coping Archives - The Health Sessions

Fragile Fighter: Lara Bloom on Living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

What’s it really like to live with chronic illness every day? How do you deal with the physical symptoms, emotional turmoil and practical problems? In this interview series, real life ‘spoonies’ share their stories and tips. Lara Bloom is the President and CEO of The Ehlers-Danlos Society and responsible for globally raising awareness of rare, … Read more >

31 Coaching Questions to Help You Grow

Tough times often turn into moments of self-reflection. Hardship like chronic illness, relationship problems and financial troubles forces you to stand still. It leaves you wondering: what went wrong and what happens next? Difficult times also make you re-examine your priorities: what matters most in life?

Coaching doesn’t give you the answers, but it helps you pose the right questions. Asking meaningful questions can help you look at your situation from a fresh point of view. That new perspective may give you the insights you need to find solutions – or, if there aren’t any easy answers, acceptance and inner peace.

Even though you didn’t ask for it, painful periods can provide valuable life lessons. According to research, roughly 70% of people who went through tough times have experienced some kind of psychological growth in return. Following adversity, you may have a new understanding of yourself, a greater appreciation for life, a deeper connection with loved ones or a higher purpose in life.

Need a little help with your soul-searching? Whether you use them as a daily journal prompt or explore them together with a trusted friend over a glass of wine, take a look at these 31 coaching questions to help you grow.

7 Illness Memoirs about Being Seriously Sick

This blog post contains affiliate links to resources you might find useful, at no extra cost to you.

A good book is like pocket-sized therapy. When someone puts your deepest thoughts, emotions and experiences into words, it makes you feel understood and less alone. Especially during your darkest hours, it’s nice to know you’re not the only one who has felt this way.

Getting an intimate insight into how someone navigates similar situations as yours, can also offer you a fresh perspective. You might even learn new information or discover different ways to deal with your problems.

If you’re looking for a relatable read about living with chronic migraine, ME/CFS or a rare auto-immune disease, check out the 7 illness memoirs below.

7 Strategies to Deal with Health-Related Anxiety | The Health Sessions

7 Coping Strategies to Deal with Health-Related Anxiety

A recent health scare reminded me how frightening it can be when your body lets you down. Not only does it feel scary when your heart’s racing, you can’t breathe and you might faint, being sick also makes you worry. What’s wrong with me? Is there something doctors can do to stop this? Will I be ok?

Advice about dealing with anxiety often reminds us that 90% of our worries will never become reality. One well-known exercise from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy makes you challenge your thoughts: Is what you’re thinking accurate and true? Could there be another way of looking at this?

This is a helpful technique when you’re afraid of spiders and speaking in public. But what if your fears are legit? What if you’re faced with an incurable disease, scary symptoms and an uncertain future?

It’s perfectly normal to have health-related anxiety. Who wouldn’t be stressed when your life’s turned upside down and you don’t know if things will ever be normal again? And of course you’re scared when you suddenly experience debilitating side-effects from the meds that are supposed to help you. You’re only human.

No matter if you’re worried about the gloomy perspective of your progressive illness or you’re afraid of needles, take a look at these 7 psychological strategies to deal with health-related anxiety.

How to Lead a Balanced Lifestyle with Chronic Illness

This article is written by Helen Bradford.

In order for us to discuss managing balance with chronic illness, first, we must define it. What do we actually consider to be a chronic condition? It is actually a condition that is permanent and basically incurable. Chronic conditions include heart disease, asthma, epilepsy, cancer and diabetes, among others. People can usually manage them through early detection, adjusted diet, moderate exercise and suggested therapy.

But even though people who are diagnosed with it struggle both physically and emotionally to cope with everyday life and obligations, it is possible for them to lead a balanced lifestyle, too. It just requires more effort and some modifications to many aspects.