Adapting to a life with chronic illness and pain can be incredibly difficult. Many people struggle with moving forward and staying positive. Some people even believe accepting their chronic illness and pain is the same as giving up. But that isn’t the case. If I have learned anything during my twenty-plus years of living with fibromyalgia, psoriatic arthritis, and endometriosis, it is that adapting to your body’s needs for the moment is not the same as giving up. It is possible to accept and adapt without giving up hope of healing in the future. Keep reading to learn more about how to adapt and still have hope for healing.
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Adapt To Chronic Illness Life By Addressing Current Needs And Modifying Activities
The first step in adapting to life with a chronic illness is by modifying activities, such as getting enough rest, using adaptive tools and mobility aids, or incorporating physical therapy into your daily routine.
If utilizing a rollator, cane, or wheelchair allows you to enjoy outings with a lower risk of increasing physical pain, do it! The meal you make with adaptive tools will taste the same. And while following a sleep schedule can be difficult when flaring, striving to stick to it can improve your good days.
Modifications like these can help you maintain a lifestyle you can be comfortable with. Additionally, if you become overwhelmed by tasks that used to come easy—such as cooking or cleaning—consider asking for help from family or friends who understand your condition and can support you during difficult times.
Listen To Your Body And Take Action
Another important way of adapting to chronic illness is listening to your body and taking action when necessary. For example, if you start feeling pain in a specific area of your body, take note of it and monitor it closely so that you can take swift action if needed. Additionally, if you know that certain activities or positions cause discomfort or further pain, try avoiding them when possible – this will help reduce stress on your body and make life easier overall!
Find Ways To Feel Empowered By Your Journey
Finally, keep in mind that it’s okay (and encouraged) to feel empowered by your chronic illness journey. Find ways to celebrate small wins—like taking a shower, going for a walk, and doing what you can when you can. Use those moments as motivation for bigger goals down the line. Additionally, seek out support from other people who understand what it’s like living with a chronic illness – this could include joining an online forum for other chronically ill individuals or attending support groups in person. Doing any of these things does not mean you have resigned to your health never improving – instead, it shows that you are committed to living the best life you can despite your circumstances!
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Adapting To Chronic Illness Life Journal Prompt
Living with a chronic illness can be challenging, but there are ways to cope and maintain a sense of hope for healing in the long run. Start by acknowledging and writing down activities that chronic illness and pain have made difficult. Listen carefully and take notes when something doesn’t feel right. Then brainstorm ways of modifying activities according to what works best for your body at any given time.
Check out my Printable Chronic Illness Life Journal!
Use your journal to review your use of adaptive tools. Were they helpful and necessary? Think about the last time you needed help but didn’t ask. Was the additional pain you suffered worth it? Remember that needing help today doesn’t equate to needing help forever. There is always hope that a cure will be found or that remission can be achieved.
And finally, find ways to feel empowered by your journey–not defeated by it. Try writing down something that made you feel empowered every day. With these steps in mind, anyone with a chronic illness can learn how to adapt while still having hope for healing!
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