How To "Just Do It" When Living with Chronic Illness
Does the advice to “Just Do It” really work when you live with a chronic illness?
We have all heard the ad and the advice to “Just Do It.” I love that advice when I am getting in my head too much and simply not taking the first step to make something happen. It can be a great instigator to get started.
Most of us with chronic illness would love to be in a position to “just do it” and push ourselves a little harder. But, seriously, that can be a really tall order when you barely have enough energy to make it through some days.
So, I will propose the following for my fellow chronic illness warriors - how about we “just do it” - when we are ready?
Making changes to our habits and lifestyle takes energy. Oftentimes, that is exactly what we are lacking.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately because of my clients’ recent experiences with needing to take a more nuanced approach. And, I have needed to do the same.
My Recent Experience
I have recently needed to remind myself that it is preferable to put off a task when I am not feeling up to accomplishing it. For a few months after I had COVID, I experienced fatigue and brain fog from time to time, likely due to mild long COVID exercise intolerance. It usually came on for a period of time after I tested my endurance.
It became apparent that on the days I was feeling foggy and tired, it was not the best time for me to make certain things happen - like writing, organizing and planning. Those activities would take me so much longer when I wasn’t feeling up for it. And, the results were not particularly impressive.
But, when I waited a day or so for the fog to clear and my energy to return, I was so much more clear and quick. The tasks that might have taken me hours on a fatigue/brain fog day took a fraction of the time.
I needed to remind myself that I could take things down a notch on the days I needed to. With some planning, I could reserve my time to accomplish certain tasks on days when I was clear of brain fog.
When It Might Not Be Right to “Just Do It”
I am writing this to let you know that everyday might not be your day to “just do it”. And, that is okay.
You can wait until it feels right.
You can adjust your expectations of yourself based on how you are feeling.
You can give yourself space to listen to what your mind/body needs.
You can meet yourself as you are each day.
Every day might not be your all-star day. And, working with that knowledge can be effective to keep you on track in a realistic way while also giving yourself some compassion.
For more insights on whether you are ready to take on a habit or lifestyle change in your life, read my blog post on readiness HERE and my post on doing it with confidence HERE.
The Impact On Chronic Illness Coaching Clients
It is no surprise that my chronic illness coaching clients experience similar challenges. And, the great thing is that I work together with my Chronically Well Membership clients to plan for these difficulties to the extent we can. At the very least, my clients know how to adjust their expectations of themselves based on how they are feeling.
What does this look like in practice?
While symptoms and life circumstances are unique to each individual, we try to plan ahead for what they can foresee, and readjust as needed. We plan around medical treatments. We plan around events and commitments that may require more rest afterwards. Basically, we plan for what we can. It is not always seamless and predictable. But, we do our best.
The beautiful thing is that even when my Chronically Well clients get thrown a curveball or symptoms flare for no predictable reason, they know what to expect of themselves on the different types of symptomatic days. We utilize their expertise and knowledge of themselves to create plans for the different types of days that they typically experience.
Because we think through how to approach each type of day, it helps my clients to not feel so surprised. They can readjust their expectations of themselves in a realistic and flexible way. They can more easily access self-compassion to help lessen the frustration that might come up on unexpected rough days.
The rationale and neuroscience behind this is that when you consider how to approach a potential challenge before you encounter it, you increase your odds of overcoming it or working with it. This is because you don’t need to expend energy figuring out what to do on the fly. You already have a plan.
For more reading on creating a plan for your different types of symptomatic days, check out this blog post.
Ultimately, my goal is for you to know that it is okay to not have the energy to “just do it” every single day.
You can still move through life in an empowering way, making conscious decisions about how much or how little to push yourself towards your goals. It might take longer at times, but always remember that progress takes time and change is possible!
I know creating lasting change can be difficult, and I am here to help. My Chronically Well Membership offers resources right at your fingertips allowing you to create the life that works best for you while supporting yourself with your chronic illness concurrently.
Together let’s shift from being an expert of “should-ing” on ourselves to a strong advocate for our well-being and health by listening closely to our bodies’ needs.
Sign up now for the Chronically Well Membership where we turn striving into thriving!
How can you adjust your expectations of yourself based on your symptoms?
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