Mindset
Living with a chronic illness means looking at life in a different way, altering your mindset is one of the changes that have to happen. These are the four changes that have helped me cope with my chronic illnesses.
The mindset of someone with a chronic illness is different from someone who is healthy, and well. When your body isn’t fighting against you, or your mind placing obstacles in front of you, the range of things you can achieve is only limited by your imagination. I remember this time. Trying new things, succeeding sometimes, and failing other times, was something that I did without thinking. It was easy. In my case, I had lived with the impact of chronic illness for 10 years. Fortunately, I had a 10 year sabbatical from Multiple Sclerosis. In the last 4 years, this monster has returned, and it came with a companion, pain. Changing mindset has been crucial to my mental well-being, as well as physical health.
What did I change?
- Change of focus: The life in front of you, when you are healthy, can have obstacles. These are surmountable. You overcome these blockages by applying extra effort in time and energy. These are resources that you have in plenty. When you have a chronic illness these two attributes are in limited supply. Fatigue is a constant bedfellow, with an accompanying fog that limits your ability. This reduces time. The knock on implication is that you don’t have the energy to run, walk, or sometimes even to crawl. So now your focus is not in the distance but within easy reach. Small, achievable steps are the key. Big leaps are impossible.
- Acceptance: Just because you accept that you have a chronic condition does not mean that you will stop doing everything to get better, maintain or slow down the progression of your illness. Acceptance is acknowledging that you have some condition. Once you have made this clear in your mind, you can then take positive steps that can help you now, and into the future.
- Be healthy: Your body, or your mind, is battling your disease. The human body is an incredible machine, that scientists have yet to fully understand. It is clear that if you give your body the best fuel (quality food that is not processed and full of chemicals) and exercise, this machine will work at its optimum. It is so easy to give in to the temptation of eating comfort food. All this does is interrupt, and disturb the ability of your body to fight against your illness. Keeping fit is much more difficult, but it is worth the effort, and initial discomfort. I’ve been unfit, fitter is better.
- Gratitude, meditation and journalling: These three interlink because they help each other. I was, honestly, sceptical about the benefits of meditation, but I have been doing this for nearly a year now, and the change in my perception of the world around me has made me much more relaxed. If I am anxious or worried about something this habit has a way of dispersing the emotions. Any remnants that are left behind are quickly encapsulated and written down in my journal. Somehow the act of taking a thought, and physically writing it onto a piece of paper that is in a book, that you can close, also take this negativity and lock it away. Now you will begin to be grateful for all those small things in your life. A smile will return once you see the simple beauty of life.
Is it simple?
Four changes in mindset seem simple. These all take work, and it will take time for you to see the way they impact your life. It is like brushing your teeth, brushing them once makes no difference, but making it a daily practice means that your teeth remain healthy and strong. I would suggest that you take these one at a time, get accustomed to doing, and then move on to the next one. Then the cumulative effect will take effect.
These do not cure you, but they will help you feel better about yourself, and more capable of facing the daily challenge of living with chronic illness. My personal experience has been that if I do not practice all four I get overwhelmed and start into a negative spiral. Negativity is cruel and makes everything feel worse. When I notice, or I am told, then I reboot. I make sure that I am not forgetting the daily practice. the focus returns, and I feel better about myself. It is a continuous process.
This is what I have learned, and I hope it can help you. If you have any suggestions, please let me know in the comments below. I would be grateful if you could share this post. Thank you.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and this is not medical advice. These are my personal experiences. If you change your treatment take appropriate professional advice first.
Four absolutely great points and definitely the way i try to live my life. I used to think that I didn’t have time for meditation until I tried putting on a meditation recording in bed before going to sleep. It always helps, even if I do fall asleep while listening. You need to stay positive, look after your body and mind, and this post is right on point.
Thank you for those kind words, Anne. I meditate just after breakfast, as I like to have a full stomach, and just before I start the day. Once I have finished, and it usually takes me 20 minutes, I write in my journal. It has made living with constant pain much easier. I am calmer.