Last Updated on December 22, 2020 by HodgePodgeDays
Living with a chronic health condition, whether it’s mental or physical can be exhausting. In fact, it can seem like a struggle, to just do the wellness behaviours that you know will help make your condition bearable, let alone get on with all the other stuff in life. However, despite the struggle it is vital that those of us with chronic health conditions do what we can to manage and improve our health where possible, as doing so can help to improve our quality of life. With this in mind check out my basic healthcare guide below.
Toxins are a bad idea
All too often those of us with a chronic health condition that can affect our energy level and mood can become reliant on substances such as sugar and caffeine that have a stimulating effect, but that can also cause problems in the long term.
Yes, it can be tempting to reach for a quick fix when you have to get the dinner made, and your energy is at rock bottom. However, it’s likely that you will pay the price later with a crash, and it can even result in a long-term reliance on these substances. Something that can be the cause of further health problems in the future.
To help with this remember that ‘borrowing’ energy from the future by using substances like sugar to prop us up isn’t good for us. Instead, we need to cultivate an attitude of self-compassion and allow ourselves to stop when we do need to rest in order to recharge.
Having enough energy to go to the Drs
One activity that can be excruciatingly hard when suffering from a chronic condition is going to the doctors. This is because it’s physically tiring as you have to get ready, get out of the house, and navigate all those social interactions. It can be emotionally exhausting as well, because depending on your doctor you may have to stand your ground in certain areas, asking for second opinions, or additional tests to find out what is wrong. (Many chronic conditions often being discovered by ruling others out.)
Going to the doctors when you have a chronic condition can be a trying experience.
However, signing up for one of the new services like NHS GP at Hand that are now available on your smartphone can help. This is because it means you can have a full and free GP consultation without leaving your house. Something that will definitely take up a lot less of your precious energy and may even leave you with some left to do something else afterward!
Complementary therapies can help
Lastly, don’t rule out the possibility that complementary therapies can help alleviate some of the symptoms of your condition. Of course, they should never be taken in place of medically advised treatments, but there are things such as massage, aromatherapy, and acupuncture that many people report getting positive effects from.
It makes sense too, as so much of the issue with chronic health conditions is the effect they have on our mood and energy levels day to day. Something that means even if these complementary therapies just help with this and not the underlying cause, they can still be worthwhile.