Coping Strategies

Women living with heart failure (HF) in this study told us about some of the coping strategies, skills and practices, they adopted to to help manage their symptoms and to feel better and in more in control of their lives. Following medical advice, watching diet, exercise, learning to pace activity and monitor HF symptoms, along with managing stress by using breathing and mindfulness methods, were all listed as important ways that a woman could help herself. Cardiac rehabilitation programs often taught these skills, as well as provided information about HF and how to live with it [see our page on Finding Information & Cardiac Rehab]. Women talked about the clear connection between their mental health and learning how to cope with their condition on their own and use self-care approaches to manage their mood and attitude [see our pages on Mental Health & Emotional Support and Self-care – Maintaining Your Own Well-being].

 

Follow Medical Advice

Adopting ‘heart healthy’ behaviours included quitting smoking, taking medications as directed, following up with their medical teams and adhering to diet and fluid intake guidance. Several women that we spoke with encouraged others to adopt heart healthy behaviours, to work with medical professionals to monitor and evaluate their health and current treatment plan. Jennifer said that she would encourage other women with heart failure “to do their best to obviously, you know, take care of their health and see their health care professionals and go to the doctors’ appointments and do their best for them, themselves.”

 

Dietary and Fluid Management

Making healthy dietary choices and managing fluids was highlighted by many women with HF as essential to their well-being. Grocery shopping and learning to read food labels and prepare meals without salt were ways that women could assume more control over their lives and health. Managing diet and liquids allowed women to control water retention (or edema) with less reliance on medications. Lori talks about how she looked after her diet. “I used to do all my cooking and my cooking was always without salt. I used spices, no salt because I was on salt restriction and fluid restriction, and I’ve always made my own food without the salt and always measured my fluid intake. Then, at times, I measure my fluid outtake when I’m really puffy, but I know how to do that and I know what to watch for. Some people don’t have that luxury.”

Following a heart healthy diet can be complicated by other health conditions. Lillian spoke about how undergoing cancer treatment required her to balance the needs of her heart failure management with her cancer treatment objectives.

 

Monitoring Symptoms and Activity Pacing

Pacing is a self-care approach that balances activity and rest so that the person can conserve the energy to do what is important to them and avoid triggering HF symptoms. Some of our women did this informally, learning by trial and error while others were formally taught these techniques in rehabilitation programs. Some women found it difficult to accept the adjustment to a slower paced life. Others reported that being able to identify their symptoms very specifically, made them more respected partners on their health care team.

Barbara described how she learned to monitor her own symptoms: “I started to recognize when my heart was beating too hard when… because as soon as my heart starts beating too hard I can feel it in my neck and that’s my cue to – to sit down and recover, if you will.”

 

Exercise and Fitness

Being physically active and getting regular daily exercise was also mentioned as both important for regaining strength and mobility, but also to manage stress. Sharon1 works out “three days a week for one hour with a private trainer. I did way before – way way way before I had issues and I’m still doing it. I take it quite seriously.” Louise walks to manage her anxiety as well as keep fit “I can say that yes, I have anxiety because it’s more the unknown than the known. I can say yes, I get depressed, but I talk myself out of it as fast as I can you know? It’s like ‘Let’s go walking’.”

 

Meditation and Breathing

Using mindfulness techniques like meditation and breathing were used by several women to manage symptoms and feel better, but these skills take practice and time to adopt.