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# Why I Moved from SiteGround to Cloudways (and Couldn't be Happier). Plus Cute Puppy Pics & A New Pacing Strategy.
- URL: https://achronicvoice.com/moved-from-siteground-to-cloudways/
- Published: 2021-03-22T11:05:51.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-10T10:46:16.000Z
- Author: Sheryl Chan
- Tags: Blogging & Writing, Pets, Chronic Illness, Diary Entries

*\*Note: This article was originally written for my monthly linkups, which I've archived as it was taking too much out of me. However, I've kept most of the posts written as I realise it's much like a diary with memories that make me nostalgic or smile. I hope you enjoy reading them, too! 🙂*

A bit of a mishmash of topics this month for my linkup entry, but why not?! Read about my latest web hosting saga; a mini review of SiteGround and Cloudways of sorts. A bit of a blogger's nightmare as my website was taken offline for almost a week. And how that turned to a blessing in disguise, as I took the leap and signed up at Cloudways instead.

And I hope you don't mind, but there are many animal pictures in this post! Finally, I've been trying to 'be a good girl' with my work-life or computer-life imbalance.

*\*Disclaimer: This article is meant for educational purposes, and is based on my personal experiences as a patient. *I am not a doctor, and nothing in this article should be substituted for medical advice.* Please consult your own doctor before changing or adding *any* new treatment protocols. This post may also contain affiliate links. It will cost you nothing to click on them. I will get a small referral fee from purchases you make, which helps with the maintenance of this blog. Read our* [***Privacy Policy***](https://achronicvoice.com/privacy-policy/)*page for more information. Thank you!*

## “Incorporating” a New Hosting Platform

I didn’t think I’d use the prompt, “incorporating”, to talk about hosting issues this month, but here I am! Moral of the story: Getting a good host matters for your website; sometimes what everyone thinks is a ‘good host’ is in fact, not suitable for you. Also, customer support is paramount - full stop.

So what triggered this spade of vehement conclusions? [As a web developer](https://work.achronicvoice.com/), I’ve tried dozens of hosting and domain companies over the decades. Always curious about ‘which is better’, and of course, based on my clients’ or my needs.

### The Price to Pay for SiteGround’s ‘Great Speed’

SiteGround is well known for great uptime and service, but I beg to differ. They recently took my website offline for days, because it exceeded ‘shared server usage’. Sure, they send you warning emails at 80% usage, but with not much help except to 'clean up or upgrade your plan'.

Their plans, after the initial introductory offer, are infamous for the hefty price tag. Many customers need to find a new host again after their plan ends, which can be a hassle. I chose to go with SiteGround regardless, as I was lured by the reviews of 'great speed'. Yet this isn't quite the perfect picture as I've come to realise.

SiteGround's hosting speed is decent (well, compared to my previous host at least!), but this comes at a cost to certain clients. Websites that ruin those 'pretty numbers', so to speak, are taken offline.

They could argue that this is to 'protect resources for other customers', which I can accept. But moving on to my next point, which was the main reason I decided to leave SiteGround for good.

### Problems with SiteGround’s ‘Great Customer Support’

Many customers seem happy with SiteGround's customer support, yet I've never had a *single* good interaction with their support staff. What I've come to realise is that issues they help most customers to solve are mostly simple WordPress related issues.

When it comes to more complex backend problems, their front-line support staff are clueless. One of them even ended the chat without any resolution to my problem, or waiting for my reply. This isn't a one-off, unlucky experience either.

### How I Ended Up at Cloudways’ Doorstep

We've been doing a lot of research at work on hosting companies with great speed, as this is a [major SEO factor in 2021](https://developers.google.com/search/blog/2020/11/timing-for-page-experience). My boss is also on SiteGround, yet finds even their best GoGeek plan unsatisfying to keep up with his website's needs. His plan was ending soon as well, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to pay so much money for their regular, post-offer plans.

We both moved to [Cloudways](https://www.cloudways.com/en/?id=848707) recently, and I'm going to say that I'm blown out of my mind. Each and every single one of their customer support staff deserve a gold medal. Some of them even stayed online with me for hours to try and help fix my website.

