I have found that making small changes, one at a time, works best; constantly adjusting slightly as I learn what does or doesn’t work for me. So I’m now in the habit of doing many things automatically, which all help me to gradually improve over time. I’ve done a little summary below; this is my ‘baseline’ of self-care onto which I add other little things over time.
Sleep
I wake up to my sunrise clock at 7.30am, I really like this gadget as it wakes me up gently with light and helps me keep a good routine which makes me feel much better than just going to bed or waking up whenever. Yep, weekends and all. I’m very rock n’roll these days.
I have a reminder that goes off at 9.30pm to quit screens (blue light - bad for sleep!) and spend an hour winding down & filling out my diary of 3 good things that have happened that day and bullet points of what I’ve done (really useful to look back on to see improvements or blips). This routine works great for me and I’m lucky that I can get a good 8 hours sleep each night like this.
Meditation
I do meditation every day, sometimes several times a day. I used to use guided meditations, but now I prefer ‘music’ or ‘sound’ to allow my brain to have a break from constant input from listening to speech or reading. The wonderful ‘Theta mare 20’ or ‘Sacral chakra Tibetan singing bowl’ on the Insight Timer app are particular favourites I’d recommend. Andrew Johnson also has the loveliest, most relaxing voice if you are after a guided meditation. And the Insight Timer app is free!!
Diet & drinks
I aim for eating as nutrient-dense a diet as possible, plenty of fruit and veg, enough protein and also I am coeliac so I’m 100% gluten-free.
I drink a LOT of water and herbal teas, partly because I was advised by my cardiologist to have 2 litres by 11am and 4 litres in total over the day, to help ease symptoms of autonomic dysfunction (dizziness and palpitations etc). Also he advised me to have more salt to help keep this liquid in your bloodstream. I’d recommend trying this to see if it helps your symptoms if you haven’t already. Oh, and I have an app to keep track of this too 'Daily Water' - free and you just click each time you drink a glass.
I don’t drink caffeine at all because caffeine ‘revs up’ our nervous system which exacerbates CFS/ME where we need to relax our nervous systems into parasympathetic mode (also known as ‘rest and digest’ or the opposite to ‘fight or flight’). This is important as a relaxed nervous system allows us to build up more energy 😊. I don’t drink alcohol at all and don’t miss it anymore to be honest (I’m dizzy and lightheaded enough already 😂).
Pacing
Super-important this one!! I try to do a similar amount of activity everyday, including the amount I walk and also social time, which exhausts me even though I love it. Overdoing it tends to mess with my sleep (cos the adrenaline kicks in) not to to mention the Post Exertional Malaise evilness which leaves me painfully stuck in bed for 2 days plus after doing more if I’m not sensible. Sticking to my routine helps me to reduce my symptoms massively and actually increases how much I do overall. I also try to increase the amount I walk by about 10% each couple of weeks if I can e.g. 1100 steps per day rather than 1000 steps on Fitbit.
Alarms
A bit random but I have alarms on my phone to remind me when to go and make a meal! It’s because my blood sugar seems to effect my symptoms and if I get too hungry I can’t cook cos I’m too dizzy! Have meals at regular times is also good for your digestive processes as your body knows what to expect and can produce the right chemicals at the right time. Handy when ME/CFS gives digestive problems too.
Using these strategies I manage to keep in a good daily routine, which has helped me re-stabilise from periods when my illness has been horrific and very gradually progress over time. I’d like to add some more brain-training to my routine again soon, so that is my next project. Do you have a daily routine? Do you find it helps your health too? Love sharing with others what works for them too.
Love and health to you all
