6 Ways to Make Managing a Chronic Illness Easier

It ain’t easy, but there are ways to make managing a chronic illness easier. For years, I’ve worked with people who feel consumed with the task of managing diabetes. I assure you that despite mounting work and life stressors and the complexities of a health condition, balance is possible—if you take some shortcuts. You don’t need to completely upend your routine with rigid interventions.

Here, I talk to other specialists who help those with chronic conditions successfully adopt health-promoting behaviors. When adding one.more.thing. seems unbearable, here are some minimal-effort ways to make managing a chronic illness easier and improve your wellness.

6 ways to make managing a chronic health illness easier

1. Keep meal planning simple

Meal planning can go a long way in helping you make healthier food choices and saving time in the kitchen. Certified diabetes care and education specialist, Amy Beney, RD, shares her number one rule for meal planning and prepping: Keep it simple.

“Find tried-and-true recipes, with a few ingredients that you enjoy and are simple to make. Keep these ingredients on hand so you can prepare a simple, yet delicious meal quickly,” Beney says.

Let this be your reminder that you don’t always have to try new foods. Trying a new recipe can be a job in itself. When I work with clients, together we craft a list of low-effort meals that can be made in 20 minutes or less.

These meals can be played on repeat with a little variation if needed. Meal ideas could include:

• Bean and veggie quesadillas
• Scrambled eggs, veggie omelet, or egg sandwich
• Prepackaged salad with canned salmon
• Tacos
• Chili
• Fish and sweet potatoes
• Protein bowl with rice or quinoa
• Sheet pan dinner (ie., shrimp, peppers, potatoes)
• One pot meal (like a pasta skillet or these)

2. Organize and plan

To help streamline your meal prep process, it’s helpful to organize your fridge and pantry in a way that makes certain ingredients more accessible to you. “If you tend to eat the same foods, keep them together. For example, oatmeal. I keep all of my oatmeal ingredients in a container that I can access easily and assemble several days’ worth in minutes,” Beney says.

Besides organizing your food storage in a way that works for you, invest a bit of time in meal planning. The time spent upfront will save you in the end. “I usually have a solid dinner plan before I leave for work in the morning. This may involve a crockpot, leftovers, soups, or casseroles that I can cook, or that are being cooked while I am not at home,” she shares.

Take a few minutes at the beginning of your week to jot down meal ideas. You can put them in your phone notes, in your planner, or on a meal planner pad.

Once you plan your meals, you can order groceries from the comfort of your home. “Using either a grocery delivery service or a service that brings items to your car will save you time and aggravation, but probably money as well,” Beney says.

Time-saving bonus: Your grocery app will probably save your favorites and regular food items, so you can reference suggested foods when preparing your order.

3. Go for convenience

You’re going to have weeks where planning meals is not feasible—and that’s okay. We don’t always have time to prepare a nutritious homemade meal. Thankfully, there are plenty of convenient, ready-made options you can use instead.

“Several grocery stores or other meal prep sites have meals that are grab-and-go. These are great and there can be a variety of options available,” Beney says. Whether you’re stopping at the deli (gotta love rotisserie chicken), or frozen food aisle (hello, healthy TV dinners), nourishing offerings are aplenty.

And don’t count out meal delivery kits. Most services offer nutrient-dense meals for less than the cost of takeout. They’re delivered right to your doorstep and will save you decision fatigue and prep time.

If you’re having a particularly bad day and can’t muster up the energy to manage low-prep meals, permit yourself to order takeout. The good news is that most restaurants offer nutritious takeout options. Look for items that include veggies to get in some essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

“There’s something called fatigue of chronic disease and it is real and it is part of the process of managing chronic disease,” says Amy Beney, RD, dietitian.

4. Build in reminders

There’s no shame in needing reminders. Especially when it comes to medications and supplements. If you forget to take your medications, you aren’t alone. Several studies about medication use cite forgetfulness¹ as a common reason for not taking medications.

“One easy way [to remember meds] is to use a pill box. While this may sound super simplistic, it can save time and frustration when taking multiple medications at one time,” says Amanda Lane, RD, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.

She adds, “Using any automated service offered by your pharmacy can also be incredibly helpful and prevent you from running out of medication. Many pharmacies have an app or can call when refills have been completed automatically and are ready for pickup.”

Additionally, you can always set reminders on your phone. Most phones come with general reminder apps, but the app store has multiple medication reminder apps from which you can choose.

And reminders aren’t just for medications. They can remind you to move your body, too. Lane says, “Enabling nudges for activity throughout the day can help decrease sedentary time. FitBit and Apple Health have features where nudges can be set if hourly movement has not been reached. The nudge on FitBit encourages at least 250 steps per hour and can be set for up to 12 hours during the day.”

5. Adapt exercise to your comfort level

Speaking of movement, physical activity is especially important for those who have chronic conditions. “Movements that are pain-free help decrease the excitability of our nervous system. With conditions like fibromyalgia or chronic pain, our body is constantly on-guard or high alert. If we can move our body in ways that feel good, that alarm system starts to relax a bit and decreases how much pain our body feels,” Christynne Helfrich, PT at Hinge Health explains.

Likewise, both cardio and strength training have benefits for those with diabetes², high blood pressure³, and heart disease⁴. “When you increase your activity levels, not only does it improve your mood, but it also helps your body sleep better as well. There is a positive domino effect when you can add in a bit more physical activity into your day,” Helfrich says.

Physical activity recommendations may feel daunting but don’t be intimidated. “First off, know that you do not need to exercise for 30-45 minutes to get benefits. Even moving for just five minutes can have a huge impact on your pain and energy levels. Every little bit counts,” Helfrich says.

You know it’s helpful…but where do you start when you just don’t feel like it? Helfrich provides these tips for getting in that much-needed movement:

• Go outdoors. “Not only will natural vitamin D have a large impact on your mental state, but will also boost your mood and energy levels. Taking a short walk around the block outside can have benefits that last all day.”
• Do what feels good. “Whether that’s doing the stationary bike for a few minutes or doing diaphragmatic breathing for a few minutes, every little bit counts.”
• Try gentle, seated movements. “Things like neck side bends, head rotations, and even seated cat-cow will help decrease pain, improve blood flow, and help decrease stiffness.”
• Enlist a partner. “It’s always more fun to exercise with a friend, so plan to meet up for coffee and go for a walk, or attend a yoga or Pilates class together. Having someone to do these activities with helps keep you accountable and less likely to skip out if you’re not feeling up for it.”

6. Have compassion

Finally, give yourself grace. It sounds cliche, but life happens. “Be kind to yourself,” Beney says. Self-compassion is linked to well-being⁵, making it an essential part of managing any chronic condition.

“Managing all the things you have to manage, plus chronic disease, can be a heavy load. It can be both mentally and physically fatiguing. There’s something called fatigue of chronic disease and it is real and it is part of the process of managing chronic disease,” Beney says.

It’s okay to have a bad day. Acknowledge it and move on. Small steps can make tomorrow a better one.