When someone comes to me to get help with managing their chronic illness, they assume that losing weight will fix everything. While losing weight can be an essential part of your wellness journey, it is not the only thing to focus on when creating a healthy lifestyle.
As a holistic coach, I like to create a program that addresses the complete individual so that the healing journey is also complete. If you are trying to develop a plan to manage a chronic illness, here is one thing I would like for you to consider.
Do not neglect your mental health: Your mental health and physical health are linked. Dealing with a chronic illness can trigger episodes of anxiety and depression. Do not ignore these feelings; they will not go away; instead, they could worsen.
According to the Center for Disease Control, ” The relationship between mental health, chronic disease and injury is significant.” Not paying attention to the mental stress of dealing with a chronic illness could hamper your ability to seek the best care which could prevent you from taking proper care of yourself. “Some studies show that having diabetes doubles your risk of developing depression. If diabetes-related health problems emerge, your risk for depression can increase even further. It remains unclear exactly why this is. Some researchers suggest that this could be due to diabetes’ metabolic effect on brain function as well as the toll day-to-day management can take.”
Three Things You Can Do:
When it comes to managing your mental health, you are not helpless. There are steps you can take to ensure that you successfully manage your mind and your physical health.
- Speak with your physician: This is always the best first step, as your physician will be able to monitor any side-effects brought on by your medication.
- Family and friend support: This is not the time to shut out your family and friends; many of us think that we would do better keeping folks out of our “business,” but this is not the time to be stoic; you will need the love and support of your family and friends to maintain your sanity through this journey.
- Hire a coach: I am not just suggesting this because I am a coach; I know the benefits of working with a coach firsthand; my coach Leslie helped me navigate my own health challenges. She provided a stress-free, judgment-free zone that allowed me to heal physically and mentally.
We all know that dealing with a chronic illness can be taxing on our finances and our physical health, do not put your mental health on the back burner. Remember, you are a whole person, not just a person dealing with an illness. Let us know in the comments, which tip you are going to tackle first.
With Peace and Love,
Renee
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