ME/CFS Guest Blog – Dale Miller’s list of Health Ideas

Dale Miller recently sent me his list and I wanted to share it.  It’s long so I’ve selected twenty to start.  Pace yourself LOL.
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I have been reading your blog for at least a couple of years.   You always have a good thought in there that is valuable in helping me run my life.  I’ve been dealing with these issues for over 15 years.  At different times, I have been in the pit of despair at ever being able to do anything, and at other times, ringing with ecstatic joy at being reborn into a full rich exciting life.  It has taken me a long time, but most days, I have learned to savor each day or hour that I am able to function and show up for my life.
 
Overtime, for me, I have learned that maintaining optimum health is a long haul operation.  My view is that watching out for and caring for my body just came at an earlier time in my life than it does for most people.  Everyone, if they want to operate at their peak has to be careful to eat the right foods, watch over their mental processes. get the right health care, proper rest, good companions, love and care.  We all need/want these things, not just people with a chronic health condition.
 
Take care, Dale
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HEALTH IDEAS
April 19, 2018

• Positive/negative affirmations.  Whenever you say, “I’m tired.  I’m old.”  These are negative affirmations.  You may not believe in affirmations, nevertheless you may be doing negative affirmations every day!
• Develop a tiny interest, something to think about every day.
• Keep the mind off sickness, push the mind over to the interest.
• Audible books for distraction.  Try happy tv or radio.
• Music always playing in the house.
• Dance it out.
• Sing, doesn’t matter if you have a lousy voice, raises the endorphins.
• Find someone or animal to touch.
• Small exercise daily, even if only visualizing.
• Starfish 10x a day.  A starfish is when you raise your arms as high as possible over your head, inhale deeply, then bring your arms down and exhale.
• Understand completely the connection between illness and depression.  If you are long-term ill, you are probably depressed.  Suggest Jonathan Harr’s book, Missed Connections for what to do about it.
• Constantly be looking for something to feel good about.  Roses, flowers, puppies, kittens, dogs.
• Find all the parts of your body which are working.  Chances are, 97%+ is working, notice that and catalogue if you need to.  Focus on what part of the body is working and functioning, not on what is not.
• Slow down, taste everything, smell everything, hear everything.
• Correct your posture constantly.  A slump posture makes you feel bad and breathe shallowly.
• Negativity bias.  This is a bias that all humans have which is a survival skill.  It’s very valuable if there is a saber tiger in your immediate vicinity.  Otherwise, you are trained to always seek the negative.  This is not helpful if you are trying to recover from a chronic illness.
• Control your input, you may have to lose negative friends and family.
• Forgive everyone who has ever wronged you in this life-including yourself.
• Read inspiring material every day.
• Find someone or something to love unconditionally, hopefully yourself.

 
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Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.
Be Well Again,
Martha

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