Self Management has changed my life

• Written by: Dr Gail Cunningham — Long Term Conditions Hebrides (LTCH) — Project Manager and Lead Facilitator
• Published: 14th August 2025

Gail Cunningham, a retired GP and Project Manager at LTCH tells us just how much self management has changed her life.

I have taken the lead in the management of my health.

I have a number of long term conditions and have symptoms every day, including daily pain and chronic fatigue. Each and every day is challenging!

However, I love my life.

Having used self management techniques for a decade, I now live a full, purposeful, rewarding life where I balance meaningful activity and relationships with rest and time for solitude and peace.

I value the ordinary things I previously took for granted and I find joy in a simple life.

I have lived a busy life – many would see as successful – I was ‘healthy’, juggling two jobs, a couple of children, pets, community work and a husband who worked away……but I was never as happy as I am now. I always felt a bit ’empty’ and unfulfilled – despite having everything!

I have taken the lead in the management of my health. Through simple changes in my mindset, limiting beliefs and working on myself, applying self management techniques, I have changed! I used to be a perfectionist – but I now accept my imperfections and believe I’m perfectly imperfect and I live in a beautiful, imperfect world.

I generally feel calm now. I have clarity of thought and make better decisions. I understand myself (and others) better and I have more patience and acceptance. I have learnt to be kinder to myself and more generous with others. I feel more connected to myself, to humanity and the wider, natural world.

Modern life is messy. We all have our own burdens and struggles. However, I have taken the lead in the management of my health, where self management has brought colour and joy back into my ordinary, everyday life….. making it wonderful!

What are these magical, transforming self management practices?

Deep breathing, positive mindset, grounding, mindfulness, meditation, spending time in nature, gratitude, daily mindful movement practices – but mostly managing my thoughts. Managed minds make more sense.

How do I maintain my self management practice and keep going despite health issues?

I have a choice to live a miserable life, full of pain, suffering and ill health – or to manage my symptoms, expectations and thoughts and keep control of my life. The effort I used to put into perfectionism and beating myself up is now redirected into helping myself. I remind myself daily to do all the things that help and stop doing the things that hinder me. I learnt to monitor my thoughts and discard any that are not serving me well and nurture the helpful ones.

What has helped me to help myself?

I attend Long Term Conditions Hebrides‘ (LTCH) free, online, drop-in sessions whenever I can to practise gentle yoga, qigong and meditation, to explore creative mindfulness through the arts and I lead the self management weekly LTCH discussion and teaching sessions. I am committed to living my life to the full and helping others whenever I can. Self management has changed my life!

To learn more about Long Term Conditions Hebrides see www.ltch.org.uk or check out the Facebook page and YouTube channel or email info@ltch.org.uk

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