Self-Management Skills


Patients who live with a chronic condition require a number of self-management skills. These include skills needed to manage the illness, skills needed to continue activities of daily living, and skills needed to manage changing emotions.

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In order to self-manage an illness, the person needs to be able to:

  • Understand the illness and what their role in treatment is.
  • Advocate for themselves so they have an active part in the decision making.
  • Monitor symptoms and report to the health care team how well something is working.
  • Properly administer any medication or exercises needed at home.
A person living with a chronic condition does not suddenly become an island. There are still roles that they must play and activities they must participate in in order to fulfill these roles. To do this fully they need to be able to:

  • Accept that there are limitations and sometimes they might need to rest in order to not aggravate their condition.
  • Make changes as recommended by their healthcare team, such as eating better or exercising more.
  • Problem solve to change the way they do difficult activities so they are easier to do
The stages of grief are often experienced by patients with a chronic condition. These emotions are not linear. Someone who has experienced anger about their situation will probably experience it again. In order to be able to manage the ever-changing emotions that accompany living with a chronic condition, a person needs to be able to:

  • Feel the emotion they are currently experiencing and accept that it is perfectly natural.
  • Ask for help before the emotions get too overwhelming.
  • Find and nurture a relationship with someone who they can talk to about their emotions.
  • Actively decide that they are not going to stay in a negative emotion for long.
  • Find things to laugh about.