McMan's Eight-fold Path to Living Well

Be careful about diets that set you up to fail. It may be better to set modest goals and to aim for eating a bit smarter.

(Check out HealthCentral’s FoodFit for some good nutrition tips and healthy recipes.)

Personal note: I do a lot of my own cooking, which allows me to control the ingredients that go into my food.

Exercise

Numerous studies have linked exercise to elevated mood and reduction of depression. This includes aerobics, walking, and yoga. Simple advice: Find something you like to do (such as walking) and fit it in to your daily routine. Find an activity that is fun to do with others (such as dance lessons).

Personal note: When I miss my daily walk, I feel it way more than when I accidentally miss a meds dose.

Connectedness

This includes being connected with who you are, with other people, and with something greater than yourself (be it God or your own intuition). Without these connections, you are inviting in depression and frustration and anger.

Fittingly, all these levels of connectedness interconnect. Finding personal piece of mind has a lot to do with seeking out and maintaining the type of relations that nurture and challenge us. Be ready to step outside of your comfort zone – if you are standing still you are going backwards.  

Personal note: I am very prone to isolating. These days, in the wake of a recent marriage break-up, I place great emphasis on seeking out people and talking to my friends.

Resilience

We may be a vulnerable population, but you are a lot tougher than you think. Take credit for the strength and courage you have already displayed in the teeth of one of the worst illnesses on earth. Even the best of us enter states of hopelessness. But even in our worst states, we have a small element of control, and that is cause for hope.

Personal note: I try to focus on living in the present. 

Final Word

Your illness will always remain a challenge, but you can take comfort in the fact that the world’s foremost expert in the art of being you is hard at work on your case. Live well …