How to Find Your Chronic Wellness Balance
Chronic illness can be exhausting, overwhelming, and can impact all areas of our lives.
Knowing that the “chronic” part of the illness does not leave a lot of hope for a cure, you might be wondering about where there is space for wellness. Admittedly, wellness looks different for those of us with chronic illness. But, it is possible to thrive with chronic illness when you find a way to balance the inherent tensions that present themselves while living with chronic illness.
For example, you want one reality, but you have another. Your mind is in one place, and your body is not always following suit. You want to find a way out, but you seem to be saddled with this illness for the long-term.
Some more specific examples include:
Having hope for healing vs accepting the “chronic” part of the illness
Reducing stress vs living with an illness that is inherently stressful
Having self-compassion vs animosity towards self and/or body
Trusting your body vs not being able to rely on it
Grieving pre-chronic illness life vs. accepting your “new normal”
Finding joy when you feel awful
When you live in this paradoxical world, what could wellness possibly look like? In two words - Chronic Wellness.
What is Chronic Wellness?
Chronic Wellness is finding a balance in your life that allows you to manage your day-to-day with chronic illness while working towards and maintaining hope for future healing.
This entails some radical acceptance of the realities of the practicalities of your situation - and, your limitations. It also entails not giving up on yourself or your body. It requires finding the balance that works for YOU.
How do you do it?
It is not easy. Frankly, I think it takes time and experimentation of what works in your life. That being said, I know it is possible to find your own version of this balance. I have done it in my life while living with recurrent lymphoma and autoimmune issues. And, I work with my clients to find their own version of Chronic Wellness. These are women who are meeting themselves where they are in their life and health, and slowly making changes in their lives that get them closer to this Chronic Wellness balance.
Here are the basics of how to do it:
Get clarity on where you need to make changes by taking a holistic approach. This can be done by taking an inventory of what is going on in your life, health and healthcare. It requires assessing where you are versus where you want to be in all of these aspects of our life. And, it requires looking at what is causing the most stress and tension in your life and health.
Connect with why those changes are important to you. This is finding your “why,” or motivation. This will help you stay on track when things get hard. Your motivation to make changes must outweigh the reasons for maintaining the status quo, or else there is not much point in making the effort. Your why assists you in finding your way to live your life in a way that reflects what you value - even when you need to navigate your limitations and competing obligations.
Make a plan. This is how you get from where you are to where you want to be. This plan requires a step-by-step approach to reaching that balance even if it might seem impossible right now. The key is to look at where you want to be and create a backward step-by-step guide to getting there.
Make it happen. This can often be the hardest part. This is truly where most of my work as a health coach comes in. It includes support, accountability, working through the practicalities, celebrating progress and reconnecting with your motivations when things get tough.
In addition to the steps above, Chronic Wellness requires:
Self-Advocacy: This means making the effort to obtain the care and support that you need in your life from your healthcare providers, integrative care providers and any help you need in your personal life (house cleaning, etc.). This can be a game changer when all is going right. It can truly hold you back when it is not.
A Thriving Mindset: Fundamental to this mindset is recognizing that while you might not be able to control your symptoms, you have some control over how you think about your illness and how you respond to it. And, it requires opening your mind to exploring what you can do to better your health beyond following doctor's orders.
Choosing Joy: This means finding the room in your life for what makes your life enjoyable. This is your reminder of why you want your health and why you are willing to work for it. This is how you connect to the essence of who you are - with or without your illness.
What Is the Result?
This Chronic Wellness balance is going to look different for each of us at any given time because our lives and symptoms are continually moving and changing. But, once you have clarity on your priorities and have some of the larger pieces of your life aligned with them, the daily balance shifts become easier to navigate.
When you find your Chronic Wellness Balance, you will be able to:
Live a life that is more grounded in the reality of your situation.
Be true to what you uniquely want and need in a way that actually works in your life.
Live in alignment with what is important to you.
Experience what brings you purpose and joy.
What would Chronic Wellness make possible in your life?
My Chronic Wellness Mission —
I am on a mission to help other people living with chronic illness find their own unique path to Chronic Wellness. If you want to dig deeper on how you can achieve your version, I have a few ways that I share related information.
How Can I Support You?
I would love to help you meet yourself where you are today and get you on your path to Chronic Wellness in a way that works best for you. Regardless of how you get there, my hope is that you will gain some clarity on how YOU can thrive with chronic illness.
And, if you are looking for more individualized support, apply to work with me through my THRIVE program or a Chronically Well Membership.
If you are looking for the free options:
Take my Chronic Wellness Challenge
Download my Thrive Starter Guide
Does this resonate?Please share this post with friends! Click the menu on the right to share on social media.
