Are you seeing a disconnect between how you encourage others and your self-talk? Living with a chronic condition presents unique challenges that often require more than just medical interventions – it calls for a deep and compassionate relationship with yourself. In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at the impact of self-love on chronic illness management, practical questions to ask to get you started and help you get connected with support resources.
What are the psychological effects of chronic illness?
Learning to live with a chronic illness is more than just balancing new routines and pain management – it has a mental element to it. Changes in your old routines due to pain can lead to feeling trapped by your chronic illness or losing who you used to be. Chronic diseases can also impact you mentally through:
- Negative perception of body image
- Poor pain management
- Increased stress and tendency for thoughts to spiral
- Increased feelings of anxiety and depression
- Negative self-talk
While you can’t change your chronic illness, you can change your outlook and mental perception. This is where self-love and self-care come into play.
What’s the difference between self-love and self-care?
While they go hand in hand, self-love and self-care are not the same! Self-care acts as the foundation for self-love as you go through the process of creating an intentional routine, such as going to counselling, practicing meditation, spending time in nature, or saying no to plans to prioritize rest. Self-love takes it a step further to prioritize your relationship with yourself and take the time to understand better your mind and how you operate. This focuses more on your emotional well-being as you support your physical well-being.
When was the last time you stopped to ask yourself what your emotional triggers are? Self-love can take the form of pushing down the need for negative self-talk, setting boundaries, and learning to see your value. Practicing self-love has many different benefits, including:
- Improved self-esteem
- Confidence in your body image
- Reduced feelings of anxiety and depression
- Better pain management
- Increased feelings of being in control of your life
Are you ready to take the next step and learn how to integrate self-love into your daily routines? At Supportegy Wellness Coaching, our team has been where you are and fighting to love our chronic illnesses, but that is where chronic illness coaching sessions come in. Whether you are in a group or one-on-one, our coaching sessions are designed to help you discover how to better love yourself and find meaning beyond your chronic illness.
6 Questions to Ask Yourself On Your Self-Care Journey
- How can I be kind to myself as I deal with my chronic illness?
- What activities make me feel good and help me relax, even when I’m not feeling well?
- What are the sources of stress in my life that could be removed?
- Am I being gentle with myself when setbacks occur, and am I allowing myself the time and space to heal and recover?
- How can I think about my chronic illness more positively?
- Who can I talk to, or what resources can I use to feel less alone in managing my chronic illness and taking care of myself?
When you take a step back and look for small steps that you can take in your everyday life to prioritize your self-care and self-love, you can experience life beyond your chronic illness. To help you get started on your journey, check out our tips for creating a chronic illness self-care routine! If you are ready to take the next step and find practical routines for everyday life, reach out today to learn more about signing up for chronic illness wellness coaching!
Where do I go for Chronic Illness support?
By taking practical steps to manage your pain through self-care and self-love, you are starting on your journey to living life beyond illness. At Supportegy Wellness Coaching, we know firsthand that living with chronic conditions isn’t easy, but creating a self-care routine can help with that. Chronic illness support can be anything from joining a support group to creating a health plan to talking to a wellness coach.
You are not alone in your journey, and our coaches are here to help you navigate how to move forward. If you are feeling bewildered with self-care, let’s connect and get you back on the path to living life beyond chronic illness. Supportegy Wellness provides chronic illness support through various proven ways, including chronic illness support groups.