Tips for Chronic illness management and School Work

Navigating schoolwork while trying to navigate your chronic illness can be challenging to say the least. Chronic illness management is one of the keys to helping manage your health while completing your education.

Chronic conditions and chronic diseases can feel like they can take over at time between medical appts, meetings with specialists, refilling medication, going for tests, and navigating all the new information care providers are giving you at each appt. Now, couple that with trying to get your education and trying to manage to keep up with assignments, lectures, exams, and projects. Both are demanding, and both can be exhausting and stressful in different ways. I was going through a major diagnosis myself during the last part of my uni years and it greatly impacted my ability to pursue my educational goals. In this time I learned so much about my invisible illnesses and chronic conditions.

This post is not medical advice, or in place of your health care team. This post is suggestions and tips that I’ve learned through my own experiences. Please talk to your primary care physician with questions about your health and your treatment plans.

What is chronic illness management?

The first question you might have was what is chronic illness management? It’s essentially as it seems it is the management of chronic disease, chronic illnesses, and other chronic conditions. Chronic illness management is the managing of your symptoms of long-term disease. This allows the individual to be able to navigate life while managing their illnesses with their medical team and take back control of their life.

Every person living with chronic conditioning has a different way of managing chronic illness and self-management of chronic disease is not always possible depending on your health. Disease management is not simple. It can take years to reach the point of managing your health as opposed to healthcare professionals medically intervening in emergencies and urgent situations.

Speak to your Educators about your Chronic Illness Management Plan

When possible, and when you feel comfortable speak to your educators about your chronic illness management plan. For myself, I was able to speak to the accommodations office about getting medical accommodations for every single course I was in for my health. It allowed me to speak to one administrator and they would advocate on my behalf. Most colleges and universities have an office of medical professionals or accommodations specialists to help you navigate this. If you’re unsure, speak to the medical team at your school about options to support your health.

If you are in high school or education with one single educator or a small team then you can speak to them individually if you feel comfortable about your health.

Taking the time to advocate for your health and ensure you’re able to complete your education while supporting the demands of your health is important. It not only takes the pressure and stress down. But it also allows for you to have options of how to have your health care providers and educators work together to support your educational goals.

Relax and Relieve Stress

This was a tough lesson for me to learn. For many months I had told myself that between my health and school, there wasn’t much time for anything else (as well I had a part-time job to help with bills). This only exasperated my symptoms and made my health more challenging as I stopped taking care of my stress level and mental health.

Taking time to date, spending time with friends and scheduling self-care time really turned things around. While at first, I felt guilty about the time I took away from my studies and learning more about my chronic disease, it was time I really needed to focus on finding joy.

I found that managing my health became slightly easier when my stress levels were reduced and helped with improving my quality of life during that time. Although it was a struggle to step aside from all the pressing matters at hand. I learned to put aside the patience and the student to just focus on me.

Want some tips on ways to relieve stress – check out the advantages of self-care to reduce stress.

Homework Plans

Completing school projects can be challenging for any student, when your health is unpredictable it adds another layer of stress. Working in groups with individuals who know you and understand your health, when possible, can greatly reduce stress. This allows you to have open conversations about how you’re feeling and have individuals who can help advocate for you in the group. If this is not an option, working ahead, when possible, on assignments is always a great idea.

I remember back in university there would be days when I would feel pretty symptom-free, so I would capitalize on those days to work ahead and get some things off the to-do list. I found it easier to read, and review lectures, and texts when I was feeling crummy so I would reserve those for my slower days.

There is no perfect way to approach homework and school work with your chronic illness. It’s trial and error and finding out what works best for your body. Health problems can pop up at any time. Being as proactive as possible when possible can help reduce stress and help relieve academic pressures.

Taking a Sick Day

There can be times when chronic illnesses can become consuming to your day, and your ability to accomplish other tasks. On these days, it is important to ensure you’re gentle with yourself. If you’re feeling too unwell to go about your day and too unwell to complete tasks, then take the time your body needs. Speaking to a health care professional about sick day plans proactively can help reduce stress and reduce worry. Similar to you wouldn’t go to work this is the same with school. Plan out who you are going to communicate with and how so you know the exact steps you need to take to rest throughout the day.

For myself, this included having templated emails I could send to professors. Having the contact information for group assignment partners, and collaboratively working with them. Understanding the policy for being unwell during exams or test days and working with my accommodations office and professors to understand my options. Having these items outlined before you’re feeling unwell will help you with being able to just rest and take care of your body as you need to.

Summary

This post is not medical advice, please speak to your medical professional about your health and follow the treatment plan and care they are providing. This article provides suggestions and tips that do not supersede medical advice.

When it comes to navigating your educational goals and your chronic illness this can be challenging, tiring, and exhausting. Take the time you need for your health, and advocate for yourself. Ensure you speak to healthcare professionals at your school about options for supporting your health and educational goals. Check out the supports and resources available to you from your healthcare team and educational institution.