Contents
Living with a chronic illness or caring for a loved one with such a problem is hard work, including mental work. Psychotherapist Kathy Wyrant gives specific advice on how to help yourself and your brain replenish energy and cope with the situation.
When a person suffers from a chronic illness or constantly takes care of someone close in such a situation, his brain is always busy. People spend hours arranging appointments with doctors, doing tests and examinations. We have to communicate a lot with medical workers, pharmacists in pharmacies and, in some cases, with insurance companies and officials.
Taking care of proper nutrition and lifestyle also takes a lot of energy, regardless of whether you have to maintain your health or take care of a chronically ill parent or spouse. All this is a big daily job that requires time and energy. But if physical fatigue is more noticeable, then cognitive, mental fatigue is often not realized until it reaches the extreme.
Psychotherapist and social worker Kathy Wierant writes about this aspect of living with a chronic illness, either in your own or in your family.
cognitive labor
Cognitive activity is best understood as a sequence of anticipation, identification, decision making, and monitoring, recalls Cathy Veyrant. These stages are consistently explored in her article in the context of living with a chronic disease.
Anticipation or anticipation is the recognition of an impending need, potential problem or opportunity. When we know that a prescription is running out, or that symptoms of a disease are getting worse, or new information about a troubling disease arrives—for example, a study—we enter a waiting phase of cognitive work.
Identification involves creating options to meet a need or use that opportunity. For example, when symptoms worsen, we think about possible ways to solve the situation. We go over the options: see your primary care physician, apply home remedies such as rest, diet, and over-the-counter medications, or do nothing. We can interact with other people to create options: friends, family members, and experts.
Decision work is to decide which path to take. In doing so, we take into account past experience, advice received, and the costs and benefits of each option.
Monitoring involves evaluating how the decision made meets the needs of the person who is ill. For example, we decide to wait and see if our symptoms improve with rest and diet, and after a while we check if we feel better or worse.
Emotional damage from cognitive labor
Citing expert opinion, Wyrant writes: “The abstract nature of cognitive work—the absence of spatial and temporal boundaries—deprives a person of the satisfaction that comes with performing many physical tasks. Without a real beginning or end, learning can feel like a conveyor belt with no off button.”
The workings of the mind are also invisible. When interacting with us, family members, friends, and colleagues do not realize that our minds continuously anticipate, detect, define, and control various aspects of our chronic disease. They may wonder why we seem tired and preoccupied. In fact, our cognitive work may be invisible even to ourselves.
We may know that we are exhausted and overwhelmed with worries. But we don’t usually associate it with the intense mental stress associated with a chronic illness.
A smart approach to the work of the mind
“Cognitive work is real work. When we expect, determine, make decisions and control, we waste energy, ”recalls Kathy Veyrant. To get off a conveyor belt without an off button, we first need to be able to notice that we’re already on it. You have to learn how to let go.
Are there moments in our lives when we feel carefree, we can turn off our thoughts and just… be? Some people may experience this condition when they are engaged in physical activities, such as painting. Others – being in nature or during meditation.
Wyrant recommends paying attention to the difference between our state when we are engaged in cognitive work and when we are not. Realize how important cognitive work is because we receive and process information that allows us to make optimal decisions regarding health. And to recognize the importance of those experiences when we are not busy with cognitive work – we are relaxed, enjoy pleasant sensations, replenishing our energy reserves.
“Practice transitions between involvement and withdrawal from the mental work associated with the disease,” recommends Wyrant. — Develop a system that will allow you to effectively manage this work. In particular, plan the time that you devote to the treatment of the disease every day. For example, you can do a routine check in the morning: “How do I feel? What do I need to do today to feel good?”
The therapist also suggests including these activities in your calendar to literally “throw them out of your brain onto paper or a smartphone screen.” In addition, according to Wyrant, it is important to share with loved ones and talk about the pressures that we experience in connection with the disease. They must understand how much time and energy this work takes.
Seeing that we are understood and appreciated for our efforts can make us feel less alone. Delegation may be the next step. When loved ones begin to better understand the burden we have to bear, they may be able to provide all possible assistance. Perhaps someone will deal with prescriptions or documents and extracts, and someone will go to the pharmacy.
In times of crisis, increased attention is focused on addressing health problems
To optimize the process, you can use scheduling applications together or even a good old notepad – a written list of tasks with completion marks will clearly show the state of affairs at the current moment. Wyrant advises adding items there as soon as they come to mind, so as not to miss anything and remember at the right time.
“And be sure to add the scheduled time to restore your strength. Replenishing physical and mental resources is vital – take it seriously, ”the psychotherapist writes. This does not mean complete idleness. Rather, it refers to the positive attention we can give to our mind and body.
“I want to make it clear,” adds Wyrant, “that these recommendations are primarily suitable for periods of relative stability in health. In times of crisis, increased attention is focused on solving health problems. However, when we are out of crisis mode, effective cognitive labor management can be a tool that reduces stress and fatigue and thus helps us get out of the crisis.”
About the author: Cathy Willard Wyrant is a psychotherapist and social worker.