As we age, chronic illnesses seem to take hold and can have a way of taking over our lives. Is your chronic illness managing you or can you manage it better to improve your quality of life? We hope the ideas below help you and your family or caregivers manage your chronic illness.

1. Gain a good understanding of the condition or illness from a trusted source. We recommend asking your health care professional for educational materials that pertain to you. Searching the internet for answers may lead you astray because of variables in conditions or stages of conditions. Straying with an internet search may lead you to unreliable sources or it can be easy to misinterpret what pertains to you and this can be unnecessarily scary.
2. Once you understand your chronic illness, learn the best ways to take care of yourself for the best quality of life. We suggest talking with a health care professional again. Prepare yourself with a list of self-care topics to go through and find out what is best for you in each category: medications to take along with when and how to take them, nutrition, exercise, sleep management, coping with stress, anxiety and depression, things to avoid doing or recommended things to be doing.
3. There are Chronic Disease Self-Management courses to help you learn to manage your condition. If you live in Massachusetts, learn more about Chronic Disease Self-Management available through the Healthy Living Center of Excellence. Their program is offered virtually. Learn more and register here. If you live outside of Massachusetts, find out about courses offered by SMRC Self-Management Resource Center here.
4. If you feel overwhelmed with everything you need to do to help yourself, take it one step at a time. Think about what you can do on your own and figure out how to best fit it into your day. For example, if you feel the best in the early afternoon, plan to do the most active things then. Deciding what works best for you and sticking to a routine makes habits easier to maintain. Talk with family or caregivers about how they can help you. Perhaps someone can make you a nutritious meal or manage your medications for you.
5. Don’t try to go it alone. If you are a private person and keep your chronic illness challenges to yourself, find someone you can talk with because trying to go it alone may deplete you emotionally. Consider talking with a friend about your challenges. Find a support group of people facing similar challenges either online or in person. Talk with a social worker or therapist. Supporting each other may make the challenges feel easier.
6. Consider outside resources that can help you better manage life with a chronic illness. Springwell’s Information and Referral Program may be a good place to start in finding resources. Would home delivered meals help you meet your nutritional needs? Would housekeeping, laundry service or personal care services help you maintain a better quality of life? Contact Springwell at (617) 926-4100 and ask for the Information and Referral Program. They can answer your questions and help you connect with the services and resources you need and want.

Managing chronic illness is hard work but with education, a plan and support of others, it can contribute to an improved quality of life.