SiteGround wanted to charge me $30 for re-instating a backup version, but Cloudways wanted to try and avoid that. SiteGround's reason was that their senior engineers had to do 'manual work' to restore the backup. Is that to say that they outsource the work? Or that their regular engineers don't do any 'manual work'?

### Cloudways’ Blazing Fast Site Speed

Another reason that I'm now a big fan of Cloudways is that their hosting speeds are blazing fast. I hadn't expected such a huge leap in site speed, as my WordPress theme is 6 years old.

I'm working on a more updated blog layout for Google's latest rollouts, but this automatic boost is helpful for my SEO in the interim. Both my mobile and desktop site speeds increased by 20 - 30 points. My desktop site speed is close to 100 now, even! (You can [check your own site speed on Google here](https://developers.google.com/speed/pagespeed/insights/).)

### Which Plan to Pick on Cloudways?

There are a quite a number of different plans to select from on Cloudways, which might be overwhelming. If you're unsure or confused, their basic Digital Ocean or Vultr plans are sufficient (approx. $10/month).

I am on the 1GB Vultr high frequency plan (more speed!), which costs $13/month. I would recommend it without a moment's hesitation. And I'll definitely be incorporating many more websites and projects on Cloudways soon.

[Start Your Free Trial on Cloudways](https://www.cloudways.com/en/?id=848707)

Pin to Your Blogging & Hosting Boards:

![Why I’m Loving Cloudways (and Never Going Back to SiteGround Again) - Try Free Trial](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/pin_loving-cloudways-never-siteground-free-trial.jpg) 

## Learning to “Breathe Well”

### Seeing a Psychologist to Try & Learn Breathing Techniques

Moving on to more chronic illness life stuff, my psychiatrist referred me to a psychologist a few months ago. She wanted me to find new ways to regulate [**my anxiety and panic attacks**](https://achronicvoice.com/panic-attacks-internet-friends/), as the anti-depressants I'm on are pretty much maxed out. She asked me to give it at least three sessions, as I've never had a good experience with in-hospital psychologists here in Singapore. They are pretty much textbook and clinical.

[The private psychologist I had seen a few years back](https://achronicvoice.substack.com/p/my-inner-child-and-the-angry-girl) was brilliant and helped me a great deal, but also expensive. It was totally worth it though, as the issues we explored and the perspectives that I gained are for life.

Anyway, as predicted, after three sessions of me trying my best to keep an open mind during the sessions, I quit. Every session felt like a forced Q&A where she was the teacher or mother, and I was the child. "Do you think that this is a good way to view things?" ... "No." ... "Yes." "Can you try doing this every day?" ... "No." ... "Yes." You get my point.

### Why We Need to Practice Deep Breathing Even When We're Feeling Fine

If there was one useful thing that I took away from the sessions, it's that we need to practice deep breathing even when we're feeling fine. To transform it into a habit, and [forming healthy habits is an everyday process and effort](https://bjgp.org/content/62/605/664) (Gardner et al., 2012).

This helps us to access these mental resources much quicker when it's actually needed during meltdown mode. [Muscle memory](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0164822), yes, even for deep breathing (Cho et al., 2016).

Read Related Posts: 
- [Why You Need a Good Therapist on Your Healthcare Team (Based on My Personal Experiences)](https://achronicvoice.com/why-need-good-therapist/)
- [How to Rewire the Brain to Manage Chronic Pain (& Resources to Help)](https://achronicvoice.com/rewire-brain-manage-chronic-pain/)
- [Is Seeking Help for Your Mental Health Worth It?](https://achronicvoice.com/mental-health-worth-it/)
- [12 Lessons on Mindfulness (or “How to Relax” by Thich Nhat Hanh)](https://achronicvoice.com/lessons-on-mindfulness-thich-nhat-hanh/)
- [Just Breathing is Enough For Today](https://achronicvoice.com/just-breathing-enough-today-poem/)

Pin to Your Mental Health & Self-Care Boards:

![Why We Need to Practice Deep Breathing Even When We’re Feeling Fine](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/pin_deep-breathing-feeling-fine.jpg) 

### Book Recommendations on the Topic of ‘Breathing’

I then asked my psychiatrist to recommend some books on breathing that I could learn techniques from instead. She recommended [“Think Like a Monk” by Jay Shetty](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1982134488?&linkCode=ll1&tag=achronicvoice-20&linkId=8531b448374f6a42a5dea0890cfe2e7b&language=en%5FUS&ref%5F=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl), because of its timeless yet practical applications in modern society.

