Living with a chronic illness hardly seems like the time to tackle life’s big challenges. At the best of times you’re still sick. The additional burden of facing the physical and emotional challenges that come with chronic illness make achieving anything seem unrealistic.
Operating at a diminished capacity can make you feel like you have lost all control over your life. Add in weakness or fatigue and even the smallest tasks feel gargantuan. The loss of identity caused by illness often lead to the onset of depression. Anticipation of what else could go wrong for you may be a source of anxiety. Both depression and anxiety have been shown to contribute to further deteriorations in physical health. Therefore, it important for you to reverse the cycle.
We have found that this is the perfect time to shift the focus onto something bigger. Goal setting is an effective way to help regain focus, overcome challenges, measure progress, keep you motivated and help you grow even as other areas of your life are limited by illness. Goal setting is also an effective method for helping individuals battling illness manage the more challenging parts of their lives.
We believe that not only is there is still so much out there you can achieve, but there are possibilities for the light to shine on you in some ways more than ever. You do not have to let the traditional social misconceptions define you. Disability does not have to mean disempowerment. While parts of you may be restricted it is possible to grow in other ways too. So, let go of what you’re no longer able to do and set some new goals which align with who you really wish to be.
7 Benefits Setting SMART Goals
One of the best ways to cope with the physical and psychological challenges of illness is to set SMART goals. The SMART goal principles are as follow:
Specific –What is the goal? For example, “I wish to be able to exercise again.”
Measurable – For example, “I can exercise now for two minutes but I would like to make it fifteen minutes a day.”
Achievable – For example, “It is unlikely I will manage one hour of exercise soon, but fifteen minutes is more realistic.”
Relevant – For example, “Exercise is directly related to my physical and psychological health.”
Time Sensitive – For example, “My goal is to exercise for fifteen minutes a day within four weeks.”
Using the SMART methods can have many benefits for those who are suffering from long term medical conditions. Based upon our research and experience, here are seven benefits of SMART goals for those with an illness.
1) Makes Goals Manageable.
Living with an illness can be very a complex experience which involves a variety of physical and emotional challenges to face. Breaking down goals so that they are more manageable caters to those who are in a weakened condition.
2) Tracks Progress.
Whether you are someone who is hoping for a full recovery, or searching for ways to cope more effectively with a life-long condition, the measurability of SMART goals will help you see where you are in relation to where you were and what your desired outcome might be. For example, you may be able to exercise for six minutes, which is an improvement compared to two minutes, but your desired outcome is still fifteen minutes
3) Accounts for Limitations.
Chronic illness can bring about a variety of restrictions for those who are experiencing it. By emphasising the need for goals to be achievable, SMART goals will encourage you to be realistic with yourself and work within your personal limits.
4) Keeps You on Track.
Many of us get distracted and side-tracked by other activities which we think we need to take care of. Assessing the relevance of the SMART principles will keep on you on track for better wellbeing.
5) Incentivises You to Act.
Apathy is something many people experience. Those who experience chronic illness may be more susceptible to this because of physical weakness and emotional issues. However, by encouraging you to set a timeline SMART Goals will increase your motivation to stay proactive.
6) Inspires Confidence.
Defining your goals in a more specific and manageable way will increase your confidence in being able to accomplish them. This will help you to avoid feeling overwhelmed or daunted by what you set out to accomplish. This in turn may help you go about the task with greater conviction and energy.
7) Helps You Manage Daily Life.
After you have seen how simple and effective achieving one goal is using the SMART method, it will reinforce your confidence in using this principle for other activities. This may enable you to handle more than one task effectively, thus leading to overall improvements in how you manage your day.
We invite you to share your feedback with us. Have you tried any of these before? Have you tried anything different? What has worked for you? What has not worked?
Is there anything else you would like for us to cover?
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Our website is www.illnesscoaching.com
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As always, if you are experiencing any severe medical or psychological symptoms, we always recommend you speak directly to a qualified professional.
Thank you for checking in with us and we’ll see you again soon.
