive habits. When I focus on the enormity of what’s ahead, I often feel overwhelmed, which can lead me to shut down and do nothing.

Something that really helps is highlighting what I have accomplished, rather than focusing on what still needs to be done. When I review my successes, I feel proud, and that inspires me to keep going.

This year, I’ve been marking the everyday supportive things I do for myself with beads:

💙 Blue: morning dog walk
💛 Yellow: brain retraining rounds
💚 Green: moving my body
💜 Purple: bedtime stretch or yoga
💗 Pink: listening to and honouring my body's hunger cues

There’s something very satisfying about plunking each bead into the jar—my brain gets a boop of joy every time. And on days when I feel meh or unmotivated, just looking at my growing bead stash is usually just the nudge I need to keep going.

05/05/2025

In this study, a control group without illness divorced at a rate of 12 percent.

How do we account for this big imbalance in divorce rates in heterosexual couples? The major factor appears to lie in caregiving, particularly how well-equipped each partner is to handle its physical, emotional, and logistical demands.

If you're interested in learning more, and to find out what you can do to help support your relationship and help it thrive through chronic pain and illness, keep an eye out for the release of the second edition of my book, Aches, Pains, and Love: A Guide to Dating and Relationships for Those with Chronic Pain and Illness, coming soon.

A note on same-sex couples: Although there is very limited data, early findings suggest that same-sex couples may experience different outcomes. Same-sex couples seem to face less stress around illness and caregiving and are more likely to receive the type of care they want, regardless of gender. Unfortunately, there isn’t yet enough detailed research availableto draw firm conclusions.

05/01/2025

I love these new pillows I got for my office from Lindsay Braman - Therapist & Psychoeducator. No need to pull out the handouts anymore. Cozy and functional!

04/30/2025

Today I'm focusing on trying to remain consistent with moving my body, while respecting its current limits and letting go of the belief that I "should" be doing more or pushing harder.

What would you like to try to do today?

04/24/2025

If you're living with chronic pain and illness, know that you are deserving of a loving, fulfilling relationship just as much as anyone else. You are not your illness, you are whole and complete just as you are, there just happens to be illness in the body.