If you suffer from a chronic illness, it’s not uncommon to become so mired in your condition and its impact on your life while managing family and work responsibilities that you forget to take care of yourself. You might be so good at overlooking yourself that you get tired of well-meaning friends and relatives telling you to put yourself first. It’s easy to say but hard to do. Yet the more effort you put into self-care, the better the chances of improving your overall health and gaining a better handle on the rest of your life.
The following recommendations were compiled from writings by Harvard Medical School, Chronicality, a blog for the critically ill community, and blog posts by Dr. Joy Selak, author of a book about chronic pain, and Mary England, a self-help author, life coach and lecturer.
Set boundaries
You’ll never be able to put yourself first if you don’t set clear boundaries. Figure out what you physically and emotionally can handle, make that list clear to your friends and family, and don’t budge when you get pushed to change.
Think about the basics of life
Once you’ve straightened out what you can and can’t tackle, make sure you’re doing the basics to nourish your state of mind and body. Don’t forget to:
- Get enough sleep
- Eat
- Stay hydrated
- Shower
- Brush your teeth
- Put on clean clothes or at least fresh pajamas
Even if you’re just moving from your bed to the living room, give yourself the confidence that you’re worth feeling fresh and nourished.
Other tips for taking care of yourself while dealing with a chronic illness
- Pace yourself. If you can walk only five minutes, just do the five minutes
- Listen to your doctor
- Fill prescriptions and take them on schedule
- Find a hobby, whether it’s knitting or dancing. Spending even just a little time on an enjoyable activity can make you feel better
- Enjoy the moment – A cup of tea, the sound of rain, a new Netflix show
- Relax. Find what helps you destress, from adult coloring books to a warm bath to breathing exercises
- Check your local hospital’s website to find a support group in person or online. It’s always refreshing to know you’re not alone
- Step outside. Even two minutes of sunshine and fresh air can do wonders
- Make a self-care basket. Whatever you might need to soothe the bad days—fuzzy slippers, ice packs, heating pads—have it in one place ready to go when you need it.
Above all, give yourself the permission to slow down when you need to and put together a strong support team of family, friends, co-workers, and online supporters to join you for the rough patches and the good times.