Warning Signs: Are You Listening to What Your Body Is Telling You?
It’s not hard to see why living with a chronic illness can undermine your self-confidence.
When you were healthy, you knew you could handle most situations coming your way. But now that you have heart disease, osteoporosis or fibromyalgia, you literally cannot do certain things anymore. And over time, you lose that natural belief in your abilities when simple activities like walking, working behind your laptop or cooking dinner become challenging.
What’s more, all of a sudden, you have to do hard things that you’ve never done before. Whether it’s undergoing scary medical procedures, overhauling your lifestyle or dealing with your limitations, the lack of experience combined with a rollercoaster of emotions can make you doubt yourself and lower your self-esteem.
You may also look different than before you got ill, from scars and wounds to a stoma bag or Prednisone face. And although none of these things mean you don’t look beautiful, you may not feel as confident in your body as you once did.
But believing in yourself can boost your health and happiness in several ways. You need some confidence in who you are and what you’re capable of to seize opportunities, handle challenges and get back on your feet again if things don’t work out as you’d hoped. And when you feel ready for life’s experiences, good or bad, you experience less fear, overthinking and anxiety.
Self-confidence also motivates you to take action towards your (health) goals. Because let’s face it: you won’t even really try to quit bad habits, improve your fitness levels or start meditating if deep down you think you won’t succeed anyway. But in the end, you are the only one who can change your life for the better.
So how can you boost your confidence and start believing in yourself again?
First of all, learn to be kind to yourself. Try to silence your inner critic by gradually replacing your negative thinking for more constructive thoughts. Remind yourself it’s ok to make mistakes, depend on others or not know the solutions to your problems. It’s not easy to do, but so key for your mental health.
Next, make a list of all your chronic illness accomplishments. Because even though there are plenty of things you can no longer do (right now), I’m wiling to bet you you’ve managed to overcome adversity in a ton of ways. If you’ve been sick for a while, you’ve made it through horrible symptoms, stressful hospital stays, tough therapy sessions, mind-numbingly boring sick days at home, grieving your old life, and that lonely feeling that nobody really understands what you’re going through.
Even if you do need practical help and emotional support, you’re still capable of much more than you realize.
As your confidence grows, you can learn to communicate your limitations kindly but clearly, set healthy boundaries and keep judgmental people at a distance. At the same time, fuel positive feelings about yourself by cultivating joy, finding new ways to enjoy hobbies or learning how to get things done despite your chronic illness.
For more inspiration, take a look at these 17 believe in yourself quotes to boost your self-confidence.
What helps you to believe in yourself, even when chronic illness makes it hard to have confidence?
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