5 Tips to Gain Control of Your Health

Want to get your chronic health issues under control once and for all? Following are 5 strategies you can use so that you're controlling your condition, it isn't controlling you. It's not always easy, but with clear goals in mind and a plan to get there that you can live with, success is attainable.

Tip 1 - Set a clear and concise goal. We sabotage ourselves when we fail to do this. Starting off with multiple resolutions to lose weight, get fit, get off your cholesterol, diabetes, or blood pressure medications will probably last until about February with no measurable improvement anywhere. Focusing on just one area will ultimately impact the rest of the areas that need improvement as well. For instance, the clear and concise goal of losing 50 pounds in six months will probably include upping your exercise, so you'll get more fit. Weight loss will, in turn, help with your cholesterol, blood pressure and/or diabetes, possibly allowing you to cut back or eliminate some meds.

Tip 2 - Determine what you must do to attain that goal. Where do you begin? Where are you now? What factors might stand in your way? What have you tried before? What's worked and what hasn't? What do you like to do and what don't you like to do? You can figure out if there are things in your environment that you may want to change or replace to support the direction you want to go. This is where values assessment tools can come in handy, such as the "Authentic Happiness" Signature Strengths questionnaire. There are a couple of Lifestyle Questionnaires available to my coaching clients through Health Coaching University which also serve to help you determine how best to proceed towards your ultimate goal. Making a plan that is contrary to your core values is just asking for failure and unhappiness.

Tip 3 - Take baby steps towards your goal. True and lasting change doesn't come by taken mighty leaps, but rather in taking small, manageable steps that steadily and consistently move you towards your goal. Research shows that making small changes can add up to a big difference in your health over time. By doing a little every week to improve your health, you will notice a big improvement in your overall sense of well-being. Setting small, easily attainable goals along the way to your ultimate goal is the best way to avoid getting discouraged and giving up. It doesn't matter how small the step is, as long as you come up with it and commit to it. You have to decide what will work for YOU. For instance, in our weight loss example, a baby step might be to cut out desserts three nights this week, or walk at least 15 minutes twice this week. Every week you can build on those baby steps without it getting daunting right off the bat. Telling yourself you're going to walk for an hour every day this week might be too big a goal. If we fail, we get discouraged and are more likely to give up altogether. But success feels good. By giving yourself a baby step that you know you can accomplish, you become encouraged to keep going.

Tip 4 - Get support. Who is going to help you? Who will try to sabotage you? To whom will you be accountable? A health coach is a great person to have an accountability relationship with. We're trained to help you put all these tips in place and to train you to use these same tools for whatever goal you're trying to attain. No man (or woman) is an island. Especially when we want to make lasting lifestyle changes, we need the support of the people around us. If you have a chronic condition, are there support groups available in your area? Can you start one? Are there online forums that deal with your issue? Going public with your commitment will do a couple of things. First, it may provide you with people who will support you in your quest. Second, public commitments are much more powerful than private ones.

Tip 5 - Make it a way of life. The ultimate goal is to make the changes that were made a permanent part of your life so you don't just go back to the way you were before - wanting to make a change. By setting mini-goals all along the way, you can gradually get used to the changes that you're making. Building success upon success feels good and encourages us to keep going. When your goal is finally reached, you'll feel so good and you'll have these new habits so engrained that you don't even want to go back to your old ways. But if you do start to slip, just go back to tip #1. As time goes on you'll become a brilliant self-manager in all areas of your life.

You key is to determine for yourself what works for you. We are not all the same (thank goodness.) Our bodies need different things. What works for one person may be anathema to another. Following these tips will make gaining control of your health issues so much easier.

Health Coaching is not a substitute for medical care. You may be asked to contact your physician before entering into an aggressive Health Coaching program.

Jan Fowler Folsom is a Professional Health Coach specializing in helping baby boomers successfully deal with chronic health conditions. Whether you are diabetic, have high blood pressure or cholesterol, have arthritis, long term weight issues or any other chronic condition, Jan will help you to come up with strategies that will work for you. For more information or to schedule an introductory session, go to http://www.healthhappenscoaching.com or email jan@healthhappenscoaching.com.