When living with a chronic condition, you may be overwhelmed with the day to day management. The same can be true if you are a caregiver to someone with a chronic condition or disability. You may feel there is no time for self-care. However, nurturing your soul may be key to managing these difficult times. So, how can you best manage your time for self-care in difficult circumstances?
Self-care activities are those things that help boost your spirit. Nurture your soul. Give you pleasure or help you find peace in difficult circumstances. Essentially, self-care is integral to your total well-being. So, if it is difficult to find time to care for yourself, consider engaging in activities that could help boost your spirit in more than one area of health. Are there activities you can engage in that can help your physical and mental health at the same time? Or your social and spiritual health together?
Two (Benefits) from One (Activity)
For example, sitting in a quiet place is an activity that can improve well-being in more than one area of health. It can improve your mental well-being by calming a racing mind. But it may also be an opportunity to connect to a higher being through prayer or reflection. Therefore, sitting quietly can improve your spiritual health too.
Do you have a creative talent or ability, like painting, drawing, writing, or creating music? Expressing that creativity can give you something pleasurable to focus on. A break from the mental distress you are feeling. In addition, being creative can be an avenue to express or explore your pain and suffering. This could be a path to finding peace with difficult thoughts and feelings. And improving your spiritual health.
Finally, there are some activities that have the potential to improve nearly every area of health. For instance, exercise. Did I hear a collective groan? So often we think of exercise as intense or hard. For these purposes, let’s think of exercise more as increasing your physical activity. For the purposes of this article, let’s use the example of walking for exercise.
An Ultimate Example of Improving Well-Being
Walking can improve your well-being in several ways. It can help your physical health by building heart endurance and leg strength or improving mobility. Walking can also calm a racing mind and improve mental well-being. If you ask a friend or neighbor to walk with you, it can be an opportunity to connect and improve your social health. A walk or hike in nature can help your spiritual well-being by connecting with a higher-being or the environment and the world around you. Finally, because it costs nothing to walk, it can be a form of exercise that doesn’t strain your financial health. So, with one activity you can see how several areas of health can be positively affected.
Living with a chronic condition can be overwhelming. But, it’s important to see how and where you can manage your time for self-care activities. Some self-care activities can help improve your well-being in more than one area of health. So, consider what that activity might be for you. Then, see where you can start to engage in that activity on a regular basis.
If you need help figuring out how best to manage your time during busy or difficult circumstances, contact me and let’s set up a time to talk.
Disclaimer: This blog is a resource through which you may obtain information regarding your health and wellness. Information is intended for the general reader and is not a substitute for medical advice. The content in this blog is intended to be informational only and not interpreted as specific advice for you. There may be delays, omissions, or inaccuracies in information contained in this blog. You should always consult with a licensed healthcare professional who is familiar with your health and past medical history before making any changes you may read about in this blog.