Setting Goals for Better Chronic Disease Management

Chronic diseases are extremely common. In fact, the CDC estimates that roughly 130 million Americans have at least one chronic disease, and almost half have two or more. 

Long-lasting and sometimes lifelong, chronic diseases require ongoing management to prevent complications. Coordinating multiple and often diverse health needs can feel overwhelming, especially when your life is already busy. Sometimes, it’s hard to know if the steps we’re taking are even helping.

John Terzian, MD, FACC, and the team at Bridgewater Primary Care & Cardiology, LLC, have extensive experience helping patients manage chronic diseases while supporting a healthier lifestyle. In this post, learn how goal-setting can play an important role in disease management, helping to reduce anxiety and improve both your health and quality of life.

Understanding chronic diseases

Before delving into the purpose and benefits of goal-setting, it’s important to know what chronic diseases are and why proactive management is so critical for your health. 

In general, a chronic disease is a long-term health condition that can last for years or even for your entire life. Common chronic diseases include:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Hypertension
• High cholesterol
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Arthritis
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

In the United States, chronic disease is the leading cause of disability and death, and actively managing disease symptoms and risk factors is essential for your short- and long-term health needs and your quality of life.

Chronic disease management typically involves a combination of therapies and lifestyle changes. Balancing the needs of your condition with the rest of your responsibilities and daily activities can be challenging — but goal-setting can help.

The important role of goal-setting

Goal-setting provides key benefits for helping us manage complex health needs without feeling frustrated or overwhelmed.

Helps us focus

Managing the diverse needs of chronic medical conditions takes effort, and without a clear plan, it’s hard to know what to do next. Goals help us identify key areas that can benefit our health, along with establishing a clear path to achieve them. 

Keeps us motivated

It’s easy to get “off track” with plans when they’re not clearly defined — just look at the number of New Year’s resolutions that fail. Setting goals gives us a clear way to measure progress, so we stay upbeat about achieving those goals.

Holds us accountable

By giving us something concrete and measurable to strive for, goals keep us accountable for our own progress. Regular check-ins with our team give us a concrete “goalpost” that keeps us focused on our target.

Rewards us for a job well done

Achieving a goal is a major win for your health and for your confidence, too. Setting goals gives us a way to recognize milestones and celebrate them for more positive reinforcement.

Goal-setting tips

The best goals are organized and focused. These tips, loosely inspired by the well-known SMART approach, can help you set goals as you manage chronic disease.

Be specific

Avoid vague goals and make your goals actionable so you can track your progress more accurately. For instance, instead of “Move more,” establish a specific goal like, “Take a 30-minute walk every day at lunchtime.” 

Make them measurable

Each goal should have a measurable result, like, “Lose 10 pounds over the next three months.” Measurable goals give you something to work toward and help keep you motivated and on track.

Make them achievable

It’s great to have big goals for your health, but big goals can be harder to achieve — and that can leave you feeling frustrated and discouraged. Instead, break larger goals down into smaller, more manageable tasks — “mini goals” — that build on each other over time.

Have a deadline

Finally, when you set a goal, set a timeline to achieve it. Having a deadline helps you stay focused and encourages progress. It also makes it easier to track that progress and make adjustments if needed.

Setting goals for better health

Goal-setting shifts the focus from the pressures of dealing with disease to a more active role in managing disease and improving overall wellness and quality of life. To learn how our team can help you manage your chronic disease needs more effectively, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Bridgewater Primary Care & Cardiology in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, today.