I also bought two other books on the Kindle store after having a look around. The first was [“Breath: The New Science” by James Nestor](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0735213615?&linkCode=ll1&tag=achronicvoice-20&linkId=4ea31661a240a932c05f4a6a8ca557fa&language=en%5FUS&ref%5F=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl). It is about a journalist who travels the world to investigate what went wrong along the way with our breath, and how to fix it. It's a New York Times bestseller and the first few pages had me captivated.

The second book was [“Power Breathing” by Sang H. Kim](https://www.amazon.com/dp/1934903094?&linkCode=ll1&tag=achronicvoice-20&linkId=90cf2cf971beeffff64057edfc4d75fb&language=en%5FUS&ref%5F=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl), who is a martial arts expert and creator of “Power Breathing for Life”. I hadn't intended to purchase a book on power breathing but calming ones instead, but the excerpts held my fascination for some reason. I liked how clear and simple they were.

The authors come from two very different backgrounds, and take on very different approaches on the topic of breath. I'm sure that I'll learn some interesting trivia and perspectives from both of them. And also practical applications to help curb my anxiety and improve my wellbeing!

Pin to Your Books & Reading Boards:

![Book Recommendations on the Topic of ‘Breathing’](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/pin_book-recommendations-breathing.jpg) 

Read Related Posts: 
- [Book Recommendations for Spoonies (but You’re All Invited, Too!)](https://achronicvoice.com/book-recommendations-spoonies/)
- [Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: 16 Takeaways with Chronic Illness](https://achronicvoice.com/mans-search-for-meaning-chronic-illness/)
- [Book Review: The Narwhal Who Suffers from Chronic Migraines](https://achronicvoice.com/book-review-narwhal-migraines/)
- [Useful Things to Do While on Bed Rest After Surgery: Education, Advocacy & Volunteering](https://achronicvoice.com/useful-things-to-do-while-on-bed-rest/)
- [Magazine Review: Lucky Peach’s Last Issue, Ever](https://achronicvoice.com/magazine-review-lucky-peach/)

## Things that Make Me Smile

### My Little Rascal, Talisker

Hmm…smiling. I think the person who makes me smile the most is [my puppy, Talisker](https://achronicvoice.substack.com/p/the-way-my-dog-talisker-brings-me), who is not even human! He’s a rascal, no doubt about that, and nips at me until I’m bruised and bleeding. It's funny that people caution you about the responsibilities prior to getting a puppy. Responsibilities such as taking them for walks, cleaning their poop, vet trip costs and so on...

### Everybody Warns You About Responsibilities, But Nobody Warns You About the Bites!

But nobody warned me that [puppies bite](https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/common-dog-behavior-issues/mouthing-nipping-and-biting-puppies). And they bite pretty hard, for about a year. I mean it makes sense if I stop to think about it. Human babies teethe too, and need to bite at things to ease their itch. And pups definitely have bigger and stronger baby teeth.

My spoonie friend, [Shruti of 'All Things Endometriosis'](https://allthingsendometriosis.com/), got a puppy around the same time as I did, and was just as surprised, as new dog owners. We both have different chronic illnesses that biting can mess with. She has EDS and POTS, and often needs to use a walking stick. All that excited jumping and biting can catch her off guard and impact her stability.

[**I have Antiphospholipid Syndrome**](https://achronicvoice.com/living-with-antiphospholipid-syndrome/), a blood clotting disorder, and take blood thinners for it. So I'm prone to bruising and bleeding, and both can lead to other problems such as DVTs or haemorrhages. We both try to work around the biting as best as we can.

