Ten tips for surviving Chronic Fatigue or ME

We call all feel tired after a long day at work.  For some people a good nights sleep doesn’t refresh them and they end up feeling tired all the time.  They may then receive a diagnosis from their GP of Chronic Fatigue or ME.  So if you know anyone who has received this diagnosis here are some tips:

  1. Accept – make peace with your current limitations; it may require you to adjust your lifestyle and to get others to help care for you.
  2. Look externally – get support from others and see a doctor or a therapist.
  3. Fix your diet – we all know the importance of a healthy diet, but it is paramount when you are tired and take you may require supplements.
  4. Look within – meditate and look within to find the lessons from your current situation and illness.
  5. Examine the past – look for unresolved issues, traumas or behavioural patterns that aren’t serving you well.
  6. Grieve – spend time grieving over any past hurts and broken dreams and then let them go.
  7. Get back into the world – when you have the energy, get out and meet people or do some volunteer work.
  8. Make changes – introduce new behaviours, think positively and keep a gratitude diary.
  9. Look into the future – set goals for where you want to be in 10 years time, find your passion and take small steps to get there.
  10. Keep learning – read about what may help your condition and make small changes to your daily routine.

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    Jensen TK, Hjollund NH, Henriksen TB el al 1998 Does moderate alchol consumption affect fertility?  Follow up study amoung couples planning first pregnancy British Medical Journal Aug 22; 317(7157):505-10
    Green BB, Weiss NS, Daling JR 1988 Risk of ovulatory infertility in relation to body weight Fertil Steril Nov;50(5):721-6
    Khalsa HK 2003 Yoga: an adjunct to infertility treatment Fertil Steril Oct;80 Suppl 4:46-51