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ME/CFS Rest – Ease and Release

7/2/2013

4 Comments

 
Picture© 2013 TSM
Grace’s blog last week got me thinking about what rest is.  Some would say it’s the opposite of physical action – inaction.  Some would say it’s a state – at rest.  I think of it as a combination of stilling the body, the mind and the spirit.  Without all three, for me, it isn’t true rest.

 When I was struggling with ME/CFS, I spent many long periods of time in bed – supposedly at rest.  But for many of those hours I was either completely awake or in a semi asleep state.  Although my body was horizontal and only moved occasionally, my mind was grinding - either hung up on one particular worrying thought or bouncing all over the subject map.  My mind was definitely not resting.

Then sometimes I could accomplish a period of time when my mind was quiet and my body was still but my spirit was low.  My attitude and my outlook were down.  So I was still draining my energy allowing it to ooze out of me as I sat in a negative place about my situation.

Ultimately, for me, true rest came when my body was still, my mind was at ease and I released the emotionally heavy weight of my situation so I could lift up into a place of real rest.  In those moments when I was able to accomplish true rest, I could replenish my energy and take steps toward regaining my health.  How do you rest?  What are your strategies?  Please COMMENT on this blog or Send in your thoughts and I’ll post them with your permission.  You can use the Contact Form or send an email to Martha at DefeatCFS dot net.  And Guest Blogs are most welcome!

Look for a weekly posting on Tuesdays.  And consider being part of the conversation.

Be Well Again,

Martha

4 Comments
Tim Boland
7/6/2013 09:25:42 am

Your blog this week reminds me Martha that often the things which we ‘should’ be attentive too when well are things which then insist on change when we become ill.

My father overall seemed a person not easily disturbed or agitated, which I feel helped lead to his living for 93 years. At the same time, he had large bags under his eyes from the earliest time I remember as a boy. I asked him once why he stayed up so late, and then due to work, he was up by 5 or so in the morning. He said as a young man he didn’t like to sleep that much because “I was afraid I would miss out on something”.

Even now with having this illness for over four years, I still need to remind myself to rest when I become tired, that I often have a restless feeling. And my mind is often active to the point of annoyance, as I am working toward stilling my mind so I truly can be at rest.

A nice coincidence that this week I read an article about the ‘morality of meditation’, which speaks to the calm we feel ourselves from meditation and the surprising affect this has on others around us from our more centered and calm perspective after having included meditation as a daily practice.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/07/opinion/sunday/the-morality-of-meditation.html?ref=opinion

Reply
Martha
7/7/2013 06:15:14 pm

Good article Tim. Thanks!

Reply
Sharon
7/8/2013 03:02:44 pm

Unfortunately, I have not been able to find my true restful state as of yet. I have just recently been diagnosed with CFS/ME and I am still trying to figure out how to deal with and adjust with things. I am in a lot of pain, particularly in my back, but the doctor has not given me anything to ease it. I have trouble finding a comfortable position to rest because of it. Any tips from any of you would be more than appreciated! I am so glad to have found this website. This looks to be a great place for support for CFS/ME.
Sharon

Reply
Martha
7/8/2013 04:14:22 pm

Sharon, we hear your discomfort and pain. Many of us have worked to find just the right combination of treatments to relieve pain. Do you know the source of your pain? Muscular? Nerve? Or something else? Be sure to talk with your doctor and get specific about the source of pain. I was able to combine a muscle relaxant and a NSAIDS pain reliever that worked well for me. Anyone else have a successful pain treatment to suggest?

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    Hello,  I'm
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    After struggling with CFS for four years I am fortunate now to be fully well and making choices about how I want to live my healthy life.  One choice is to be an active part of the CFS community and to offer one voice from the fully recoverd to the dialogue.  I'm glad you're here!   For more about me, here's my Bio.

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