Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
It can be difficult to feel positive about your life when you’re sick every day and have to rally most of your energy to do simple things. It’s even worse when there isn’t a clear and obvious path to recovery in sight. I know this because I’ve been there. After suffering from chronic migraine and other types of pain for over 12 years, I know a thing or two about how to take positive steps with a chronic illness. If you’ve been struggling with a chronic health condition and find it hard to find energy and motivation, here are a few suggestions that might help.
Take Positive Steps With Chronic Illness #1: Set Achievable Goals and Work Toward Them
Setting goals and making an effort to reach them is a key to success no matter what life area you’re working in. Chronic illness is not an exception to the fact that if you want something different, you have to do something different. Though sometimes, you might not know why you are sick, occasionally, it’s plain to see that choices, whether they are conscious or not, have led to a particular condition or disease. In this case, it’s important to understand what you can change and what you can’t.
Taking complete responsibility for your health and actions brings you closer to your goals, big or small. Though I had many stages of health and emotions to go through with my illness, I always managed to keep going. I changed what I needed to in order to move toward my goal of being and feeling well again. And, yes, I had many disappointments and setbacks along the way. The point was that I didn’t give up on myself and my body’s ability to heal itself. I constantly reset my goals and did what I could to accept some things and to change others.
Take Positive Steps With Chronic Illness #2: Do Your Own Research
I have never been one to believe every word or take at face value what any doctor has told me. This has paid off for me on more than one occasion. In taking full responsibility for illness, I do my own research, find options, and make my own choices. I will never be backed into a corner because a doctor tells me I have no choice. First of all, we always have a choice. There are so many alternative practices, therapies, and procedures that your doctor hasn’t even heard of. That said, don’t discount what your doctor says, just don’t allow him or her to control you and your decisions.
To that end; if you haven’t yet found a successful treatment for your condition, make it an ongoing mission to keep searching. It might be that a celiac plexus block procedure could give you the relief you’re after. Or it might be that a combination of dietary interventions that you never considered, in addition to an exercise program, could result in amazing improvements. At the very least, continually searching and exploring different treatment options helps to keep hope and perspective alive. It also helps you to narrow down options that will work for you.
Take Positive Steps With Chronic Illness #3: Be Patient and Compassionate with Yourself
It’s tough to love yourself, sometimes, if you have good health, let alone if you’re miserable because of chronic pain and illness. I can remember literally wanting to chop off my head because of the pain I endured from the headaches. Though this obviously would not have happened, my attitude did not serve my body, mind or spirit. It only created more negative energy that my body had to deal with. I learned, though. When I was able to apply some patience and compassion to myself, the condition I had improved greatly. I was much more productive, and the chronic migraine eventually subsided completely. The interesting thing was how my energy shift did more for me than all the time-draining activities I tried before. There is power in self-love.
**** This post is strictly informational and is not meant to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Women’s lifelink, it’s owners, administrators, contributors, affiliates, vendors, authors and editors do not claim that this information will diagnose, treat, or improve any condition or disease.
