Tips and Tricks for Sofa Heroes! Day 1: What ME Feels Like

Jenny's Tips and Tricks Just Giving for The OHC
Hi Everyone!


-note- These tips and tricks are based around the level of disability I have experienced- i.e. moderate ME/CFS. I want to make a full acknowledgement that people with severe ME/CFS often cannot eat solid food or even practice yoga from their bed, but I am hoping my tips will help those mild to moderately affected. My level of severity is somewhere between housebound and able to work from home - traveling is difficult for me but I can get out and about once a week or so.

Update - The 30 days is complete! Thanks so much for joining me! Here's the full table of contents:
See Day 1: What ME Feels Like
See Day 2: Gentle Movement
See Day 3: Meditation
See Day 4: Protein and Plant Power
See Day 5: Sleep
See Day 6: Apps
See Day 7: Non-Toxic Beauty
See Day 8: A Little's Enough
See Day 9: Yoga for Hands and Feet
See Day 10: Relaxation
See Day 11: Magnesium
See Day 12: Loving What Is
See Day 13: Heart Rate
See Day 14: Snacks
See Day 15: Wayfinding
See Day 16: Yoga Nidra
See Day 17: Research 
See Day 18: The Hero's Journey
See Day 19: Non-Toxic Home
See Day 20: Slow Down
See Day 21: Films about ME/CFS
See Day 22: Advocacy
See Day 23: Yoga for Sick Days
See Day 24: Juicing & Shaking
See Day 25: Simplify
See Day 26: Cure vs Remission
See Day 27: Spoon Theory
See Day 28: Green Drinks
See Day 29: Celebs Like Us
See Day 30: Mocktails


Day 1: What ME Feels Like - Share with friends and family to help them understand what it's like to live with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome / Fibromyalgia / Systemic Exertion Intolerance Disease (usually referred to as ME/CFS for short).

The SHORT of it! (for tired spoonies!)
I'm starting a 30 day blog here of tips and tricks I've learned over the last 7 years of working with The Optimum Health Clinic to improve my life living with chronic illness.



Over the next 30 days I'll be giving quick bite tips (I promise to make them short!) and tricks that I've learned over the last decade to improve my daily standard of life in areas of :

- Nutrition (Day 4: Protein and Plant Power) (Day 11: Magnesium) (Day 14: Snacks) (Day 24: Juicing and Shaking) (Day 28: Green Drinks)
- Yoga (Day 2: Gentle Movement) (Day 9: Yoga for Hands and Feet) (Day 16: Yoga Nidra) (Day 23: Yoga for Sick Days)
- Relaxation techniques (Day 10: Relaxation) (Day 20: Slow Down)
- Work and life balance (Day 6: Apps) (Day 13: Heart Rate) (Day 25: Simplify)
- Home care (Day 19: Non Toxic Home Care )
- Cosmetics and body products (Day 7: Non-Toxic Beauty)
- Relationships (Day 12: Loving What Is)
- Psychology  (Day 15: WayFinding)
- Mindfulness and Meditation (Day 3: Meditation)
- News and updates in ME research (Day 17: Research) (Day 21: Films on ME/CFS) (Day 22: Advocacy)
- other fun random tips and tricks (Day 5: Sleep) (Day 8: A Little's Enough) (Day 18: The Hero's Journey) (Day 29: Celebs Like Us) (Day 30: Mocktails)

The LONG of it! (some background)

I was diagnosed with Post Viral Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (also known as: ME, CFIDS, CFS, SEID,  or Florence Nightingale Syndrome to add to the confusion) and Fibromyalgia after a prolonged and intense viral infection in 2006 (along with a few other chronic imbalances that just won't budge).  I started working with The Optimum Health Clinic in 2010 when I finished graduate school and could not continue living life in the way I had been.  I started with the 90 day program via Skype (across the world!) and continued with private sessions in both psychology and nutrition until 2011 when life was a bit interrupted and then started up again in autumn 2016.

Over the years I've seen the OHC grow and evolve, constantly learning more about the incredibly complicated and diverse diagnosis' of ME/CFS and the umbrella of invisible and misunderstood illnesses.  Everyone at the OHC is sincerely dedicated to helping people feel better, and most of them know from first hand experience what ME is like.

I'm not a doctor, nutritionist, yogi, or psychologist in any way, but have spent 11 years learning how to ease my symptoms and live better with the help of The Optimum Health Clinic. Where possible I will share sources.  ME is complex and different for many patients, it's true that a diagnosis under the umbrella of ME/CFS is actually a handful of distinct illnesses or dysfunctions.  However, lifestyle changes can improve chronic illnesses and genetic predispositions of all kinds, to give you a better chance at feeling better.

I must also disclose that my views are personal reflections of my experience and are not direct views or representations of The Optimum Health Clinic.

I am scientifically minded and holistically curious. I'm a critical thinker about everything I try, and I try quite a lot!!  Medicine as we know it in the western world is able to diagnose and treat with pills (medicine) and surgery (important and essential!), but most times does not incorporate lifestyle or whole body mind health in treatment.  Western medicine absolutely has its place - but where they are not able to help, please consider there are still things you can do in your life to feel better.  The OHC approach has given me personal power joy for taking control of the things I can change about my experience. I am eternally grateful for what they have taught me, and the support they have given.

Without the OHC I have no doubt that at this stage I would be in considerably more pain and discomfort, probably have the need to use pain medications on a daily basis as well as a variety of other medications, and would have a much less desirable standard of life - which on the darkest of dark nights of the soul may mean I wouldn't even be here today.

To start!
See my previous blog, What ME Feels Like

Stay tuned!
See Day 1: What ME Feels Like
See Day 2: Gentle Movement
See Day 3: Meditation
See Day 4: Protein and Plant Power
See Day 5: Sleep
See Day 6: Apps
See Day 7: Non-Toxic Beauty
See Day 8: A Little's Enough
See Day 9: Yoga for Hands and Feet
See Day 10: Relaxation
See Day 11: Magnesium
See Day 12: Loving What Is
See Day 13: Heart Rate
See Day 14: Snacks
See Day 15: Wayfinding
See Day 16: Yoga Nidra
See Day 17: Research 
See Day 18: The Hero's Journey
See Day 19: Non-Toxic Home
See Day 20: Slow Down
See Day 21: Films about ME/CFS
See Day 22: Advocacy
See Day 23: Yoga for Sick Days
See Day 24: Juicing & Shaking
See Day 25: Simplify
See Day 26: Cure vs Remission
See Day 27: Spoon Theory
See Day 28: Green Drinks
See Day 29: Celebs Like Us
See Day 30: Mocktails


Comments

  1. Your gentle movement play list looks just great. Is there a way that I can save it onto my YouTube library?sorry to bother you. No rush in replying! Thanks. Hilary. X

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    1. Hi Hilary - Thanks! I think you can either just save the bookmark to your browser (go to the link and save as favorite on your browser window) or I think on YouTube if you are on the playlist you just click the +save button so it saves to your playlists? I think that works. Enjoy!! Thanks so much for your comment.

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