0 - 2020 | The Health Sessions

6 Ways to Set Realistic Goals When You’re Chronically Ill

When it comes to making New Year’s resolutions, building healthy habits or going after your wildest dreams, every expert will give you the same advice: set SMART goals. Instead of a vague idea, making your plans specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound will help you to actually achieve your goals. Although that’s definitely a helpful … Read more >

How to Deal with (In)dependence in Romantic Relationships with Chronic Illness

This article is written by Miranda Davis

Whether you’re in a long-term relationship or recently dating, dealing with chronic illness can be quite challenging. Therefore, it’s helpful to get the itsy bitsy of chronic illness.

Chronic illness can exist at any age, not just in the elderly. A chronic illness can be defined as a persistent long-term health condition that may otherwise not be cured. As opposed to curable acute diseases, which come rapidly and need short-term care, chronic illness is a disability that lasts one or more years and needs ongoing medical care for a person to carry on effectively with their daily activity.

Some examples of chronic illness include diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and Multiple Sclerosis. Chronic illness can be difficult to recognize because the symptoms are usually invisible. They usually include pain, fatigue and mood disorders.

It can be quite challenging to juggle both chronic illness and dating, but not impossible. Even the word impossible says ‘I’m Possible.’ It is not uncommon for chronically ill patients to feel overly dependent on others, be it spouse or family, and yet there is no shame in getting care from loved ones.

If you’re looking to get back in the dating game after being diagnosed with a chronic illness, you could find love using dating sites. And if you find yourself in love with a chronically ill individual, there is still a way to spice up your relationship without having to feel overwhelmed with care-giving roles on either partner.

12 Inner Peace Quotes to Find Calm in the Chaos

Living with chronic illness can be pretty stressful, unpredictable and overwhelming. Aside from the physical pain and symptoms, you have to deal with a rollercoaster of emotions, practical problems and an uncertain future.

It’s a far cry from the image most of us have of ‘inner peace’.

But the thing is, you don’t have to be a yogi, serenely meditating in natural surroundings to find that calm state of mind. Even with everything that’s going on around you, it is possible to stay centered and quiet the noise.

Inner peace refers to the ability to remain relatively calm and undisturbed by external conditions. Even in difficult situations, you manage to clear your mind, listen to your own inner voice, and act calm and collected. Inner peace also means you don’t feel so attached to outward events – what people think of you, superficial achievements or keeping up with the Joneses.

The million dollar question of course is, how can you reach that state of inner peace?

Why You Should Chose Contentment over Happiness | The Health Sessions

Why You Should Choose Contentment over Happiness

“Don’t worry, be happy.”

Bob Marley made it sound so easy, but feeling happy no matter your situation forms a challenge for most of us. It’s hard to be bursting with joy when you’re exhausted and in pain, or when you’re struggling with money troubles and heartache.

Over the past decades, countless of popular psychology books and articles have shown us that there are things we can do to influence our level of happiness. Although our genes and life circumstances definitely play a role too, we can all take steps to get happier.

Of course, that’s great news. And recommended habits like practicing gratitude, moving your body regularly, spending time in nature and building strong relationships all prove to boost your emotional wellbeing. But is the pursuit of happiness actually making us feel better?

Emotional Loneliness: 5 Things to Do When Nobody Understands You

You can be in a room full of people and still feel incredibly lonely. No one really sees you, hears what you’re trying to say, or understands what you’re going through. When you feel this way, what can you do?

People often think that loneliness and being alone are the same thing. But that’s not necessarily true. You can be on your own and have a great time, curled up on the couch with a good book, playing the piano or taking yourself on an artist date. If you’re introverted, you probably even need alone time to recharge.

That’s why loneliness isn’t so much a state of solitude as it is about feeling alone, while you crave human connection. That emptiness can be caused by having a limited social network, with little (close) family and friends to talk to and spend time with. But there’s a second kind of loneliness that’s often overlooked: emotional loneliness.