4 Ways To Empower Healthier Living and Outcomes In Chronic Disease (Note: no mention of healthcare costs here)

It's no secret that achieving a healthy lifestyle is even more critical for anyone with a desire to enjoy life 'just like everyone' else who is living with a chronic illness. Whether a rare disease or a more 'common' diagnosis, getting the most out out "what you have" is the best way to prevent compounding existing health concerns with additional ones, and to optimize short and long-term health and well-being. 

If that's the case, why aren't more people paying attention? One of the greatest challenges individuals, families and caregivers face living with daily ills, pains and treatments is how disempowering the world they live in becomes. To inspire sustainable change, we need to internalize how we can more effectively empower these individuals at home, at work, in our communities and at the point of care by changing how we communicate, treat and support them over time.

Whether I am working with corporate executives, clinicians or individuals, the foundation to transform employee health, patient care models and healthier lifestyles to impact chronic disease is built on taking action in 4 key areas:

#1 Nurture An Empowerment Mentality

• Challenge: Living with a chronic disease is often about what is being done to me (passive) versus what I can do to impact  my health and well-being (action-oriented). 
• Approach: Focus on helping individuals think critically about their own well-being, ongoing education, treatment plans as well as how to engage as a 'circle of care' partner to make informed, autonomous decisions with a can-do attitude.

#2 Engage the Whole Person

• Challenge: Internalizing that a diagnosis is what you have, not who you are is fundamental to personal growth and overall well-being.
• Approach: While disease treatment and management are critically important (though, case in point for the language we could change to empower others (vs. clinical) . . . no one likes to be in a 'disease management' program), tapping into the many other areas of well-being (relationships, stress, sleep, balance, etc.) complement existing treatments and provide additional health gains. 

#3 Energize Team Support

• Challenge: Engaging an individual's family and/or support team (what I call 'circle of care') in making incremental behavioral lifestyle changes together where possible is essential to sustain healthy changes over the long haul - for everyone, not just the one with the chronic illness.
• Approach: Following treatment protocols and making lifestyle changes alone can be isolating, whereas being an integral partner in a supportive team can be motivating at least and invigorating at best - and a powerful motivator for everyone!

#4 Expand View & Impact to 360º Full Circle

• Challenge: When primary or sole focus is on treating a chronic illness, the basics of staying healthy often fall by the wayside. Over time, this can compound current health issues and create new ones to overcome.
• Approach: The needs of people with a chronic illness go far beyond the diagnosis. A healthier body is better equipped to fight off or handle infections, assaults and wear and tear. A healthier mind more effectively copes with daily battles. A healthier spirit provides a stronger foundation to build strengths - which is the best support for well-being long-term. According to the CDC, higher levels of well-being are associated with a decreased risk of illness, better immune function, speedier recovery, increased longevity, work productivity and likelihood of contribution to their communities.

Whether looking to make personal lifestyle changes, help others to do it or encourage a healthier work culture, creating a mindset of health awareness and accountability (H2A) is hard. Change is hard. But it is possible if you get your head in the game from the start - and it's worth it!