Read Related Posts: Read Related Posts: 
- [A Day in the Life of a “POTSie” (A What??)](https://achronicvoice.com/day-in-life-potsie/)
- [An Experience from Hell: Pulmonary Embolism, DVTs & Antiphospholipid Syndrome](https://achronicvoice.com/pulmonary-embolism-dvts-antiphospholipid-syndrome/)
- [What it Feels Like to be Refused Treatment by a Hospital’s A&E / ER](https://achronicvoice.com/refused-treatment-hospital/)
- [The Lowdown on Medications and Antiphospholipid Syndrome (Warfarin, Enoxaparin, DOACs, NSAIDs & More)](https://achronicvoice.com/medications-and-antiphospholipid-syndrome/)
- [12 Visible Evidence of a Body Gone Rogue (Is Invisible Illness Truly Invisible?)](https://achronicvoice.com/visible-evidence-invisible-illness/)

Pin to Your Pets & Chronic Illness Boards:

![Puppies and Chronic Illness - The One Thing Nobody Warns You About](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/pin_puppies-chronic-illness-warning.jpg) 

### Affection & Cuddles are Life

One of the reasons I decided on a shetland sheepdog is that they're affectionate.

> [*"Shelties are often known as velcro dogs because they love to be close to their owners. They often follow their owners closely around the house for hours on end, keen to be by their side."*](https://peteducate.com/do-shelties-like-to-cuddle)

So far he's pure puppy wildness, but when he does decide to lie against my foot or hop into bed for snuggles, my heart melts. I hope that the adult version of him will be less bitey, and more cuddly like that.

Often when I'm away from him for a few days, my face lights up into a smile when I think about him. I also can't help but smile whenever I browse the hundreds of pictures of my birds and dog on my phone.

Here are some of my favourite pictures of them. I hope that they make you smile, too!

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/talisker-puppy-first-day-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/talisker-medication-boxes-mess-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/talisker-steak-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/scorcher-cockatiel-buddy-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/parrotlets-piper-archer-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/cockatiel-babies-first-batch-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/green-parrotlet-tiny-piper-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/blue-flowers-archer-memories-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fe/94/fe943d06-f105-4c71-af52-25403dcbb0b8/content/images/2025/08/birds-laptop-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1.jpg)

Me and my furry and fluffy companions

Pin to Your Furry Companion & Animal Boards:

![Puppy and Bird Pics to Make You Smile!](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/pin_puppy-bird-pics-smile.jpg) 

Read Related Posts: 
- [A Car Accident & A Song Gone Silent (How Life Lessons from Chronic Illness Tide Me Through)](https://achronicvoice.com/chronic-illness-life-lessons-accident-bird/)
- [Fun & Productive Things to Do on Digital Devices After Knee Surgery](https://achronicvoice.com/things-to-do-on-digital-devices-after-knee-surgery/)
- [365 Mindfulness Journaling Prompts for Self-Improvement](https://achronicvoice.com/365-mindfulness-journaling-prompts-for-self-improvement/)
- [My Responses to “A Day in the Life” Linkup (What Does ‘Normal’ Even Mean?)](https://achronicvoice.com/a-day-in-the-life/)
- [How to Use the 7 Dimensions of Wellness to Thrive with Chronic Pain](https://achronicvoice.com/dimensions-of-wellness-thrive-chronic-pain/)

## Learning How to “Stop” - Much Harder Than I’d Thought!

### Metering My Energy with Chronic Pain & Chronic Fatigue

I’ve been trying to stop myself every day, before I hit my maximum energy consumption. Some days I feel crappy, whilst on others I feel up to task. It’s always a risk as I tend to do all the things on those better days. Sometimes I work on projects for 10 hours straight. For a healthy person they might feel a little fatigued after (or not even). But when you're chronically ill, it's almost certain that there will be a price to pay.

### Trying Out a New Pacing Strategy

I am currently trying to pace myself a little differently. To quit being productive before I even start to feel tired. The concept is similar to overeating. Often we eat until we're 'full', but our bodies have a bit of a lag reaction. That is why [mindful eating](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/dont-eat-until-youre-full-instead-mind-your-hara-hachi-bu-point/) can help with weight issues and eating more healthy portions.

