Self-Care Awareness Month: 8 Self-Care Tips for Chronic Disease Patients
September is Self-Care Awareness Month. While it is easy to neglect caring for yourself, you should know it is an essential component of your chronic disease management.
This article will discuss what self-care is and how you can incorporate simple lifestyle changes that can significantly impact your quality of life.
Watch the Video: Self-Care Awareness Month: 8 Self-Care Tips for Chronic Disease Patients.
What is Self-Care?
The World Health Organization defines Self-care as “the ability of individuals, families, and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider.”
Therefore, self-care measures are the steps you can decide to take to help cope with your disease symptoms. While self-care can never replace the care provided by your doctor, taking an active role in your disease management can be very empowering.
Tips for Practicing Self-Care
You know caring for yourself is important, but living with a chronic illness changes everything. Even the most basic activities like showering and cooking meals can become an ordeal when you have limited energy and mobility.
The good thing is that self-care measures don’t have to be significant lifestyle changes. In most cases, it involves including simple or small things into your daily routine that makes you feel better.
Follow your Doctor’s Advice
Make sure to take your medication as directed. Set the alarm on your phone to remind you to take your meds at the right time.
Keep your medical appointments and any routine lab work your doctor recommends.
Eat Well
Eating the right foods can help keep your energy up and minimize flareups if you have Crohn’s Disease or ulcerative colitis.
Knowing what to eat and what to cut from your diet can sometimes be a challenge. So first, ask your doctor which foods he recommends for your condition.
A good starting point is to cut back on processed foods and products with high sugar and sodium content and add more vegetables, fresh fruits, and healthy fats to your diet. Also, remember to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
Take Care of Your Mental and Emotional Self
The first step to caring for your mental and emotional self is recognizing that anxiety and fear are normal and valid emotions.
Allow yourself to experience the range of emotions that are part of living with a chronic disease without judgment or self-recrimination.
If you are struggling with your emotions, resources are available, many of which are low-cost or free. Look for online support groups, a church group or ask if your community has any psychological resources available.
Additionally, your network of friends and family can also help you cope with emotional challenges.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Maintaining a healthy weight can help preserve your mobility and reduce your risk of developing other chronic diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
If you need to lose weight, make sure to speak to your doctor about the best approach to achieve healthy and sustainable weight loss.
Stay Active
Staying physically active can be a challenge when you are in pain or have limited energy. However, it would be best if you strived to be as active as your condition allows.
Studies show that exercise improves function in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Additionally, exercise can improve lung capacity in asthma patients.
Create a Daily Routine
When you have a chronic disease, it’s easy to feel like your life revolves around your illness, and you have no control over it.
Creating a daily routine can help restore your sense of control. Make sure your schedule is flexible enough to accommodate sudden changes.
When planning your day, make sure to leave time for leisure activities you enjoy, like gardening, reading, meditating, or cuddling with your children or pets.
Connect with Others
Staying social, even during these challenging times, is essential. Humans are social beings and need to have a sense of community.
Make sure you reach out to friends and family often, even if you can’t see them in person. Socializing is an excellent way to avoid depression.
Practice Good Sleep Hygiene
Simple changes in your nightly routine will go a long way to help improve the quality of your sleep. For example, train yourself to turn off all screens at least an hour before you go to bed. Also, try going to sleep and waking up at the same time every night.
Prioritizing yourself is not selfish. Practicing self-care will ensure you have the energy and willingness to be more present for others.
