I’m in my hometown at the moment on a break to attend a wedding on the weekend that I’m very much looking forward to (though I still haven’t exactly decided what to wear…). I’ve been Instagramming the family dogs a lot, much to the boredom perhaps of my followers and the dogs themselves, who really don’t understand why I keep calling their names and waving a phone at them.

Excuse me, you appear to be cooking food and are not dropping any on the floor. #albury #malteseshitzu #winston #pogo

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Oct 10, 2016 at 9:30pm PDT

But going through my Instagram is a great way to remind myself of some of the lovely things that have happened in the past few months, even though winter is always tough, and there’s been some particularly terrible things this year, like the sudden passing of a dear friend’s wonderful mother.

A lot of my Instagram is food-related, but grabbing breakfast or a coffee and reading a book is a real small pleasure that helps me get through feeling unwell. It seems a little indulgent when I am #broke, but it’s really my main indulgence, and I think its worth it.

Quickly ate this colorful breakfast (at lunchtime?) before crashing back to bed. Smoked trout, rosti, pickled veg, goats curd. At @barriocc #canberrafood

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Aug 23, 2016 at 3:27am PDT

Just one of those mornings where toast seems too difficult to cook. This is the Eighty Twenty breakfast wrap. #canberrafood

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Aug 29, 2016 at 3:28pm PDT

Yummy brekkie because I am in the area to do a work errand and I am slightly hungover and I haven’t done groceries because I’m going to Albury on Monday. #canberrafood #brunch #aranda

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Oct 7, 2016 at 4:37pm PDT

Instagram is also a reminder of the incredible support I have from friends and family. When I was having a mid-winter rough patch earlier this year and was feeling pretty depressed and disappointed and very ill, some of my friends sent me some lovely things to cheer me up. And they were there for emotional support as always.

A lovely surprise. Have been having a really hard time for the past 36 hours or so (or the past two years…), but as always my friends have been there. One of the hardest things about chronic (invisible largely mysterious) illness is staying resilient – my friends and family are the ones that keep me going when I feel like I am just-this-close to crumbling xxx #mecfs #flowers

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Jul 29, 2016 at 10:06pm PDT

And my sister was there for support and fatigue-friendly fun when I travelled to Sydney for appointments.

Sister hangs #thegrounds #groundsgrams

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Jul 22, 2016 at 6:32pm PDT

Another #zumborons shot. @cynical_coffee did an excellent job of picking flavours. #macarons #sydney

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Jul 22, 2016 at 9:54pm PDT

#sydneyharbour #sydney

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Jul 22, 2016 at 9:18pm PDT

My colleagues are also such an important part of my life, and in amongst the big big busyness that always engulfs us, we’ve had some real joy this year with some babies arriving and some nice social gatherings.

Friday hangs with Maeve. Thanks @mrojasrusque for the cuteness loan! #babymaeve

A photo posted by Ashlee Betteridge (@ashbetteridge) on Sep 29, 2016 at 10:18pm PDT

So as much as my mad social media-ing might sometimes be laughed at, and as much as there might be research showing it contributes to FOMO (fear of missing out), it’s also a great way to remember the happy moments, and helps me feel connected even if I’m stuck in bed or people are far away.