The life of a person suffering from a chronic disease can be incredibly difficult. Many people struggle with managing both practical and psychological demands that arise from such a diagnosis. However, there are a number of strategies that people can take to cope with the daily hardship they face. In this article, we will explore how to best support someone living with a chronic illness, and key strategies that can help them cope.
1. Navigating Your Mental Health During Chronic Illness
Living with chronic illness can often present challenges to maintaining your mental health and wellbeing. Keeping your mental health in check can be difficult when you’re struggling with chronic physical illness. Check out some of these tips for managing your mental health during chronic illness:
- Set realistic goals. You may need to adjust your expectations to better suit your current lifestyle. Break goals down into smaller, achievable tasks, and be sure to reward yourself for completing them.
- Look after yourself. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, engaging in physical activity as much as possible, and getting outside for some fresh air. If possible, ask someone you trust to provide support and encouragement.
- Be kind to yourself. Accept your emotions, as uncomfortable as they may be, and be creative with how you can make yourself feel better. Practicing mindfulness and deep breathing are two great ways to relieve stress.
Remember that it’s ok to not be ok. Don’t be afraid to reach out for professional help if needed. You don’t have to be alone in dealing with the mental health implications of chronic illness. There are many treatments available, and many support services that can help you navigate your mental health during chronic illness.
2. Clarity of Purpose: Physical and Mental Wellbeing
Keeping both physical and mental harmony is essential to maintain optimum health. We can all benefit from employing a variety of techniques to find a balance from within. Here are a few methods you can incorporate to support both your physical and mental wellbeing.
Physical Wellbeing: We can’t underestimate thei importance of nurturing our physical health. Taking time to exercise and care for your body helps to promote both physical and mental wellbeing.
- Take regular breaks throughout the day for activities such walking, running, swimming, yoga or stretching
- Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep every night
- Eat a nutritious diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water
Mental Wellbeing: Scheduling activities that nurture our mental wellbeing is just as important as taking care of our physical health. Engaging in activities like reading, writing, listening to music or pursuing a creative hobby are beneficial. Here are a few ways to take care of your mental health:
- Make time to socialise with friends, family and colleagues
- Challenge yourself with new activities
- Spend time on self-reflection and find stillness
- Explore your spirituality with activities of your choice such as prayer, meditation, mindfulness or yoga
3. Staying Connected: Social Support Systems
In the digital age, it’s easy to stay connected online. You can create an online network of support from the comfort of your own home. It’s important to have strong social support systems that you can rely on when you need help or just need someone to talk to.
- Join online forums: Social media is a great place to get in touch with people with similar interests. You can join forums to discuss topics of interest or find tips and support from others who are facing similar challenges.
- Reach out to family and friends: Chances are, you know at least a few people who can be supportive and understanding. Connect with them online and use sites like Skype or FaceTime to stay in touch.
- Tap into online communities: There are many active online support groups for people who are going through something similar. Post in the group to let people know you are here and looking for help.
Make sure you keep safety in mind at all times. Be careful when interacting with others online, and never share any sensitive information. Use caution when meeting someone online and always let someone know where you are going and who you are with.
4. Exercise for Mind and Body
Physical exercise is not only great for the body, but it’s also important for improving mental health. Taking part in aerobic and strength exercises can reduce stress, anxious thoughts, and lead to improved mood.
It’s not just about working out at the gym either, there are plenty of different ways to stay active and get those endorphins flowing. With interesting activities like dancing, yoga, and martial arts, exercising can be fun and satisfying for everyone.
- Dancing - Learn from a master or pickup up dance lessons online, there’s still plenty of studio classes that offer socially-distanced group sessions.
- Yoga – Known for its calming effects on mental health, yoga can be done anywhere and all that’s needed is a mat.
- Martial Arts – From boxing to taekwondo, there’s something for everyone. Get moving while learning skills that could prove useful one day.
5. Stress Reduction Techniques
Stress is something that everyone must manage in their lives. There are many ways to reduce the pressures of life and keep your stress levels low. Here are some common methods:
- Meditation: Meditation is a great way to release your stress and get a sense of peace. Try meditating for a few minutes every day and observe how it helps you relax. If you’re having trouble incorporating meditation into your daily routine, consider downloading a guided meditation app to help.
- Spend time in nature: Nature can be incredibly nourishing to the mind and body. If you can, take time to enjoy nature by going outdoors, taking a walk, or spending time in your favorite natural area. Reconnect with the world around you and help alleviate the stress that has been building up.
- Exercise: Physical activity is a great way to relieve stress and boost your mood. Just 30 minutes of exercise a day can make a world of difference. You don’t have to commit to rigorous exercise routines in order to feel better. Aim to move your body every day and choose activities that make you feel good.
These three techniques are all great for reducing stress levels. Try using one or all of them to find relief and take better care of yourself.
6. Creating Positive Habits to Foster Self-Care
Self-care is so important and it’s essential that we find ways to improve our daily habits to stay healthy. There are many strategies you can use to create positive habits to foster self-care, such as:
- Eat nutritious meals regularly.
- Make time for yourself each day.
- Get regular physical activity.
- Learn to manage stress in healthy ways.
