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Putting Yourself First as a Patient with Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Regardless of whether or not you live with a chronic illness, such as pulmonary fibrosis (PF), it is important for everyone to prioritize their own needs ahead of helping others. This can be difficult, especially when you’ve made a habit of doing things for others (like me) throughout your life. However, following my diagnosis of IPF, I have had to learn the hard way just how important it is to put my needs first, because I can no longer compromise my health for the sake of helping others.
This is a tough topic to write about because I feel selfish and guilty about voicing the importance of not always doing things for others. This isn’t the message that I am trying to convey. Instead, I hope that if patients living with any type of chronic illness, especially PF, choose to put others first that they are doing so knowing their needs will be prioritized and returned from others someday.
I believe that the best types of friendships and relationships are grounded in reciprocal help to one another; meaning when I do something for others, I hope that I can ask for a favour in return. I certainly do not want to be the one in the friendship always “taking”, but I can no longer afford to be the one always “giving” either. Nothing frustrates me more than an friendship being out of equilibrium due to one person always taking or giving.
Lately it feels as though I have consistently been giving to others and assistance has not been returned when I’ve asked for it. This isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault, I understand that we’re all busy and I don’t have control over whether or not someone will help me when I ask. What I can control is how much I give to others, and how often I prioritize my own needs ahead of doing things for others. Over the next few months I am going to focus on this and make myself the priority now that some big life “things” are out of the way. Have you ever felt the importance of doing this as well? If so:
At what point do you cease doing things for others to put your own needs first?
How do you say no to others’ requests and instead let them know you are prioritizing what you need?I hope you all take some time to prioritize your own needs and feel good about doing so!
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