Hopeful Acceptance: Strategies for Coping with Chronic Illness (Part 2 of 5)

Read Part 1 here first. Cultivating Self-Care and Self-Compassion Finding a helpful coping strategy for chronic illness begins within. If you have found yourself confronted with an ongoing illness, take some time to reflect on your belief system. How do you feel about illness, in general? What are your attitudes toward others who are ill? How do you believe your illness impacts your sense of worth? By really examining your internal story about illness, you may identify beliefs that are holding you back from a hopeful experience. For example, if you believe it is selfish to put yourself first, you will continue to give to others while neglecting your own needs. If you believe you are worth less because you can’t accomplish as much as you were capable of before your illness, it will be challenging to find compassion for your condition.