If you suffer from a chronic illness, I am sure that you can appreciate how much harder life can be. Life is already difficult to navigate without the added stress of managing and coping with a chronic illness. However, it does not have to be all doom and gloom. This is because you can find ways to overcome your illness (i.e., learn how to thrive despite it) and live your best life. Selectability NDIS Cairns says Australia actually has a National Disability Insurance Scheme that could help you manage daily living challenges or deal with the treatment for the illness, you’re never alone in your journey to improve your life. So, if you suffer from a chronic illness, read on to learn how to reclaim life and grab life by the balls. Do not let your chronic illness stop you from living the life that you want and deserve.
- Ask for help when you need it
Everybody needs help, a listening ear and a strong support system. So, when you are struggling and feeling alone, make sure that you reach out to your loved ones and people that you trust to receive some support. For some people, at first glance, it may seem or feel like they are alone. However, this is often not the case. While you may feel alone, this does not necessarily mean that you are. Instead, it is very likely that there are people, or someone, who cares deeply for you. So, you should work on ways to identify these supportive people. You can do this by asking yourself some of the following questions:
- How do I feel when I am communicating with this person? – Do you feel drained after the interaction, or do you feel light and refreshed? If the answer to that question is the former, then this is probably a sign that that person is not as supportive as they can be. But, on the other hand, if the answer is the latter, this is a relatively good indication that they are a good and supportive friend.
- Do you feel like they take your feelings into account? – When communicating your feelings, you must consider whether or not they are actively listening and trying to help or not….some people have a tendency to listen ineffectively, which is problematic because they can often fail to truly take how you feel into consideration, making you feel not supported.
- Are they good at giving advice? – Is the advice they are giving you based on your well-being or something else?
- Do they celebrate with you when good things happen? A supportive person is usually one that helps you celebrate your triumphs.
NDIS state that you can also ask for professional help if and when you need it. So, if you are in physical pain, you should contact and reach out to your doctor or specialist as soon as possible. As the saying goes, it is better to be safe than sorry. So, if you suspect something to be wrong, trust your gut instinct and intuition and go get the professional help you need. Even if it turns out that nothing is wrong, you can at least be reassured.
Another great way to get help is by using services provided by the trusted Chartspan, such as AWV medicare. AWV, which stands for annual wellness visits, can help best manage your health by having a routine and yearly visits.
- Make sure you take the necessary time out to spend on your hobbies
Despite your chronic illness, you can always make time to do the things that you love. So, make sure that you take time out of your day, week, month or even year to doing your hobbies. This is because they are many benefits of having and maintaining a hobby. For example, hobbies can…
- Have physical health benefits – physiologically, then can increase heart rate and brain functioning. They can also aid in weight loss (if they are physical and active hobbies such as sport), lower blood pressure and increase energy levels. Importantly, even if your hobby is not a particularly active one (e.g., hiking, swimming, yoga or karate) and is more creative (e.g., sewing, singing, art), it can be beneficial by strengthening your cognitive ability. In other words, it is good for your brain!
- Have mental and emotional benefits – being actively involved and doing things you love can have an important, positive and lasting impact on your mental health and emotional wellbeing. So, carrying out a hobby can help you feel more relaxed, happy and stress-free. Examples of such hobbies include gardening, listening to music (yes, listening to music counts as a hobby!), cooking, painting and photography.
Also Read: Leading a Happy and Fulfilled Life
- Exercise
If you want to live your best life in spite of your chronic illness, then seriously think about maintaining and sustaining a regular exercise and workout routine. While you are powerless in controlling your chronic illness and the associated health implications, you do have the power to take care of your health by exercising. In addition, there are many benefits of exercise. For example, exercise can….
- Reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Lower the risk of developing depression
- Lessen the likelihood of colon and breast cancer
- Boost self-esteem
- Increase your mood
- Foster better sleep quality
- Increase energy levels
So, exercise can undoubtedly help you live a better and happier life. Reclaim and take control of your health by taking some time out of your day to do it. It is recommended that you do at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. Importantly, there is a range of exercise options to choose from. If it suits you better, you can opt for less intense and strenuous activities such as walking or cycling. Alternatively, you can also do moderate-intensity workouts (e.g., brisk walking, water aerobics, dancing, tennis, hiking or rollerblading). Or, you could even do exercise that is high intensity (e.g., jogging, running, swimming, football, netball and martial arts).
So, your chronic illness does not define you. You define yourself. If you take anything away from this article, let it be that you have control over your life and happiness. So, make sure you take care of yourself well to truly live your best life, despite suffering from a chronic illness.
