Wellness is Not All or Nothing When You Have a Chronic Illness
You Can Still Live Chronically Well
Living with a chronic illness can be incredibly hard. It takes tremendous energy to cope with the physical and emotional symptoms of your condition, and it can be difficult to find the motivation to work on your health and wellness when there isn't a cure at the end of the journey. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't make an effort. In fact, nurturing yourself with healthy practices can be essential for living well with chronic illness.
The End Goal Doesn’t Need To Be a Cure.
Regular healthy habits like meditation and movement don’t necessarily need to cure you in order for you to reap the benefits. As a chronic illness health coach, I’ve seen firsthand how regular healthy habits can assist in managing chronic pain and fatigue symptoms, even if they don’t eliminate them completely.
Habits like exercise and meditation can benefit us in so many ways—they can provide an emotional lift, reduce stress levels and anxiety, and improve our sense of overall well being, just to name a few. But even if these practices don’t totally eliminate a chronic condition, their positives are still abundant.
One example is that wellness practices can support symptom management, depending on your circumstances and what has been advised by your healthcare team. Many of my health coaching clients are advised by their healthcare providers to implement regular stretching or physical therapy exercises into their regular routine. Frequently, the rationale is to assist with symptom management and to increase mobility. While these exercises are not always the most enjoyable, they can have a positive long-term effect.
If you are thinking about adding some healthy habits to support your life with chronic illness, here are 3 tips for approaching your health and wellness when the end result is not necessarily a cure.
1. FOCUS On WHAT YOU CAN DO
Rather than stressing over what you cannot do because of your chronic illness, focus on what you CAN do. This could be as simple as taking a few deep breaths every morning or making time for a short walk each day. Even if these activities don't “cure” you, they can help you to feel calmer and more grounded as you navigate life with a chronic illness.
When you slowly work towards the goal with baby steps, you head in the right direction. Every effort counts because you end up building up to your goal over time.
In my personal experience, I have been helped tremendously by focusing on the small steps that I can take each day. When I was recovering from chemo, my exercise efforts did not look like very much. I could not walk very far without losing my breath. Over years, my lung function has improved as I continue to exercise in ways that meet me where I am without overdoing it. I have slowly and incrementally increased my strength and endurance to the point that I can get through an hour long strength training workout without exhaustion. This is a big accomplishment because it simply would not have been possible years ago. While my lung function is not perfect, and I might backtrack if I get sick, the general trajectory is progress. And, I will take that any day!
For a related blog post on how to implement a goal with confidence click here. And, for a blog post about the tension between chronic illness and wellness click here.
2. Be REALISTIC
When implementing any wellness practice, it’s important to set realistic goals that are both achievable and sustainable over time. This certainly makes sense when you have a limited body budget!
Unrealistic goals can lead to discouragement and frustration. Since no one wants that, listen to your mind and body—they will tell you what is realistic and right for you at any given moment. You have a lot of experience and expertise that you can rely on to help you determine what is realistic. No one knows you better than you!
Quick Tips:
Break down larger goals into smaller, achievable tasks so that you don’t become overwhelmed or discouraged;
Celebrate small successes along the way in order to keep yourself motivated;
If something isn’t working out as planned, don’t be afraid to adjust your goal; and
Remember that progress is often made in small steps rather than leaps and bounds.
For a deeper dive regarding setting realistic goals, read this blog post.
3. NOTICE SMALL CHANGES THAT ADD UP OVER TIME
It's easy to become discouraged when we don't see immediate results from our efforts. But, remember that small changes add up over time!
This is why I like to advise taking a wide-angle lens view of your efforts. Working on your health and wellness is not an "all or nothing" endeavor—every step forward counts towards a better quality of life down the road. So, take it one day at a time; focus on what you can do for yourself today, even if it's hard sometimes! Some days or weeks later, you can look back on all you have accomplished that might not have seemed possible if you crammed all that effort into one day.
It can be hard to notice how your efforts add up over time, especially when progress is slow. Having a way to track your progress can be helpful in noticing the effectiveness of what you are doing and any long-term results. The main reason to do this is to keep you motivated to continue to make a positive difference in your life and health. For related reading, check out the following:
Integrate Wellness Into Your Life, Your Way
For more information on how the Chronically Well Membership can support you as you implement nourishing wellness practices, click here.
Living with a chronic illness can be incredibly challenging, especially when it comes to adding in supportive health and wellness goals.
Taking things step-by-step can feel like we are swimming upstream—progress is slow and can go unnoticed. But remember that there is no such thing as an "all or nothing" approach; even small changes can make big differences over time! Be realistic about what you are capable of doing each day, focus on what you can do to nurture yourself, and trust that every step forward counts towards better wellness down the road.
With self-love and patience, living well with chronic illness is possible!
What is one thing you can do today to nurture your health and wellness?
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