Living Well With Chronic Illness

"In a previous blog post, I described how people with chronic illnesses could navigate the increasingly specialized and compartmentalized medical world. This post focuses on life away from medical settings, offering guidelines for maintaining and enhancing the quality of life at home, in the workplace, among family and friends, and with oneself.

The strategies are for people with chronic illnesses, but they may also inform caregivers, relatives, and friends. I am a former caregiver, but I write as a psychologist and a person who recently acquired a lifelong illness.

Doing What Matters

What activities give us meaning and joy? Our answers tell us what to do – and what not to do.

We should maintain those meaningful, enjoyable activities that we are capable of. In fact, some of these activities may provide even more fulfillment than before our illness. People may find meaning in continuing to work, listening to or practicing music, going on day trips with family and friends, playing board games, being outdoors, and cooking.

On the other side of meaning and joy, we can follow Thoreau’s advice to simplify, simplify–shedding unnecessary obligations, deleting items at the bottom of our to-do list, and avoiding unproductive habits that make us unhappy even during the best of times.

Avoiding Self-Imposed Constraints

Even with uncertainty and loss, we can do as much as we can, as long as we can. A progressive illness may eventually feel all-encompassing, but overemphasizing the advanced stages early in the disease only distracts us from activities we could be appreciating now. It’s natural to think about and plan for a diminished future, but not all the time and not with thoughts that accelerate our decline.

Asking for Help

No one expects serious illness. We expect autonomy. With illness, we need to shift our expectations and learn to ask for help in specific ways. With many illnesses, the routine activities of life become ever more difficult or even impossible. We need to learn our new limits and ask others for assistance with what we cannot do. We deserve the best quality of life possible, reaching out for help when needed.

Closing Words

Charles Darwin said that a person who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life. That applies to everyone, but it’s most urgent for those with chronic illness. The challenge is finding and engaging in those activities that give us the most meaning and joy."

*I think this post was important to share because I don't see a lot of articles shared about chronic illness. I can imagine that discovering a chronic illness and living with one are things that take a lot of time to get used to, but you can still live with them and enjoy life! Things will be different, but our world is more accommodating than it has ever been. I think it's important to know your limits, but to push yourself to enjoy everything life has to offer too! This article gives some tips about how to live well with chronic illness. I want you to know that we are always here for you and that there is always hope! What is one tip you would share with others for living your best life?!*

#ChronicIllness #LivingWell #LiveYourBestLife

Please find the full article at Psychology Today!

If you liked this article from me, you may like this one on how to best use your time! 😊