New Year, New Endo

There’s no better time to make changes to your life than the built-in reset button that is January. The world over, people vow to join gyms, eat better, make wiser choices, lose weight, and improve their relationships. My partner and I are no different, and every January we set goals for the year, both individually and as a couple. As endometriosis is a big part of our lives, there are always some goals to be set that aim to improve how we manage endo as a couple. Goal-setting with a partner is also beneficial as being held accountable to another who knows your plans is shown to improve success rate.

Getting started

Firstly, discuss your goals for the year. Is there a type of lifestyle change you wanted to try out to better deal with endometriosis symptoms? Are you trying to have more restful weekends? Also talk about the things that held you back last year – barriers that got in the way of supporting each other, commitments that made following certain lifestyle changes difficult. Getting this stuff out in the open is super helpful, and without discussing it, you’ll spend the year guessing each other’s intentions and priorities.

Maybe this year you just want to commit to facing the condition head-on and start to learn all about it, and how people manage it themselves. There is a great deal of first-hand accounts and tips out there so arm yourself with information about endometriosis management tools, from this site, or other sources such as This EndoLife, or Know Your Endo.

What's next?

Make some resolutions. What are you going to do to make each other’s lives better? What are you going to do to better support your partner? Make these resolutions simple and measurable, as complicated and abstract ones are difficult to judge in terms of success, and therefore difficult to stick to. Smaller, simple resolutions such as drinking decaf tea or going to bed earlier during an endo flare-up will be easier to achieve, and yield better results.

Visualize

Create a vision board together of your ideal life, or ideal health situation. A vision board is essentially a goal setting/visualization tool that takes the form of a collage. If that’s not your style, make a Pinterest board, make a spreadsheet, put in some calendar dates – whatever helps you bring these ideas and goals into the physical world of action and accountability. Use this physical tool as a reminder of the commitments you’ve made, so place them somewhere around the house that is clearly visible, and refer back to them if you are feeling lost or frustrated.

Goal-setting can work!

My partner and I have made our resolutions for this year – we did it last night – and as well as personal goals and dreams, we have also focussed on how we can reduce the impact her endometriosis has on our lives, and how better I can support her as she manages her condition. We have come leaps and bounds since her endometriosis first reared its ugly head, and management of the condition is becoming second nature to us, with her symptoms being massively less severe than they used to be. Endometriosis is not the life controlling monster that it used to be, and a big reason for this success is setting and achieving health-related goals. It may seem like a distant dream, a life unobscured by endometriosis, but I have seen it happen first hand. It takes small and hesitant first steps to find the right lifestyle to manage your condition, but before you know it you’ll be bounding along that path and not looking back. A new year is the perfect excuse to make changes to your lifestyle and to your relationships, to start living the life you’ve always wanted.