Do you ever feel like life is kicking you in the butt? Or do you ever feel like life is dragging you down? Though it may be hard preventing negativity from pulling you into a rut when you have a chronic condition, like hepatitis B, being more positive can help lift your spirits. When you do this, you can improve your health-related quality of life!
Though there is no set definition for health-related quality of life, the CDC defines it as an individual’s or a group’s perceived physical and mental health over time. Health related quality of life explains how a person’s physical, emotional, mental and social aspects impact their overall life. Health-related quality of life can impact your overall well-being, which the CDC defines as “a positive outcome that is meaningful for people.” Basically, improving health-related quality of life and overall well-being can help people feel that things are going well in their lives. Ultimately, this can help decrease stress and improve how well someone manages a chronic illness. This can be very useful for those of us living with the physical, emotional and social aspects of chronic hepatitis B..
Here are some tips and suggestions on how you can improve your health-related quality of life:
- Make healthy lifestyle changes. You can develop a healthy lifestyle by starting a healthy diet, an exercise routine, or incorporating daily meditation. If you are don’t know where to start, try to find a workout buddy, join an online support group, or look through the many free apps that are available. There are also YouTube videos that can help you find workout routines and diet plans. And you don’t have to do it all at once – even small changes can make a big difference!
- Keep a journal. This is a great opportunity to chronicle your progress towards a healthy lifestyle, and keep track of other milestones in your life. “Gratitude journals” are also very popular – you can spend time writing about one thing a day that you are thankful for – many people enjoy looking back over time to see how all of those “gratitudes” add up. People often say that this helps them to feel better and even appreciate life more. You can search online for “journal topics” or “journal exercises” to help you start a journal.
- Find inspiration. Get some inspiration and tips from others who are going through the same thing! You can check out our #justB storytelling campaign about stories of how people cope with hepatitis B and liver cancer. We also have an empowering story from a liver cancer survivor.
- Connect with a good support system. Spend time with people who make you feel better emotionally and physically! When you are in good company, you will feel more positive and happy too. You should also find out who is on your HBV Team!
These are just a few tips and suggestions on how you can improve your health-related quality of life. There are many articles and resources online with more tips and suggestions on how to improve your quality of and feel more positive! Some websites include CDC’s Health-Related Quality of Life program, advice on how to cope with your chronic illness from HealthCentral, and Huffington Post’s Habits to Improve your Life.
Remember that everyone goes through ups and downs in life, especially those of us living with a chronic illness. But working to make small, positive changes in your life gives you the power to live your best life!