Life Coach
Today I want to talk to you about three things that you can do if you are forced to cope with a chronic and recurring health issue, whatever it might be.
The first step is trying to reach a level of acceptance that the health challenge is here, and it may not be going away soon. Now, no one in their right mind ever said “hey, after living through a global pandemic what I really want to do in 2021 is have to worry about a health challenge.” So that acceptance may be harder right now than ever before. Trying to reach that level of acceptance sometimes brings grief with it because you have to grieve the fact that you are not living a problem-free life anymore. And so please be clear with yourself about what kind of support you might need in that process.
Now, the second strategy is to really get clear on who are your best allies and resources, whether it’s the doctors that you trust the most to turn to for medical advice, or the individuals that you can call when you’re having a frustrating day. Maybe it’s practical support from your spouse who can pick up the kids when you need to squeeze in another health care appointment. Get crystal clear on who is your posse, who can you tap when you need more resources.
Finally, self-care is imperative for every type of health care challenge out there. I really want to urge you to get crystal clear on your self-care. If it is not occurring often enough or long enough please take the time to identify what the obstacles are, what is getting in the way, because the best thing that you can do during a chronic health condition is to support yourself, to have your back, to increase your self-care, which of course usually decreases your stress.
The real question on the table is what do you need to shift in order for that to become a possibility?
Therapy
To learn more about Flourish Counseling and find support for coping with a chronic illness click here.