You may be intrigued why a fictional boxer can help us to cope with chronic health conditions? The answer lays in the personal strength and determination you need to find. Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, faces fear and adversity head on. He is a true champ and that’s exactly what those of us living with chronic health conditions need to be. Ok I know I’m an 80’s kid whose ideas can be leftfield. (I feel neon leg warmers should be mandatory leg covering to brighten our mood in lockdown). But find out why Rocky Balboa can help us manage chronic health conditions.
Chronic health conditions can be described as an illness or disease that lasts longer than six months. It’s one thing to be ill knowing you will recover because there is an end in sight. It’s another thing entirely, to know you will never recover. You will have to adjust to life living with your condition. There lays the fighter you need to have some control over it, rather than just letting it rule you. Why Rocky Balboa can help us manage chronic health conditions is because we can turn the victim concept on its head.
Let me explain:
Rocky has Persistence.
Most of us have a desire to keep moving forward and hold the belief we should live our best life. In a chronic condition our pain can be relentless, or we can feel so fatigued we cannot even remember what optimism is. But when managing it we cannot risk throwing in the towel. To live as well as possible with chronic ill health, means we must be persistent. To seek out the most relevant advice and to collaborate with a variety of support, so we can improve and keep our quality of life. A huge amount of effort goes into preventing our lives revolving around our conditions,
Let us remember Rocky does not win the fight against Adonis Creed in Rocky 1. It is about his belief and persistence to never give up on his dream. It is this heart that enables him to become the champion in the sequel Rocky 2.
‘Going in one more round, when you don’t think you can– that’s what makes the difference’ Rocky Balboa.
Top 20 Rocky Quotes to Get You Through Hard Times – MotivationGrid
He has a great Coach.
Who can forget Rocky’s coach Mickey?! He encourages him every step of the way, with his straight-talking advice. He knows Rocky inside out and isn’t afraid to point out he will go nowhere engaging in self-pity.
Coping with chronic health conditions is far less daunting if we can connect to people living with similar experiences. They can offer supportive advice alongside mainstream health services. If you are suffering in silence, try joining a support group, either in person or online. It’s good to off load your frustrations or anxieties with people who have journeyed there. These are the ones who cheer you on when you feel you have no fight left. I think we could do all do with a coach like Mickey in life. Straight talking, fair and lots of heart.
Peer Support: What Is It and Does It Work? | National Voices
The Champ always faces his Fears
Rocky always looked his opponents straight in the eye. I’m not sure I could have looked at Clubber Lang (aka Mr. T) or Ivan Drago (Dolph Lungren) like that knowing I was going in the ring with them. But he fights them, and he beats them. Just like it’s difficult to face our health condition head on knowing how much they might change our life. We have to face it and overcome the fear since a life not lived is not worth living. It’s easy to allow these fears to take over and to try and avoid life altogether. Finding solutions to overcome these fears is crucial to better cope with a chronic health condition. Rocky was not the best fighter. Nor was he stronger than his opponents. It was his heart and his belief he could find a way to win.
Facing Fear with Chronic Illness – Counting My Spoons
The Best Way To Overcome Health And Medical Fears – anxietycentre.com
Rocky took it one step at a time.
The scene when rocky runs up steps of the Museum of Philadelphia in Rocky Balboa, visualises how I view chronic health management. Taking it one step at a time. Rocky had months of grueling workout schedules to be a contender for the title. The same goes for living well with a chronic health condition. Every day we have to keep trying to better manage it – no matter if the wins are small and the knocks are hard. Eventually those smaller wins accumulate so we can start living and stop existing.
Remember a bad day yesterday, doesn’t mean it will be today. If you have hit a brick wall and feel like giving up why not try listening to the Rocky classic ‘Eye of the Tiger? I can almost guarantee will push forward to achieve that extra neck roll. You may want to wear headphones to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.
This is so important in order to Manage Chronic Health Conditions
Survivor – Eye Of The Tiger (Official HD Video) – YouTube
8 Tips for Rolling with the Punches – GenTwenty
Rocky balboa going the distance
He’s a Survivor.
Rocky is the ultimate survivor. He has passion, heart, and persistence. The same goes for those of us living with a chronic health condition. We have to go the full 12 rounds to cope with our conditions. Never call us victims, because we will not thank you for it. It’s the resilience and inner strength we need to get up and paint on a smile that makes us survivors. What doesn’t beat you becomes you and we find ways of adapting to improve our quality of life.
You may want to listen to’ Gonna Fly Now’ – The Rocky Theme to reflect on how far you’ve come. Again, I’d suggest headphones.
I’m Rachel. My role as Community Engagement Officer for Right at Home Solent is to support and encourage the positive involvement of clients and the community in their home care experience in Southampton. Through engaging with local people and the relevant organisations, I am building on the values-led approach to Home Care which sets Right at Home Solent apart from the rest.
#rockybalboa #rocky #sylvesterstallone #stallone #slystallone #movie
