When Your Chronically Well Goal Is A Practice Rather Than A Result
Can you embrace your daily Chronically Well journey without a defined result?
Living with a chronic illness can be a life-altering experience. It requires strength, resilience, and a different perspective towards health and wellness. One such perspective is viewing wellness as a continuous practice rather than a finite result. This approach can be empowering, especially when dealing with a condition that has no definitive cure. Here's why.
Shifting Perspective: Wellness as a Practice
When living with chronic illness, setting wellness goals can be somewhat more nuanced. Often, we are not implementing healthy habits for a defined final result. There may be no promise of complete recovery or a cure on the horizon. Instead, we are creating and maintaining healthy habits that help to sustain us, manage our symptoms, and improve our quality of life.
Our motivations may not be as specific as "I want to lose 5lbs" or "I want to run 3 miles." Instead, they often involve supporting our underlying health and symptom management. In some cases, our healthy habits can help to reverse symptoms. However, that is not universally true. It's important to understand that the journey of wellness is not always linear, and it's okay to have setbacks and fluctuations in our health status.
For related reading about wellness and chronic illness, check out this blog post: “Wellness & The Chronic Illness Journey: The Good, The Bad, The Reality”
The Power of Daily Practices
The power of daily practices in achieving wellness cannot be overstated. Regular exercise, a balanced diet, adequate sleep, stress management – these are all practices that, when done consistently, can significantly enhance our well-being. They may not lead to a 'cure', but they certainly contribute to better symptom management and overall health.
The beauty of viewing wellness as a practice is that it shifts the focus from an elusive end goal to the journey itself. It allows us to celebrate small victories, like being able to do a physical activity without triggering symptoms, or enjoying a meal without any adverse reactions. It emphasizes the importance of consistency and encourages us to find joy in the process.
Moreover, it reminds us that every step we take towards better health, no matter how small, is still a step forward. It's not about perfection, but progress. It's about making small, sustainable changes that add up over time. It's about being patient with ourselves and recognizing that healing takes time.
For related reading, I invite you to visit my blog post, “Wellness Is Not All Or Nothing When You Have A Chronic Illness.”
For reading about noticing progress when it is slow, visit this blog post that includes 4 strategies.
Embracing Wellness as a Lifelong Journey
Embracing wellness as a lifelong journey rather than a destination can be liberating. It takes away the pressure of achieving a specific result and instead encourages us to make positive lifestyle changes that we can maintain in the long run.
It's about finding what works best for us, listening to our bodies, and making adjustments as needed. It's about recognizing that our health is not static but dynamic, and that our wellness practices should reflect this dynamism.
Chronic illnesses often require us to make significant lifestyle changes. These changes can feel overwhelming at first. However, by viewing wellness as a practice rather than a result, we can break down these changes into manageable steps. We can focus on making one small change at a time, and gradually build healthy habits that support our well-being.
This perspective also encourages us to be proactive about our health. It motivates us to stay informed about our condition, to seek advice and support from healthcare and integrative professionals, and to be an active participant in our healthcare and lifestyle decisions.
For more reading about breaking down your goals into manageable steps, check out these posts:
How to Track Hard-to-Measure Goals HERE
Taking the Wheel on Life with Chronic Illness HERE
The Role of Mindset in Wellness
Our mindset plays a crucial role in our wellness journey. Viewing wellness as a practice requires a shift in mindset - from focusing on the outcome to focusing on the process. It requires us to be gentle with ourselves and to view setbacks not as failures, but as opportunities to learn and grow. It encourages us to celebrate our efforts, regardless of the outcome.
Moreover, this mindset fosters resilience. It helps us to cope with the challenges of living with a chronic illness and to keep moving forward, even when progress seems slow or non-existent. It reminds us that we are not defined by our illness, but by how we choose to respond to it.
For a deeper dive on finding your version of a Thriving Mindset, check out this BLOG POST. And, I invite you to join my FREE 7-Day Chronically Well Mindset Program in the Chronically Well App.
You can gain access by subscribing to my newsletter and following the link to get started in the Chronically Well Mindset program. It provides a taste of what it feels like to receive feedback and communication with me in the Chronically Well App. Let’s get you on your path to living Chronically Well with no obligation to you.
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When living with a chronic illness, it can be more empowering and realistic to view wellness as a practice rather than a result.
It's a perspective that promotes self-care, resilience, and a proactive approach to managing our health. After all, wellness is not a destination, but a journey that we embark on every single day.
So, let's embrace this journey, with all its ups and downs, and make wellness a daily practice. Let's celebrate each small victory, learn from each setback, and continue to strive for better health, one day at a time.
How do you incorporate realistic wellness practices into your daily routine while living with chronic illness?
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