I am quite in-tune with my hunger levels (except when my period is about to come, then I eat all the carbs...late at night). But I'm definitely not in-tune with my energy levels, as I tend to get absorbed and sucked down the rabbit hole. Before I know it, I crash.

Read Related Posts: 
- [A Roundup of Biggest Pain Flare Triggers (from 40 People with Chronic Illness)](https://achronicvoice.com/pain-flare-triggers/)
- [It is \*Always\* Possible to Make Time for What Matters Most](https://achronicvoice.com/make-time-what-matters-most/)
- [How to Set Healthy Boundaries in Your Relationships with Chronic Illness](https://achronicvoice.com/healthy-boundaries-relationships-chronic-illness/)
- [My Personal Experiences with Epiphrenic Esophageal Diverticulum (Plus Tips to Help Cope)](https://achronicvoice.com/epiphrenic-esophageal-diverticulum-personal-experiences-tips/)
- [The Secret of Change: Spend Your Energy Wisely with Chronic Illness](https://achronicvoice.com/secret-of-change/)

### 'Mindful Productivity' & Keeping My Todo List for the Day Flexible

I guess the point I'm trying to illustrate here is to practise 'mindful productivity'. To stop every now and then to assess my body, pain and energy levels. To recalibrate my energy and if necessary, adjust the todo list for the rest of the day.

> [“Mindful productivity](https://nesslabs.com/mindful-productivity-2) can be defined as being consciously present in what you’re doing, while you’re doing it, in conjunction with managing your mental and emotional states. Mindful productivity is about calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings and thoughts while engaged in work or creative activities.” - Anne-Laure Le Cunff, Ness Labs

Todo lists don't have to be locked in for the rest of the day. You are allowed to modify them on the go, based on a variety of circumstances.

So far this strategy has proved pretty good on a mental and physical level. That isn't to say that I wake with less pain, but I do seem to have less crashes that take several days to recover from.

Pin to Your Working & Chronic Illness Life Boards:

![Trying Out ‘Mindful Productivity’ to Balance Work, Chronic Fatigue and Illness](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/pin_mindful-productivity-work-chronic-fatigue-illness.jpg) 

## Relishing Life

### Self-Reminder: Sometimes One Little Thing is Enough to Make Your Day

Finally, relishing. My partner has finally found his way to Singapore from Berlin, after a year, and despite all the COVID red tape. I am relishing some quality time spent with him in person, after a year of long-distance relationship. Which is something I never thought I'd do actually, if not for COVID!

Life is all about the little things, as they say. Relish in whatever little or lot you have. Sometimes, one small thing is enough to make your day.

Read Related Posts: 
- [Dating with Chronic Illness (and What I’ve Learned)](https://achronicvoice.com/dating-with-chronic-illness/)
- [Winter Fun, Games & Pain with Chronic Illness](https://achronicvoice.com/winter-fun-chronic-illness/)
- [Coming Alive in the Winter Air (Pushing for Personal Changes & Group Advocacy)](https://achronicvoice.com/winter-advocacy/)
- [A Hurried Return, but Chronic Illness’s Opening Hours Remain Unchanged](https://achronicvoice.com/chronic-illness-opening-hours/)
- [Travelling New Paths with Chronic Illnesses in My Pocket](https://achronicvoice.com/travelling-new-paths-chronic-illness/)

Pin to Your Inspirational Quotes Boards:

![Relish in whatever little or lot you have. Sometimes, one small thing is enough to make your day.](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/pin_quote-relish-one-small-thing.jpg) 

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Pin to Your Chronic Illness Blogging Boards:

![Why I Moved from SiteGround to Cloudways (and Couldn’t be Happier). Plus Cute Puppy Pics and a New Pacing Strategy.](https://cdn.achronicvoice.com/pin_siteground-cloudways-happier.jpg) 

### References:

- Cho, H., Ryu, S., Noh, J., & Lee, J. (2016). The effectiveness of daily mindful breathing practices on test anxiety of students. *PLOS One, 11*(10), e0164822\. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0164822
- Gardner, B., Lally, P., & Wardle, J. (2012). Making health habitual: The psychology of ‘habit-formation’ and general practice. *British Journal of General Practice, 62*(605), 664–666\. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X659466