Tag: mental-health

Strategies for Pacing With Chronic Illness by Irene Roth

by irenesroth

If you live with chronic pian or fatigue, you know the importance of pacing. Yet, it’s so hard to bring about in our daily lives. It’s easier to carry on until we’re exhausted because that’s what we’re used to. If we appropriate this kind of mentality, we will be constantly overdoing it.  We may feel like we’re stuck in a vortex of our own making, which is making us sicker and feeling less resilient by the day. This cycle can be frustrating and it can also grate on our self-esteem.

Before we go into a tirade of self-criticism, let’s realize that learning how to pace ourselves is a skill that’s hard to learn. It’s a continual work-in-progress. In other words, don’t beat yourself up if you don’t live up to your pre-established pacing strategies once in a while. Just don’t give up. Set small goals and keep on going.

Here are three more ways to pace yourself.

*1. Delegate

If possible, allow others to help you. Let your kids or spouse help out, even if they don’t wash dishes or fold clothes like you do. Remember, you don’t have to do everything yourself. Asking for help can free up your time and conserve energy.  

*2. Don’t overdo it

It’s okay if you don’t get everything done every day that you want. This one is difficult for me. Once I start cleaning my home, I want to get everything done on one floor. Then I’m exhausted, sore and stressed out.

We all need to divide up our tasks into a few sessions, with breaks in between. Telling that we have to get everything done in one day frazzles us because we’ll put way too much pressure on ourselves. Maybe we should accept that we won’t get everything done. Remember, you’re not a failure if you don’t get everything done on your to-do list. This is where flexibility comes in. There’s always tomorrow.

*3. Take breaks

Self-care isn’t selfish but vital for our health and well-being. Taking breaks is part of self-care. This can help your physical and mental health.

Part of pacing is building in regular rest breaks, be it ten minutes every few hours or ever hour. It’s completely up to you. Pace yourself according to your needs. Be extra kind to yourself on hard days by taking extra time off.  

You can do many different things on your break: crochet, journal, lie down, color, take a nap, cuddle with your pet, and much more. You can choose what puts a smile on your face.

Pacing breaks can give you mental clarity, clam, physical rest, inspiration, or even motivation. They may be relaxing breaks, productive breaks, or enjoyable ones. You get to choose.

By pacing yourself, you can live a much more resilient and confident life because you’ll know that you’re managing your life in a way that won’t make you feel more pain and fatigue.

So, take a break regularly. Breathe, relax, and then carry on. You deserve it.

The Importance of Prioritizing Self-Care By Irene Roth

by irenesroth

Do you find that you want to do it all and be everything to everyone?  If you do, you know it comes at a high cost to you as a chronically ill individual. It’s easy to lose sight of yourself in the process. Perhaps somewhere down the line, you may have been led to believe that taking care of yourself is selfish. However, this isn’t the case. In fact, for a chronically ill person, self-care is a lifeline to health and well-being.

But on an even more basic level, there is a firm line between self-care and being selfish. Being selfish implies that the world revolves around you, while self-care acknowledges that the world includes you and your needs. You are a very important part of your world. It means giving yourself the attention, compassion, time, and energy that you need and deserve.

Here are five ways to take care of yourself.

*1. Slow down

There never seems to be enough time to do everything you want or need to do. Yet, rushing through your daily activities often robs you of the experiences you are living through. There is so much in our live to experience such as this cup of hot coffee, this fresh maple glazed donut, or this warm lavender bubble bath. Slowing down can help you experience all of these things deeply. Further, slowing down can help you gain less weight, maintain lower blood pressure, and experience less anxiety.

*2. Make yourself a priority

We often schedule a massage or manicure after everything else is in place and done. This may mean that by the time we get to our massage or manicure appointment, we’re so tired we can’t enjoy it as much. We may fall asleep on the massage table or not even appreciate the pretty shade of red that our manicurist put on our nails. Therefore, it may be better to schedule these activities at times of days when we’re not exhausted and we can enjoy them. This may mean that we shouldn’t try to do too much before or after these wonderful events.

*3. Don’t skimp on sleep

Sleep helps all aspects of our health and well-being, especially the molecular, energy balance as well as intellectual function, alertness, and mood. So, we should strive to get 7 or 8 hours of good quality of sleep. This may be difficult for a chronically ill person to achieve. However, working with a holistic nutritionist can be the answer to your issues. She can help you come up with a supplement plan that will take your sleep from mediocre, at best, to good.

*4. Threat yourself

Buy yourself nice little gifts. We all treat our friends to nice things. Why not do the same for us? Perhaps get yourself a nice bouquet of flowers, or a new cell phone case. This can boost your morale and serve as a reminder that you’re worthy.

*5.  Discover your authentic self

It’s easy for us to create identities around our rules and other people. But who are we when our roles are stripped? Explore your identity and values in order to nurture the best version of yourself. Then do things that are in line and celebrate who you are. This can help you feel more in tune with who you truly are.

By taking these steps, you will be prioritizing your self care.  But what’s more, you will be living a better quality of life.

Being overextended, over-scheduled, and exhausted means you have to push back all the things you know are good for you and put them on a back burner. That shows a complete lack of self-respect.

So why not start by making yourself a priority? Why not make your self-care a priority? This can really be time to celebrate who you are in between bouts of chronic illness.

You deserve self-respect. Make yourself a priority today and take care of yourself.

Irene Roth

 

Irene Roth is a freelance writer who has a passion for helping the chronically ill. Having struggled with four different chronic illnesses for over 20 years has taught her a lot of valuable lessons. Her writing showcases tips and tricks of how to not only live but thrive with chronic illness. She has published over 130 e-books and over 1,500 articles for the chronically ill on how to cope with their pain and fatigue. For more information and tips, please visit her website at: https://livingwellwitharthritis.wordpress.com/