5 things that helped me improve fatigue in Fibromyalgia and Chronic fatigue so I could wake up energized again
5 things that helped me improve fatigue in Fibromyalgia and Chronic fatigue so I could wake up energized again
I would wake tired. Mornings were not my best time of day. Exercise left me breathless and with physical work, I had no stamina.
This really got in the way of participating in sports, dancing, anything that required a bit of physical effort. I ended up in sedentary jobs.
In the last few years, I learned how certain things made my fatigue worse and took steps to overcome each one.
I am able to go to sleep earlier, get into a deep sleep, and wake up feeling more energized these days as long as I do some of these things. I no longer have fatigue (or oversensitivity to light and sound, IBS, pain, foggy thinking, pressure on top of my head, pain in the roots of my scalp hair, poor memory and concentration).
I can do normal things again with friends and family instead of watching from the side-lines.
Here are 5 things that can help:
1. Decrease Stress
The normal stress response causes us to breathe shallowly. This is ok for short moments of danger but when it happens for a long time we don’t get as much oxygen into our blood as we need. Stress causes our muscles to tighten (ready to run and don’t relax), it can increase anxiety and heart rate and decrease blood going to the digestive system which can contribute to Irritable Bowel.
Our brain needs oxygen to function well and when it is not getting as much as it needs, it takes blood from the body to try and save itself. This can contribute to pain and cramping in the body and also to feeling tired.
I teach a breathing (not just deep breathing) and gentle movement technique done laying down to decrease stress levels and increase the oxygen to the brain. This can decrease body pain, help fatigue, IBS, and other symptoms of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue.
One thing to help temporarily switch from stress to a relaxed state is to take 3 slow deep breaths, even better if done outside.
2. Improve nutrition
I went flatting in my teens and ate easy prep meals with poor nutrition. Then I turned vegetarian where I worried about what I was not eating rather than concentrating on what I should eat. I did a poor job of it and lacked in some vitamins and minerals because of it. I am not saying being a vegetarian is wrong, just that I did not do it well. Cells need a balanced diet, with fresh veggies, fruit, protein, etc and if one thing in a metabolic pathway (where things are converted into a final product in the body) is missing then it cannot do its job.
Make sure there is fresh food in the house. There are practitioner-only supplements I can provide that can help replace what is missing and also help with pain.
3. Get into a deep sleep
I usually got to bed late, sometimes didn’t get to sleep quickly, would wake up frequently in the night and wake up in the morning feeling like I needed to sleep another 4 hours. I always needed an alarm clock and would sleep through it.
One reason is that I was stuck in stress mode. Deep sleep is where our healing takes place.
To make sure you have a deep sleep: Make sure your room is dark, with no street lights shining in. Don’t use a computer or watch TV just before bedtime. Reducing stress is the key to getting a good night’s sleep.
4. Drink enough water
Fatigue is one of the symptoms of dehydration. Try to have at least 2 liters of water a day. Don’t count other liquids such as coffee, and tea as they are actually diuretics (make you pee). Don’t count chilled water.
5. Improve oxygen circulating to the brain and body
Cells need oxygen to make energy. Make sure to get enough oxygen into your blood.
There are a few ways to do this.
Keep your neck straight to help blood get up through the neck into the back of the brain, watch your posture. Don’t look down eg at a laptop or phone or up at a TV on the wall for long periods.
If there is a problem with your neck then less oxygenated blood will get up through the neck.
The two techniques that I mentioned above can help blood get up into the brain in two different ways. NB If no blood was getting up there you would faint. It’s more about not as much as you need is getting up there. One theory I believe in is that people with these kinds of symptoms have a compromised Circle of Willis (blood vessels carrying blood from the front of the brain to the back) and that is why others don’t get these symptoms with stress or a neck problem and we do.
I specialize in helping people with Fibromyalgia or Chronic Fatigue reduce their pain, wake up feeling energized and enjoy life again.
Make sure to join my Aches Away & Energize group for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue for more free tips and information to reduce pain, learn about these techniques, wake up feeling energized and enjoy life again.
Here is the link to join the group:
Posted: Tue 29 Mar 2022