- Reduce your use of addictive substances.
- Identify and manage triggers that lead to a lack of self-care.
Creating positive habits for self-care can be difficult at first, but it’s worth the effort. Start with small changes that you can stick to, such as drinking a glass of water each morning and getting enough sleep each night. As you build momentum, you can slowly introduce other tasks that will better help you to foster self-care.
Self-care should be a priority. It may seem difficult to incorporate these habits into your life, but it can be done. Self-care is a vital part of overall health and happiness. Take the time to build positive habits into your life and you will soon start to see the benefits.
7. Thoughtful Techniques to Take Charge of Symptoms
Manage Anxiety and Panic Symptoms
When anxious feelings start to become overwhelming, regain some control by utilizing these simple methods.
- Unwind with Meditation: Take a few minutes to practice mindful meditation to quell feelings of anxiety. Sit or lie down comfortably in a quiet place and focus on your breathing. Try counting each breath in and out, or imagine your breaths as waves, rolling in and out of your body.
- Release Impediments to Relaxation: Work out knots in your muscles with pressured massage. If your breathing is constricted, use deep-breathing exercises. Focus your awareness on the physical sensations within your body.
- Soothe with Herbal Remedies: Tea, capsules, and tinctures made from herbs like chamomile, linden, and skullcap can help you relax and settle down. Don’t forget to speak to a healthcare professional before adding any new herbs to your daily routine.
Accepting help from family and friends can be beneficial; and speaking to a trusted spiritual advisor, counselor, or physician about techniques to manage symptoms can be key when it comes to taking charge of anxious feelings.
8. Developing Healthy Lifestyle Choices
Practicing Self-Care
Making the effort to develop healthy lifestyle choices is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Self-care is an essential part of creating a healthy lifestyle, as it plays a major role in keeping your body and mental state in balance. To practice self-care, set aside time each day to focus on yourself. This could include activities such as:
- Taking a relaxing yoga class
- Meditating for 5 minutes
- Doing a home spa treatment
- Writing in a journal
- Long walks in nature
Eating Healthy and Smart
The next step in is to focus on what you’re eating. Start by replacing unhealthy snacks with healthier options, like fruit instead of chips or a smoothie instead of a milkshake. Additionally, drink plenty of water and make sure to get your recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Ultimately, eating healthy does more than just help you lose weight. It also boosts your immunity, improves your mental clarity, and optimizes your energy.
Getting Regular Exercise
Find the exercise that gives you the most enjoyment, and make it a part of your regular routine. The world is full of wonderful ways to stay active, like going for a swim, spinning, playing a sport, doing yoga, or even taking a dance class. Not only is exercise necessary for physical health, but studies have also shown that exercise can protect mental health, assist in the prevention of depression, and even help with relationship issues. Exercise regularly and you’ll be more likely to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
9. Picking Your Battles: Strategies for Conserving Energy
Sometimes it’s better to be wise and conserve energy rather than getting involved in a round of mud-slinging. Living sustainably requires finding the right balance between the use of resources and conservation. In order to do so, it’s important to pick and choose just what battles are worth fighting. Here are some strategies to bear in mind when looking to conserve energy:
- Set behavioral goals and be realistic about what can be accomplished.
- Evaluate and prioritize the opportunities that would generate the greatest energy savings.
- Keep practical, environmental, and cost effects in mind.
Make a Plan. When it comes to conserving energy, the first step is to have an exact plan of how you will do it. Instead of taking on the whole project all at once, think of each area you’d like to target and break it up into pieces. That way, the goal becomes easier to handle. Some simple ways to make a more eco-friendly home are setting up energy saving timers, replacing standard light bulbs with LED lights, and unplugging unnecessary appliances.
Be Mindful of Habits Within the Home. There are many habits that can help reduce energy consumption. Start small by simply turning off the lights when you leave a room. While this might seem insignificant, it can add up with time. Take showers instead of baths, hang clothes to dry and insulate your home with things like drapes or double-shaded windows.
10. Acknowledging and Embracing the Present Moment
The present moment can be a daunting concept to understand and often difficult to embrace. However, acknowledging and embracing it is important for our personal growth and success. Here are some tips to help with this.
- Find stillness. Take time to be still and sit in silence. Listen to the birds, feel the breeze, observe your surroundings. Put away devices and gadgets, and rediscover the stillness of life.
- Transcend the mundane. Free yourself from the repetitive monotony of daily routines and reflect on the bigger picture. Give yourself permission to reframe everything for even just a few moments.
- Floor yourself in gratitude. Ground yourself by reflecting on what you are grateful for. Even simple things, like the fact that you are alive and breathing, that it is a beautiful morning, or that the birds are singing. All of these little moments are gifts.
You don’t have to be spiritual or even mindful to acknowledge and embrace the present moment. By simply being proactive and taking the time for yourself to pause and reflect is already a great step. There is no greater gift than seeing the beauty of this present moment.
With the right support team and knowledge, the journey of chronic illness doesn’t have to one of isolation and fear. By understanding the strategies and resources available to cope, those suffering from chronic disease can gain the confidence to take control of their life and hopefully find moments of peace and comfort.