Wellness & The Chronic Illness Journey: The Good, The Bad, The Reality
“Wellness” gets a bad rap. And, a certain part of me understands why.
The stereotypes are not relatable and can be pretty cringeworthy. They usually involve bare, toned midriffs and drinking green juice. This makes wellness seem unattainable for most of us, especially if we have a chronic illness or disability.
But, I implore you to read further to find out what wellness can mean to you, even if you never plan to show your abs in public, or drink green juice while wearing a perfectly applied red lipstick.
There is another, more realistic side to wellness that I want to share with you. Let’s put the stereotypes aside for a minute and explore...
What Is Wellness?
If you look up wellness in the dictionary, you will find a definition like - “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.”
That makes a lot of sense. On its face, the concept of wellness is relatable because it is a pursuit, not a destination. It is not necessarily the absence of disease. It is more of a process or a focus.
This definition of wellness makes space for us to notice that we can make choices in our lives that can impact our health and wellbeing. It implies possibilities and that we have some agency over our quality of life.
How Is Wellness Possible When You Have a Chronic Illness?
When you look at wellness as more of a process, it is easier to see how that can fit into a life with chronic illness.
You don’t need to be “cured” to find a way to make choices that nourish your mind, body and spirit as you are right now. And, you don’t need to make any of it fancy or photo-worthy.
Personally, as someone living with chronic disease, when I think about wellness, I think about my efforts more than the result. While I have seen positive changes in my health by making conscious and consistent effort, I recognize that this is a forever endeavor for me. There is no true endpoint. I try to recognize how my choices in my lifestyle and my priorities have an impact on what is best for me and my health. And, I try to notice how the accumulation of small efforts makes an impact over time.
How Can You Find Your Version of Wellness With Chronic Illness?
While there is not a one-size-fits-all version of wellness, there IS a way to find YOUR own path to chronic wellness balance. My high level advice is to figure out what might be holding you back from finding your own version of wellness. From there, do your best to make changes that slowly move you in the direction you want to head.
It involves taking an integrative approach.
That means taking a look at all aspects of your life and finding areas where you might be out of alignment with what you need and want to live well with chronic illness.
When we only focus on following traditional medical advice, we end up missing things that could really move our wellness forward.
It doesn't mean that healthcare providers and medical treatments are not important. However, it means that there is a lot that we can do outside of the doctor's office to better support our health and wellness.
You might not be able to change your diagnosis because you made one change. But, you might be able to lower your stress level, find more time to rest or do something nurturing for yourself that could move you one step closer to living well with chronic illness. These small efforts and changes can add up to transformation over time.
What Does Taking An Integrative Approach Look Like?
The Basics OF An Integrative approach
Take a look at all aspects of your life. (See Day 1 in my free Chronic Wellness Challenge for the full list)
Consider where you are versus where you want to be.
Think about the parts of your life that are not in alignment with:
the parameters of your diagnosis
what is important to you, and
what you need.
Consider what is not working for you, or what could use a tweak.
Set up a plan.
Take action - step-by-step.
There's a lot to consider. But, a rule of thumb is to think about what consistently comes up as an issue or stressor for you. That is usually a good area to put some focus.
This is much easier said than done! But, that is where a health coach like me can be a helpful partner to gain clarity, set up realistic action steps and give you support on your path.
To gain more clarity on YOUR path finding your Chronic Wellness Balance, get in touch here or accept my free 7-Day Chronic Wellness Challenge.
To Explore More…
For more information on how to take an integrative approach to your wellness accept my free 7-day Chronic Wellness Challenge.
Wishing you all the best on finding what works best for you because you are the most important expert on you.
The problem with complicated chronic illness is that there is not a one-size-fits-all way to manage it or heal it. It requires the person living with the chronic illness to be proactive and recognize how much expertise they bring to the table.
How do you look at the pursuit of wellness with chronic illness?
Does it seem to be more of a process than a destination? How does that viewpoint impact you?
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