Resolutions can provide clarity for goals – Writing out a list of goals provides you with direction. They allow you to plan your course for the future. Without goals, you end up wasting your time, money and energy, which leads to feeling overwhelmed and unprepared for opportunities that may arise.
It’s no secret that many of us find it challenging to keep resolutions and therefore don’t bother at all. The secret is to make them meaningful, achievable, realistic and part of our long-term goals.
Linking them with important aspects of our lives like making them relevant to living with your long-term health condition(s) and/or disabilities will enable you to take control and live a happier and healthier life. Here are our top 5 resolution ideas:
Make Medical Checkups a Priority
Ensure that you have all your appointments scheduled in your diary or online calendar, whichever you find the easiest to manage. Plan ahead and think about what time you need to leave, and how you are going to get to your appointment. Giving yourself some extra time will mean you feel less stressed if there is a delay en route to the hospital.
Preparing for your appointments means you’ll get more out of them. Write down a list of your main symptoms, things that you are concerned about and any questions that you may have for the medical professional that you are seeing. Make sure to take this with you and use it during your appointment. Most doctors will welcome this as it ensures they have all the information they need to support you with treatment options and monitor your progress.
If you can take someone along with you. They can help prompt you to look at your sheet and also help you remember the answers to your questions. You could even ask them to jot things down for you. This is especially important if there is a change in medication or you are attending a physiotherapy appointment and have some new exercises to complete. If you cannot do this during the appointment do it as soon as you come out whilst everything is fresh in your head.
Get a Better Night’s Sleep
‘Everything feels better after a good night's sleep’. Benefits can include sharper thinking skills, a reduction in anxiety levels, more energy, a stronger immune system and a better memory. All are crucial to those living with a long-term health condition.
Commit to a sleep management plan. Create a schedule that works for you and enables you to wind down in the hour and a half before your scheduled sleep time. Set a time to stop looking at your screens. Having a bath or hot drink can help as can using a journal. Have plenty of pillows and cushions to rest any sore areas of your body as this will provide comfort and support.
Find an app or talking book which has a meditation, a series of sounds or even a sleep story that you can listen to before lying down or as you try and fall asleep. This will allow your brain to focus on what you are listening to and stop focusing on the negatives and any frustrations or anxiety you may be experiencing or holding onto.
Relax More - Self-care is important and not a luxury
Investing in some self-love can make a real difference in how we feel and the way we think about ourselves. It is essential to overall health and quality of life and affects how one thinks, feels, acts and responds.
Whether it's some positive self-talk, massaging in some of your favourite hand cream or a trip to a local spa it all counts. Try adding some amount of self-care to your daily routine. Take time for yourself and don’t feel guilty — you are investing in your mental health and that is priceless.
Commit to Medication Adherence
Medication adherence can prevent new or worsening health problems. Failure to adhere to your prescriptions, or medication non-adherence, can negatively impact your quality of your life. Each year, medication non-adherence leads to about 100,000 preventable deaths — and it keeps people from living a healthy, happy life.
Invest in your own health by taking ownership of your medication. Make your views clear when meeting with medical professionals. Ensure you feedback any unwanted side effects or preferences that you have. If there’s a treatment you have heard about and want to try then express your opinion. Have a clear and directed conversation with the medical professionals involved in your care — they want to ensure you are optimising your medication and will want to work with you to ensure that you have a personalised plan which you are happy to engage with.
Set reminders on your phone or calendar to ensure you take what you need when — remember to order your repeat prescriptions and ensure you have any emergency medication that you require with you at all times. Get family and friends to help remind and encourage you to take what you need. If you need to manage medication variations then learn how to listen to your body and give it what it needs. Taking control is empowering and will allow you to do what you want to do.
Think Positive
Keep trying to find the things in life that allow you to feel joy and gratitude. Once you find them, make sure to include them as part of your routine. Don't rush yourself — allow yourself the patience to feel what you need to feel. Experiment with different activities and groups. See what you enjoy the most and include more. Surround yourself with positive people. Top tips include:
Remind yourself you are not alone. ...
Get the support you need. ...
Manage all the symptoms you can. ...
Make little goals. ...
Focus on quality of life: Manage physical activity, interpersonal relationships, and nutrition. ...
Keep a gratitude journal. ...
Let the illness make you stronger.
As we move into the new year it’s the perfect time to start thinking about small, positive changes that we can make to lead a happier and healthier life. Focus on your health condition and what changes you can make to help you feel better mentally and physically. Share these goals with your support network.
Simple New Year Resolutions: https://www.hvrxsolutions.com/simple-new-years-resolutions/
Looking after your health and well-being when you have a chronic condition: https://www.womenshealthmatters.org.au/womens-health-wellbeing/having-a-chronic-condition/looking-after-your-health-and-wellbeing/sleep/
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