”7 Ways To Increase Your Quality Of Life When You’re Extremely Unwell” is a collaborative post. Please see the disclosure page for more information. Always seek advice from a medical professional.
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We’ve all lived long enough to know that life is a strange journey that consists of all kinds of weird things. You always picture how your life is going to pan out. When you were little, you envisioned what your adulthood would look like. Now that you’re there, you’re envisioning what the next ten years will bring you. You have a specific idea in your head, but, while some things will happen like you expect it to, the vast majority of what’s to come will most likely be absolutely nothing like what you are imagining.
It’s an odd thing, this eighty-some year voyage we all take. We’re given a lot of ups and a shed-load of downs, whether we like it or not. Some get everything they’ve ever dreamed of; some have it a little tougher. For many, this can mean a string of bad luck; for others, it could mean being diagnosed with an extremely unfortunate illness or virus. We’re not invincible – none of us will ever feel that kind of power. We’re all vulnerable and susceptible to something dangerous.
So what if you’re already at that stage? What can you do to increase the quality of life? Well, initially, you’re going to be cursing the stars at how this kind of thing happened to you. This wasn’t supposed to be part of the plan or the journey that was conjured up in your head years ago. It’s here, though, and whatever it is, it may not be leaving for a while. What are you going to do, mope around or attempt to live the best possible life you can with the hand you’re dealt with?
It’s obviously easy to sit here and say this – these are simply words on a screen after all. The idea of making the most of what you have and increasing your quality of life is the right way to go, though. Obviously, it’s not the most straightforward thing in the world to do, but it’s possible. If you’re currently feeling a little worse for wear, whatever the cause, reason, or diagnosis, then perhaps the following ideas can help you – or at least give you a little prompt. Not every idea is going to fit everyone because we’re all different, but hopefully these can boost your quality of life even a little bit.
Try To Keep Your Mind Active
To begin with, we’ll talk about the fact that idling can be very detrimental to your overall health. There are even ancient proverbs written about this! Okay, if you’re in a position where moving around is tiring and too difficult, then don’t worry so much about being up on your feet doing things as much. If you can, however, then you should. When you sit around, you can fall into the terrible, gruesome trap that is overthinking. You may be in a precarious position right now, but catastrophizing everything in your head isn’t going to help at all.
We all often delve into our daydreaming state in an attempt to make ourselves feel better about situations, but it rarely ever happens. When we’re left alone with our own thoughts for too long, we tend to spiral a little and end up more depressed or scared than we were before. If you have little jobs to do around the house, then you should probably get right on them – even if they’re the most basic tasks. Let your mind focus on productive things and not the bad stuff.
Visit The Doctor
A lot of people are scared or tentative about going and seeing a doctor. If you have regularly scheduled appointments, then you’re probably going to stick to the arrangement that you have set. When it’s your time to show initiative and do something, that’s when it can get a little more difficult. People often hold off a little before making a move due to nerves or not wanted to be a burden – they need to quit this attitude. Whether you have a serious illness or something seemingly horribly embarrassing like intimate issues such as urinary incontinence or problems even like herpes, you need to know that what information is available online. However, a one-to-one, personal chat with a medical professional and plan is better than self-diagnosing and keeping certain things to yourself.
Talk About Your Problems
Continuing with the idea of meeting with a doctor: talking with a medical expert in a specific discipline could improve your life further. In this instance, we’re talking about speaking with a psychiatrist, a psychologist, or a therapist. When you get a lot of your problems out and share them with someone that knows what you’re talking about, you’ll be able to progress a little. What’s going on in your head is almost just as important as your physical health when you’re not in the best health.
Get Enough Rest
Everyone needs to rest in order to regain energy and rehabilitate. When you aren’t anywhere near what you used to be, you need even more. It’s okay, you’re not going to turn into a slob, but you deserve to have a little more sitting/lying down time than those of better health. It’ll do you a lot of good – but you probably know this already!
Be Around Loved Ones As Much As Possible
Your best friends and family are some of the greatest and most important things about life. They hopefully will be able to support you and help you out with whatever you need. Even if what you’re going through isn’t going to be THAT serious in the end, it’s nice to be around them. On the flip side, try to stay away from people that will bring you down or encourage you to feel sorry for yourself. You are still valuable no matter what. You can still offer someone a kind word or an encouragement and might find you are an inspiration to others because of what you are facing.
Do Things You Want To Do
Throughout life, you’re often tentative about what you can and cannot do; what you should and should not do. You consider how you’re going to be judged, how it’s going to affect your reputation going forward, and other social factors. Now’s your time to get out there and live your life to the fullest possible with whatever you are facing. Surely, at this stage of vulnerability, you’ve gained a new perspective on life. That one day, everything can change, and you may not have the chance to do what you want to do before it’s your time to move on.
One of my favorite motivational stories is a friend of mine who was diagnosed with a medical condition that almost took her life. She survived after a 3 year ordeal but is permanently carrying around the weight of her disease. She has to stop and rest in the afternoons, cannot be in outdoor heat for more than 30 minutes or might pass out and faces other obstacles. During the fight for her life, she was essentially bedridden and needed a way to keep her mind off of the situation. She began painting. When she finally went back to work, she realized that painting was her passion. She quit her job and is now a full time artist. What an inspiration!
Try To Stay Positive!
Finally: stay positive and be happy. It’s easier said than done, yes, but it’s something that you can train yourself to do. Try using the stop sign method like in this article. It will be harder at the beginning but over time you will train yourself to see positive in most all situations. Being negative all of the time isn’t going to improve your quality of life at this stage – it just isn’t. If you keep at the positive stuff, it’ll rub off on you and become second nature. Perhaps making jokes about your situation might help you out a little here. Read and learn about what other people have overcome and how they did it like this TedTalk by Nick Vujicic who was born with no limbs. Do what you can to recognize that there is even a brighter side to the situation you are facing.
Going through an unexpected extreme illness is a shock. Your whole idea of life has been rocked to its core. You can still live a fulfilling life but have to have the attitude to match that notion. It’s not easy but it can be done.
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